Printing device

Abstract

A printing device according to the present disclosure is provided with a guide member, a heating unit, and a heating passage. The heating unit is provided with: a body case; a heating chamber provided in the body case; a fan and a heater housed in the heating chamber; a supply port which supplies heated air heated by the heater to the heating passage; and a recovery port which recovers the heated air in the heating passage to the heating chamber. The body case is provided with: a first wall part in which the supply port and the recovery port are formed so as to penetrate therethrough and which is disposed so as to face the guide member; and a second wall part which forms the heating chamber in a space between the first wall part and the second wall part. The heating chamber is provided with: a first chamber which supplies the heated air from the supply port to the heating passage; and a second chamber which recovers the heated air in the heating passage from the recovery port and supplies the heated air to the fan. The second wall part is provided with an intake port for introducing outside air into the second chamber.

Description

printing device

[0001] This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-32556, filed on March 4, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing device.

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-144992 describes an inkjet printer equipped with a drying device that blows hot air onto a recording medium.

[0003] JP 2023-95350 A

[0004] In order to quickly raise the temperature of the heated air (hot air) supplied from the drying device (heating unit), it is desirable to collect the heated air supplied from the heating unit and circulate the heated air. However, if the heated air is circulated, there is a risk that the temperature of the heating unit will rise excessively.

[0005] The present invention aims to prevent the temperature of the heating unit from rising excessively.

[0006] A main invention for achieving the above object comprises: a guide member that is arranged downstream of a printing area in a transport direction and guides a medium; a heating unit that supplies heated air to the medium guided by the guide member; and a heating passage formed between the guide member and the heating unit and through which the heated air flows; the heating unit comprises: a main body case arranged opposite the guide member; a heating chamber provided in the main body case; a fan housed in the heating chamber; a heater housed in the heating chamber and heating air blown by the fan; a supply port that supplies the heated air heated by the heater to the heating passage; and a recovery port that recovers the heated air from the heating passage to the heating chamber; the main body case comprises: a first wall portion through which the supply port and the recovery port are formed and that is arranged opposite the guide member; and a second wall portion that forms the heating chamber in a space between the main body case and the first wall portion; and the heating chamber comprises: a first chamber that supplies the heated air from the supply port to the heating passage; a second chamber that recovers the heated air in the heating passage from the recovery port and supplies it to the fan, wherein the second wall portion is provided with an intake port for taking in outside air into the second chamber.

[0007] Patent Literature 1 discloses an inkjet printer that, when drying media printed with aqueous resin ink with hot air, forms an air curtain to prevent high-temperature air discharged from the drying device from rising above the drying area and flowing into the printing area. When the bent portion of the front apron (a guide member that guides the media) is located in the drying area, as in the inkjet printer described in Patent Literature 1, the media may bend after being stretched by heating, resulting in the formation of wrinkles on the media. On the other hand, if the air curtain is located downstream of the bent portion in the transport direction, the formation of wrinkles can be suppressed. However, the further downstream the air curtain is located in the transport direction, the greater the media waste, which is undesirable. Furthermore, in order to transport media transported on a horizontal platen along an inclined front apron, a bent portion serving as a path change point between the platen and the front apron is required to change the orientation of the media. Therefore, it is difficult to eliminate the bent portion to suppress wrinkle formation. Thus, it is desirable to provide an air curtain that can suppress the formation of wrinkles while suppressing media waste.

[0008] When the object is to provide an air curtain so as to suppress the occurrence of wrinkles while suppressing waste of media, the main invention for achieving this object comprises: a guide member that is arranged downstream of a printing area in the transport direction and guides a medium; and a heating unit that supplies heated air to the medium guided by the guide member, wherein the heating unit comprises: a main body case that is arranged opposite the guide member; a heating chamber that is arranged in the main body case; a fan that is housed in the heating chamber; a heater that is housed in the heating chamber and heats the air blown by the fan; a supply port that supplies the heated air heated by the heater toward the guide member; a recovery port that recovers the heated air into the heating chamber; an air blowing chamber that is arranged in the main body case separately from the heating chamber; an air blowing fan that is housed in the air blowing chamber; and an air outlet that is arranged upstream of the supply port and the recovery port in the transport direction and through which the air in the air blowing chamber is blown toward the guide member by the air blowing fan, wherein the guide member comprises: A printing device comprising: a bending region that guides the medium by bending the medium at a bending portion; and a flat region that is located downstream of the bending region in the transport direction and guides the medium with a flat surface, wherein the blow-out port is located opposite the bending region, at least one of the supply port and the recovery port is located opposite the flat region, and the most downstream bending portion, which is the bending portion on the most downstream side of the bending region in the transport direction, is located closer to the position facing the blow-out port than the position facing the supply port or the recovery port.

[0009] Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the description of this specification.

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the temperature of the heating unit from rising excessively.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the exterior of the printing device 1. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the printing device 1 as viewed from the right side. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the printing device 1. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional perspective view illustrating the configuration of the heating unit 50. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the heating unit 50 as viewed from the right side. FIG. 6A is an explanatory diagram of the arrangement of the air intake area 742 and the non-air intake area 743 in the lower air blowing chamber 62. FIG. 6B is an explanatory diagram of the arrangement of the air intake 721 and the lower air blowing fan 621. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the lower air blowing port 622 exposed after removing the outer cover 79. FIG. 8A is an explanatory diagram of the vicinity of the lower edge of the second wall portion 72. FIG. 8B is an explanatory diagram of a reference example. FIG. 9A is an explanatory diagram of a case where an opening / closing mechanism 81 is provided in the air intake 721. FIG. 9B is an explanatory diagram of another opening / closing mechanism 81. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a case where an air intake fan 82 is provided in the air intake 721. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a heating unit 50 according to a modified example. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of a reference example. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of the positional relationship between the bent portion 34 and the air outlet 612. FIG. 14 is another explanatory diagram of the positional relationship between the bent portion 34 and the air outlet 612. FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram of a heating unit 50 according to a modified example. FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram of the positional relationship between the bent portion 34 and the air outlet 612 in a modified example. FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram of a first reference example. FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram of a second reference example. FIGS. 19A to 19C are explanatory diagrams of the mechanism by which wrinkles are formed in the medium M.

[0012] <Overall Configuration> As an example of a printing device, a printing device 1 that prints images using an inkjet method will be described. Fig. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram of the exterior of the printing device 1. Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the printing device 1 as viewed from the right side. Fig. 3 is a block diagram of the printing device 1.

[0013] In the following description, each direction is defined as shown in FIG. 1 . The direction parallel to the vertical direction is referred to as the "up-down direction." The movement direction of the carriage 21 of the printing device 1 is referred to as the "left-right direction," with the right side as seen from the operator operating the printing device 1 being referred to as the "right" and the opposite side being referred to as the "left." The movement direction of the carriage 21 is sometimes referred to as the "scanning direction." The direction perpendicular to the up-down and left-right directions is referred to as the "front-rear direction," with the operator's side as seen from the printing device 1 being referred to as the "front" and the opposite side being referred to as the "rear." The movement direction of the medium M is referred to as the "transport direction," with the supply source side of the medium M being referred to as the "upstream transport direction (upstream side in the transport direction)" and the discharge side of the medium M being referred to as the "downstream transport direction (downstream side in the transport direction)."

[0014] The printing device 1 is a device that prints an image on a medium M (printing paper, printing film, etc.). In this example, the printing device 1 is an inkjet printer. The printing device 1 includes a controller 10, a carriage unit 20, a transport unit 30, a head 41, and a heating unit 50.

[0015] The controller 10 is a control unit that controls the printing device 1. The controller 10 controls each part of the printing device 1 (such as the carriage unit 20, the transport unit 30, the head 41, and the heating unit 50). For example, the controller 10 controls each part of the printing device 1 based on commands from a computer (not shown), such as a personal computer, operated by a user.

[0016] The carriage unit 20 is a unit for moving the carriage 21 back and forth in the left and right direction. The carriage unit 20 has a carriage 21 and a carriage motor 22. The carriage 21 is a member that moves back and forth in the left and right direction. A head 41 is mounted on the carriage 21, and the head 41 can be moved back and forth in the left and right direction by the carriage 21 moving back and forth in the left and right direction. The carriage motor 22 is a drive source for moving the carriage 21. The carriage motor 22 is controlled by the controller 10.

[0017] The transport unit 30 is a unit for transporting the medium M. The transport unit 30 has a transport member 31 and a transport motor 32. The transport member 31 is a member for transporting the medium M, and in this case is composed of a transport roller 31A and a pinch roller 31B. The medium M can be transported in the transport direction by rotating the transport roller 31A with the medium M sandwiched between the transport roller 31A and the pinch roller 31B. The transport motor 32 is a drive source that rotates the transport member 31 (here, the transport roller 31A). The transport motor 32 is controlled by the controller 10.

[0018] The transport unit 30 has guide members 33 that guide the medium M, including a platen 33A, a rear apron 33R, and a front apron 33F (see FIG. 2). The platen 33A is a member that guides the medium M in the printing area (the area where printing is performed on the medium M; the area facing the head 41). The platen 33A has a guide surface that is perpendicular to the up-down direction. The rear apron 33R is a guide member 33 that guides the medium M upstream of the printing area in the transport direction. The rear apron 33R is positioned upstream of the platen 33A in the transport direction, and has a guide surface that extends forward and upward toward the downstream side in the transport direction (the side closer to the platen 33A). The front apron 33F is a guide member 33 that guides the medium M downstream of the printing area in the transport direction. The front apron 33F is disposed downstream of the platen 33A in the conveying direction and has a guide surface that extends forward and downward toward the downstream side in the conveying direction (away from the platen 33A). The guide surface of the front apron 33F is disposed opposite the heating unit 50.

[0019] The head 41 has nozzles that eject ink onto the medium M. The head 41 is mounted on the carriage 21 and moves back and forth in the left and right direction together with the carriage 21. The head 41 is controlled by the controller 10 to eject or not eject ink from the nozzles.

[0020] The heating unit 50 is a unit for supplying heated air to the medium M. As shown in FIG. 1, the heating unit 50 is provided in front of the printing device 1. Also, as shown in FIG. 1, the heating unit 50 has a structure that extends in the left-right direction. Also, as shown in FIG. 2, the heating unit 50 is disposed opposite the front apron 33F (the guide member 33 disposed downstream in the transport direction from the printing area), and is configured to supply heated air to the medium M guided by the front apron 33F. As shown in FIG. 2, a heating passage 52 through which heated air flows is formed between the heating unit 50 and the front apron 33F.

[0021] Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional perspective view illustrating the configuration of the heating unit 50. Fig. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the heating unit 50 as viewed from the right side. In Fig. 5, the flow of air is indicated by arrows. Note that the arrows indicated by thick lines indicate the flow of heated air.

[0022] The heating unit 50 has heating chambers 51 (51A, 51B) and air blowing chambers 60 (61A, 61B, 62A, 62B). The heating unit 50 also has a main body case 70 that partitions the spaces of the heating chamber 51, the air blowing chamber 60, etc.

[0023] The heating chamber 51 (51A, 51B) is a space for generating heated air. The heating chamber 51 houses a fan 511A and a heater 511B for generating heated air. The fan 511A sends air to the heater 511B, which heats the air. The fan 511A and the heater 511B generate heated air, and therefore are sometimes called "hot air generating units 511." The heating chamber 51 is configured as a space extending in the left-right direction. The heating chamber 51 is also called a "heating unit" because it supplies heated air to the medium M to heat the medium M. In the heating chamber 51, multiple hot air generating units 511 (fans 511A and heaters 511B) are arranged at intervals in the left-right direction.

[0024] The heating chamber 51 is provided with a supply port 512 and a recovery port 513. The supply port 512 is an opening for supplying heated air from the heating chamber 51 (more specifically, the downstream chamber 51B of the heating chamber 51) to the heating passage 52. The supply port 512 connects the heating chamber 51 and the heating passage 52. The recovery port 513 is an opening for recovering heated air flowing through the heating passage 52. The recovery port 513 connects the heating chamber 51 (more specifically, the upstream chamber 51A of the heating chamber 51) and the heating passage 52. The supply port 512 is arranged upstream of the recovery port 513 in the transport direction. The supply port 512 is also arranged above the recovery port 513. However, the supply port 512 may be arranged downstream of the recovery port 513 in the transport direction and below the recovery port 513 (described later; see FIG. 11 ).

[0025] The heating chamber 51 is composed of an upstream chamber 51A and a downstream chamber 51B. The upstream chamber 51A is a space (chamber) that supplies air to the fan 511A and the heater 511B (hot air generator 511). The downstream chamber 51B is a space to which air (heated air) is supplied from the fan 511A and the heater 511B. The heated air supplied to the downstream chamber 51B from the fan 511A and the heater 511B is supplied to the heating passage 52 through a supply port 512. As a result, the medium M is heated by the heated air. The heating passage 52 through which the heated air flows is sometimes referred to as the "heating region." The medium M is heated in the heating region. A portion of the heated air that flows through the heating passage 52 is recovered through a recovery port 513 to the upstream chamber 51A and then supplied again to the fan 511A and the heater 511B. Circulating the heated air makes it possible to quickly increase the temperature of the heated air.

[0026] The upstream chamber 51A and the downstream chamber 51B of the heating chamber 51 are provided with a rectifying plate 77. The rectifying plate 77 is a plate-shaped member that rectifies the flow of air. The rectifying plate 77 has a large number of through-holes, and the air is rectified by passing through the rectifying plate 77 having the large number of through-holes. The rectifying plate 77 is made of, for example, punched metal. Note that the rectifying plate 77 does not necessarily have to be provided in both the upstream chamber 51A and the downstream chamber 51B, and the rectifying plate 77 may be provided in either the upstream chamber 51A or the downstream chamber 51B, or the rectifying plate 77 may not be provided in either the upstream chamber 51A or the downstream chamber 51B.

[0027] The air blowing chamber 60 (61A, 61B, 62A, 62B) is a space (chamber) for blowing out the taken-in air (outside air). The air blowing chamber 60 is provided with an upper air blowing chamber 61 (61A, 61B) and a lower air blowing chamber 62 (62A, 62B). The air blowing chamber 60 is divided into two spaces by a partition wall portion 76, thereby forming the upper air blowing chamber 61 and the lower air blowing chamber 62. The air blowing chamber 60 (upper air blowing chamber 61 and lower air blowing chamber 62) is formed as a space extending in the left-right direction. The air blowing chamber 60 is the part that blows out the taken-in air, and is therefore sometimes called the "air injection section" (or "air blowing section" or "blow-out section").

[0028] The upper air blowing chamber 61 (61A, 61B) is an air blowing chamber provided above the heating unit 50. The upper air blowing chamber 61 is a space (chamber) for generating an air curtain above the heating area. The upper air blowing chamber 61 houses an upper air blowing fan 611. In the upper air blowing chamber 61, multiple upper air blowing fans 611 are arranged at intervals in the left-right direction.

[0029] The upper blower chamber 61 is provided with an upper air intake 741U and an air outlet 612. The upper blower fan 611 draws in air (outside air) through the upper air intake 741U and blows the drawn-in air out through the air outlet 612. The upper air intake 741U is an opening for drawing outside air into the upper blower chamber 61. The upper air intake 741U connects the outside of the heating unit 50 to the upper blower chamber 61. The air outlet 612 is a slit-shaped opening extending in the left-right direction. The slit-shaped air outlet 612 extending in the left-right direction is formed by arranging two plate-shaped members (a first plate portion 612A and a second plate portion 612B in FIG. 13 ) facing each other. The air outlet 612 is configured to blow air toward the guide member 33 (or the medium M). Air blown out from the air outlet 612 forms an air curtain. The air outlet 612 is positioned above the supply port 512. The air curtain blown out from the air outlet 612 suppresses the rise of the heated air supplied from the supply port 512 to the heating passage 52 and prevents the heated air from flowing into the printing area. The upper air blowing chamber 61 constitutes an air injection unit for blowing air (air curtain) toward the medium M. The air (outside air) taken in from the upper air intake 741U is at a lower temperature than the air inside the heating passage 52. Therefore, the air outlet 612 blows out low-temperature air, forming a low-temperature air curtain.

[0030] The upper blower chamber 61 is composed of an upstream chamber 61A and a downstream chamber 61B. The upstream chamber 61A is a space (chamber) that supplies air to the upper blower fan 611. The downstream chamber 61B is a space to which air is supplied from the upper blower fan 611. The downstream chamber 61B is configured to taper so that the space gradually decreases toward the air outlet 612. The air supplied from the upper blower fan 611 to the downstream chamber 61B is blown out from the air outlet 612 to form an air curtain. A rectifying plate 77 is provided in the downstream chamber 61B of the upper blower chamber 61. This allows a uniform air curtain to be formed in the left-right direction. However, the rectifying plate 77 does not have to be provided in the upper blower chamber 61.

[0031] The lower ventilation chamber 62 (62A, 62B) is a ventilation chamber provided below the heating unit 50. The lower ventilation chamber 62 accommodates a lower ventilation fan 621. In the lower ventilation chamber 62, a plurality of lower ventilation fans 621 are arranged at intervals in the left-right direction (see dotted lines in FIG. 4).

[0032] The lower air blowing chamber 62 is provided with a lower air intake 741D and a lower air outlet 622. The lower air blowing fan 621 draws air through the lower air intake 741D and sends it out through the lower air outlet 622. The lower air intake 741D is an opening for drawing outside air into the lower air blowing chamber 62. The lower air intake 741D connects the outside of the heating unit 50 to the lower air blowing chamber 62. The lower air outlet 622 is configured to send air downward from the heating unit 50. An air curtain is formed by the air sent out from the lower air outlet 622. This air curtain prevents the heated air discharged from the underside of the heating unit 50 from rising and prevents the heated air from re-entering the lower air intake 741D (or the upper air intake 741U). A large number of lower air outlets 622 are uniformly arranged along the left-right direction. This allows for the formation of a uniform air curtain in the left-right direction. The lower blowing chamber 62 constitutes an air injection section for blowing air (air curtain) downward in front of the heated air outlet.

[0033] The lower air blowing chamber 62 is composed of an upstream chamber 62A and a downstream chamber 62B. The upstream chamber 62A is a space (chamber) that supplies air to the lower air blowing fan 621. The downstream chamber 62B is a space to which air is supplied from the lower air blowing fan 621. The air supplied from the lower air blowing fan 621 to the downstream chamber 62B is sent out from the lower air blowing port 622 to form an air curtain.

[0034] The lower air blowing chamber 62 is provided with an inlet 721. The inlet 721 is an opening for supplying air (outside air) from the air blowing chamber 60 (here, the lower air blowing chamber 62) to the heating chamber 51. The inlet 721 connects the lower air blowing chamber 62 and the heating chamber 51. Air from the lower air blowing chamber 62 is taken into the upstream chamber 51A of the heating chamber 51 via the inlet 721. This reduces the temperature of the air supplied to the fan 511A and the heater 511B (hot air generating unit 511), preventing the temperatures of the fan 511A and the heater 511B (hot air generating unit 511) from rising excessively. The inlet 721 does not necessarily have to be provided in the lower air blowing chamber 62. The inlet 721 will be described later.

[0035] The main body case 70 (71-76) is a member (wall) that defines the interior and exterior spaces of the heating unit 50. The main body case 70 is disposed opposite the front apron 33F and has a shape that extends in the left-right direction. The spaces of the heating chamber 51, the upper air blower chamber 61, and the lower air blower chamber 62 are partitioned by the main body case 70. Therefore, the heating chamber 51, the upper air blower chamber 61, and the lower air blower chamber 62 also extend in the left-right direction. The main body case 70 has a first wall portion 71 and a second wall portion 72 that define the heating chamber 51, an outer wall portion 74, a fan mounting wall portion 75, and a partition wall portion 76.

[0036] The first wall portion 71 is a wall-like portion disposed opposite the front apron 33F (the guide member 33 disposed downstream in the transport direction from the printing area). The first wall portion 71 constitutes the rear outer wall (rear wall) of the heating unit 50. The first wall portion 71 has a shape extending in the left-right direction. The first wall portion 71 is also a wall-like portion that extends forward and downward toward the downstream side in the transport direction. The first wall portion 71 is disposed forward of the front apron 33F and is spaced apart from the front apron 33F. The space between the first wall portion 71 and the front apron 33F forms the heating passage 52 for heated air. In other words, by disposing the first wall portion 71 opposite the front apron 33F, the heating passage 52 for heated air is formed along the surface of the medium M guided by the front apron 33F. The first wall portion 71 separates the heating chamber 51 from the heating passage 52 for heated air. The first wall portion 71 is provided with a supply port 512 and a recovery port 513 .

[0037] The second wall portion 72 is a wall-like portion that, together with the first wall portion 71, forms the heating chamber 51. The second wall portion 72 is a wall-like portion shaped like an inverted C. The space between the second wall portion 72 and the first wall portion 71 forms the heating chamber 51, and the fan 511A and the heater 511B (hot air generating unit 511) are housed in the space between the second wall portion 72 and the first wall portion 71. The second wall portion 72 has a shape that extends in the left-right direction. The second wall portion 72 separates the heating chamber 51 from the air blowing chamber 60 (the upper air blowing chamber 61 and the lower air blowing chamber 62). The second wall portion 72 forms the inner wall surface (rear wall surface) of the air blowing chamber 60.

[0038] The second wall 72 is covered with a heat insulating material 73 to insulate the heating chamber 51. The second wall 72 in the figure is covered with the heat insulating material 73 on both the rear surface (the wall surface facing the heating chamber 51) and the front surface (the wall surface facing the air blower chamber 60). However, one surface may be covered with the heat insulating material 73. The second wall 72 does not have to be covered with the heat insulating material 73. The second wall 72 has an air intake 721. The air intake 721 is provided near the lower edge of the second wall 72, and a recess 73B is provided in the lower edge 73A of the heat insulating material 73 covering the second wall 72. The recess 73B is a recessed portion provided on the edge of the heat insulating material 73. The recess 73B exposes the air intake 721 and ensures air flow. The air intake 721 will be described later.

[0039] The outer wall portion 74 is a wall-shaped portion that constitutes the outer wall surface of the heating unit 50. The outer wall portion 74 has a shape that extends in the left-right direction. The outer wall portion 74 is disposed so as to surround the outside of the second wall portion 72 with a gap between it and the second wall portion 72. The space between the outer wall portion 74 and the second wall portion 72 forms the air blowing chamber 60 (the upper air blowing chamber 61 and the lower air blowing chamber 62). In other words, the outer wall portion 74, together with the second wall portion 72, constitutes the air blowing chamber 60 (the upper air blowing chamber 61 and the lower air blowing chamber 62). The outer wall portion 74 constitutes the outer wall surface of the air blowing chamber 60 (the upper air blowing chamber 61 and the lower air blowing chamber 62).

[0040] The outer wall portion 74 has an upper wall portion 74U, a front wall portion 74F, and a lower wall portion 74D. The upper wall portion 74U constitutes the upper surface of the heating unit 50. The front wall portion 74F constitutes the front surface of the heating unit 50. The front wall portion 74F is provided with an upper air intake port 741U and a lower air intake port 741D. The lower wall portion 74D constitutes the lower surface of the heating unit 50. The lower wall portion 74D is provided with a lower air outlet 622.

[0041] An extension cover 78 and an outer cover 79 are provided on the lower surface of the lower wall portion 74D, and the lower air outlet 622 discharges air into the space between the extension cover 78 and the outer cover 79. A slit-shaped air outlet 623 extending in the left-right direction is formed by the lower ends of the extension cover 78 and the outer cover 79, and an air curtain is formed by air being blown out from the air outlet 623. The air curtain blown out from the air outlet 623 suppresses the rise of the heated air discharged from the heating passage 52. The extension cover 78 and the outer cover 79 do not necessarily have to be provided on the lower surface of the lower wall portion 74D.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 4 , the front wall 74F is provided with a plurality of air intake areas 742. Each air intake area 742 has an array of multiple lower air intake ports 741D (or upper air intake ports 741U). The front wall 74F has a plurality of air intake areas 742 arranged at intervals in the left-right direction. A non-air intake area 743, which does not have a lower air intake port 741D, is provided between the air intake areas 742 arranged side by side in the left-right direction. The front wall 74F has a plurality of non-air intake areas 743 arranged at intervals in the left-right direction.

[0043] The downward blowing fan 621 (see dotted line in FIG. 4) is disposed at the same left-right position as the non-air-intake area 743. In other words, the downward blowing fan 621 is disposed so as to overlap with the left-right position of the non-air-intake area 743, and is disposed at a position offset from the left-right position of the air-intake area 742. This makes it possible to prevent foreign matter (e.g., the worker's hair) that has entered through the lower air intake port 741D of the air-intake area 742 from being caught in the downward blowing fan 621.

[0044] The fan mounting wall portions 75 (75A to 75C) are wall-shaped portions for mounting fans. Here, the fan mounting wall portions 75 include the fan mounting wall portion 75A to which the fan 511A (and heater 511B) of the heating chamber 51 is mounted, the fan mounting wall portion 75B to which the upper blower fan 611 of the upper blower chamber 61 is mounted, and the fan mounting wall portion 75C to which the lower blower fan 621 of the lower blower chamber 62 is mounted. The fan mounting wall portion 75 separates the upstream chambers (51A, 61A, 62A) from the downstream chambers (51B, 61B, 62B). The fan mounting wall portion 75 has through holes (not shown) that communicate the upstream chambers (51A, 61A, 62A) with the downstream chambers (51B, 61B, 62B), and the fans (511A, 611, 621) are mounted at the positions of the through holes.

[0045] The partition wall portion 76 is a wall-like portion for dividing the air blowing chamber 60. Here, the partition wall portion 76 divides the air blowing chamber 60 into two spaces, thereby forming an upper air blowing chamber 61 and a lower air blowing chamber 62. Note that the partition wall portion 76 does not have to be provided, and the air blowing chamber 60 does not have to be divided into two spaces.

[0046] <Regarding the Intake Port> As described above, the heating unit 50 includes the main body case 70, the heating chamber 51 provided in the main body case 70, the fan 511A and heater 511B housed in the heating chamber, the supply port 512 that supplies heated air to the heating passage 52, and the recovery port 513 that recovers the heated air of the heated air passage 52 back into the heating chamber 51. When the heated air is recovered and circulated in this manner, the temperature of the heated air can be quickly increased. However, when the heated air is circulated, high-temperature air is supplied to the fan 511A, which may cause the temperature of the fan 511A to rise excessively. To prevent such an excessive temperature rise in the fan 511A, it is desirable to take in outside air into the upstream chamber 51A of the heating chamber 51.

[0047] 12 is an explanatory diagram of a reference example. In the reference example, outside air taken into the lower air blowing chamber 62 is supplied to the heating passage 52, and then supplied to the heating chamber 51 via the heating passage 52. According to the reference example, because the outside air is taken into the upstream chamber 51A of the heating chamber 51, it is possible to suppress excessive temperature rise of the fan 511A. However, in the reference example, the outside air is mixed with the heated air flowing through the heating passage 52, causing the temperature inside the heating passage 52 to drop (resulting in a decrease in the drying efficiency of the medium M). Furthermore, in the reference example, because the outside air is heated in the heating passage 52, the temperature of the outside air taken into the upstream chamber 51A is higher than when the outside air is directly taken into the upstream chamber 51A. In addition, in the reference example, the heated air and low-temperature outside air taken into the upstream chamber 51A (second chamber) are both taken in through the recovery port 513, making it difficult to adjust the amount of heated air and low-temperature outside air taken into the upstream chamber 51A (second chamber), and therefore difficult to adjust the temperature of the circulating heated air.

[0048] In contrast, in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5, an inlet 721 is provided in the second wall portion 72. The inlet 721 is an opening for supplying air (outside air) from the air blowing chamber 60 (here, the lower air blowing chamber 62) to the heating chamber 51. The inlet 721 connects the lower air blowing chamber 62 and the heating chamber 51. By providing the inlet 721 in the second wall portion 72, air from the lower air blowing chamber 62 is taken into the upstream chamber 51A of the heating chamber 51. This makes it possible to lower the temperature of the air supplied to the fan 511A without mixing outside air into the heated air in the heating passage 52, and to prevent the temperature of the fan 511A from rising excessively.

[0049] Fig. 4 shows a cross section at the position where the fan 511A and heater 511B are provided in the heating chamber 51. As shown in Fig. 4, the left-right position of the air inlet 721 is approximately the same as the left-right position of the fan 511A and heater 511B in the heating chamber 51. This results in a structure that makes it easy to supply air taken in through the air inlet 721 to the fan 511A and heater 511B.

[0050] Fig. 6A is an explanatory diagram of the arrangement of the intake area 742 and the non-intake area 743 in the lower blowing chamber 62. Fig. 6B is an explanatory diagram of the arrangement of the intake port 721 and the lower blowing fan 621. Note that Figs. 6A and 6B are views of the outer wall portion 74 (front wall portion 74F) viewed from the front, and the positions of the intake port 721 and the lower blowing fan 621 are indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 6B.

[0051] As shown in Fig. 6B , the multiple downward air blowing fans 621 are arranged at intervals in the left-right direction. The multiple air inlets 721 are also arranged at intervals in the left-right direction. As shown in Fig. 6B , the left-right position of the air inlets 721 is different from the left-right position of the downward air blowing fans 621. In other words, the air inlets 721 are arranged so that their left-right positions are different from those of the downward air blowing fans 621. Therefore, after hitting the second wall portion 72, the air taken into the lower air blowing chamber 62 by the downward air blowing fan 621 changes its flow direction to follow the second wall portion 72 (left-right direction) before reaching the air inlets 721. This allows air whose wind speed and temperature have been equalized in the lower air blowing chamber 62 to be taken into the heating chamber 51 through the intake port 721, and compared to when the intake port 721 and the lower air blowing fan 621 are positioned at the same position in the left-right direction, the amount of air taken into the heating chamber 51 through the intake port 721 can be reduced, and an extreme drop in the temperature of the heating chamber 51 can be prevented. Furthermore, if the left-right position of the intake port 721 and the left-right position of the downward blowing fan 621 are made different, it is desirable to appropriately set the left-right distance between the intake port 721 and the downward blowing fan 621 so that the air taken into the heating chamber 51 from the intake port 721 has an appropriate flow rate (however, as will be described later, if the intake port 721 is provided with an opening / closing mechanism 81 (Figures 9A and 9B) or an intake fan 82 (Figure 10), it is possible to adjust the air taken into the heating chamber 51 from the intake port 721 to an appropriate flow rate without adjusting the left-right distance between the intake port 721 and the downward blowing fan 621).

[0052] As shown in FIG. 6A , the outer wall 74 (front wall 74F) has a plurality of air intake areas 742 (areas each having an air intake port 741 for drawing outside air into the air blowing chamber 60) spaced apart in the left-right direction. A non-air intake area 743, which does not have a lower air intake port 741D, is provided between the air intake areas 742 arranged side by side in the left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 6B , the left-right position of the lower blowing fan 621 is different from the left-right position of the air intake area 742. In other words, the lower blowing fan 621 is positioned so that its left-right position is different from that of the air intake area 742. This prevents foreign matter (e.g., the worker's hair) that enters through the lower air intake port 741D of the air intake area 742 from being caught in the lower blowing fan 621.

[0053] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the state when the outer cover 79 is removed to expose the lower air outlets 622. As shown in FIG. 7, multiple lower air outlets 622 are uniformly arranged in the left-right direction. In contrast, the inlets 721 are arranged at intervals in the left-right direction, as shown in FIG. 6B. Therefore, the total opening area of ​​the inlets 721 (the sum of the opening areas of the inlets 721) is smaller than the total opening area of ​​the lower air outlets 622 (the sum of the opening areas of the lower air outlets 622). As a result, the amount of air taken into the heating chamber 51 from the inlets 721 is smaller than the amount of air flowing out from the lower air outlets 622, thereby preventing an extreme drop in the temperature of the heating chamber 51.

[0054] FIG. 8A is an explanatory diagram of the vicinity of the lower edge of the second wall portion 72.

[0055] The air inlet 721 is provided near the lower edge of the second wall portion 72, and a recess 73B is provided in the lower edge 73A of the heat insulating material 73 covering the second wall portion 72. The recess 73B is a concave portion provided in the edge of the heat insulating material 73. The recess 73B exposes the air inlet 721 and ensures air flow.

[0056] 8B is an explanatory diagram of a reference example. In the reference example, the air inlet 721 is positioned higher than in FIG. 8A. In the reference example, a rectangular through-hole 73C is provided in the heat insulating material 73, and the air inlet 721 is exposed through the through-hole 73C. Even with the structure of the reference example, it is possible to take in air through the air inlet 721.

[0057] In the reference example shown in Figure 8B, when attaching the insulating material 73 to the second wall portion 72, the inlet 721 is hidden by the insulating material 73 and is difficult to see, making it difficult to align the inlet 721 with the through hole 73C of the insulating material 73. In contrast, as shown in Figure 8A, when the inlet 721 is provided near the lower edge of the second wall portion 72 and a recess 73B is provided in the lower edge 73A of the insulating material 73, both the inlet 721 and the recess 73B are easily visible when attaching the insulating material 73 to the second wall portion 72, making it easy to align the inlet 721 with the recess 73B of the insulating material 73. Note that when the insulating material 73 is made of a material that is easily deformed (e.g., a melamine sponge material), the structure shown in Figure 8A is particularly effective because the through hole 73C of the insulating material 73 and the inlet 721 are easily misaligned in the structure of the reference example shown in Figure 8B. 5, if the lower edge 73A of the heat insulating material 73 is in contact with a part of the main body case 70 (here, the first wall 71) other than the second wall 72, this is even more effective because it makes it easier to align the heat insulating material 73 when attaching it to the second wall 72. Note that the main body case 70 with which the lower edge 73A of the heat insulating material 73 is in contact is not limited to the first wall 71, and may be, for example, the bottom wall 74D.

[0058] FIG. 9A is an explanatory diagram of a case where an opening / closing mechanism 81 is provided at the inlet 721.

[0059] The opening / closing mechanism 81 is a mechanism for opening and closing the inlet 721. The opening / closing mechanism 81 shown in FIG. 9A has an opening / closing unit 81A, a rotation shaft 81B, and a drive unit (not shown). The opening / closing unit 81A is a member that opens and closes the inlet 721. The opening / closing unit 81A is configured to be rotatable around the rotation shaft 81B. Here, the rotation shaft 81B is parallel to the left-right direction, but it may be oriented in other directions. The opening / closing unit 81A rotates by the driving force of the drive unit to open and close the inlet 721. By providing the opening / closing mechanism 81 to the inlet 721, it is possible to adjust the blocking / opening of air taken into the heating chamber 51 from the inlet 721.

[0060] 9B is an explanatory diagram of another opening / closing mechanism 81. The opening / closing mechanism 81 shown in FIG. 9B has an opening / closing unit 81A and a drive unit (not shown). The opening / closing unit 81A is configured to be movable in a direction parallel to the second wall portion 72 (here, the left-right direction). The drive unit (not shown) is configured, for example, by a solenoid. The opening / closing unit 81A slides by the driving force of the drive unit to open and close the air inlet 721. By providing such an opening / closing mechanism 81 to the air inlet 721, it is also possible to adjust the blocking / opening of air taken into the heating chamber 51 from the air inlet 721.

[0061] The opening / closing mechanism 81 is not limited to switching the inlet 721 between two states, an open state and a closed state. The opening / closing mechanism 81 may be configured to adjust the opening degree of the inlet 721 using the opening / closing unit 81A. For example, in the case of the opening / closing mechanism 81 shown in FIG. 9A , the opening / closing mechanism 81 may be configured to adjust the angle of the opening / closing unit 81A while keeping the inlet 721 open. Furthermore, in the case of the opening / closing mechanism 81 shown in FIG. 9B , the opening / closing mechanism 81 may be configured to adjust the position of the opening / closing unit 81A while keeping part of the inlet 721 open. In this way, when the opening / closing mechanism 81 is configured to adjust the opening degree of the inlet 721, it becomes possible to adjust the flow rate of air taken into the heating chamber 51 through the inlet 721.

[0062] Incidentally, when the opening / closing mechanism 81 is provided in the intake port 721, it is desirable to place the opening / closing mechanism 81 in the ventilation chamber 60 (here, the lower ventilation chamber 62). This makes it possible to suppress excessive temperature rise in the opening / closing mechanism 81 and to suppress breakdowns of the opening / closing mechanism 81, compared to when the opening / closing mechanism 81 is provided in the heating chamber 51.

[0063] When the inlet 721 is provided with an opening / closing mechanism 81, the controller 10 controls the flow of air taken into the heating chamber 51 through the inlet 721 by controlling a drive unit (not shown) of the opening / closing mechanism 81. For example, when the printing device 1 starts printing and the temperature of the heating passage 52 of the heating unit 50 is increased, the opening / closing unit 81A closes the inlet 721 to block the flow of air taken into the heating chamber 51 through the inlet 721. This allows the temperature of the heated air supplied from the heating unit 50 to the heating passage 52 to be quickly increased. On the other hand, when the printing device 1 continues printing and high-temperature air continues to be supplied to the fan 511A of the heating chamber 51, the opening / closing unit 81A opens the inlet 721 to allow outside air to be taken into the heating chamber 51 through the inlet 721. This prevents the temperature of the fan 511A of the heating chamber 51 from rising excessively.

[0064] When the opening / closing mechanism 81 is controlled by the controller 10, a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the heating chamber 51 (or the fan 511A) may be provided. In this case, the controller 10 controls the opening / closing mechanism 81 based on the measurement results of the temperature sensor. For example, when the measurement result of the temperature sensor is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature (first threshold), the opening / closing unit 81A closes the air inlet 721, blocking the flow of air taken into the heating chamber 51 through the air inlet 721. When the measurement result of the temperature sensor is higher than a predetermined temperature (second threshold), the opening / closing unit 81A opens the air inlet 721, allowing outside air to be taken into the heating chamber 51 through the air inlet 721. When the opening / closing mechanism 81 is configured to be able to adjust the opening degree of the air inlet 721, the controller 10 may control the opening / closing mechanism 81 to the opening degree corresponding to the measurement result of the temperature sensor.

[0065] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a case where an intake fan 82 is provided at the intake port 721.

[0066] Intake fan 82 is a fan for sending air from air blowing chamber 60 (here, lower air blowing chamber 62) through inlet 721 to heating chamber 51. Intake fan 82 is provided at inlet 721, and the flow rate of air taken into heating chamber 51 through inlet 721 can be adjusted by driving / not driving intake fan 82. Furthermore, by adjusting the rotation speed of intake fan 82, it is possible to adjust the increase or decrease in the flow rate of air taken into heating chamber 51 through inlet 721.

[0067] If an intake fan 82 is provided in the intake port 721, the controller 10 controls the intake fan 82 to control the flow of air taken into the heating chamber 51 through the intake port 721. For example, when the printing device 1 starts printing and the temperature of the heating passage 52 of the heating unit 50 is increased, the intake fan 82 is turned off. This allows the temperature of the heated air supplied from the heating unit 50 to the heating passage 52 to be quickly increased. On the other hand, when the printing device 1 continues printing and high-temperature air continues to be supplied to the fan 511A of the heating chamber 51, the intake fan 82 is turned on to take in outside air into the heating chamber 51 through the intake port 721. This prevents the temperature of the fan 511A of the heating chamber 51 from rising excessively. Note that even when the intake fan 82 is controlled by the controller 10, a temperature sensor may be provided in the heating chamber 51 (or the fan 511A).

[0068] <Modification> FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a heating unit 50 according to a modification.

[0069] In the modified example, the heating chamber 51 is also provided with a supply port 512 and a recovery port 513. In the modified example, the supply port 512 is disposed downstream of the recovery port 513 in the transport direction and is disposed below the recovery port 513. In addition, in the modified example, the hot air generator 511 (fan 511A and heater 511B) is disposed facing in the opposite direction, and the upstream chamber 51A of the heating chamber 51 is disposed above the downstream chamber 51B.

[0070] In the modified example, an intake port 721 is also provided in the second wall portion 72. The intake port 721 in the modified example is configured to supply air (outside air) from the upper air blowing chamber 61 to the heating chamber 51, and the intake port 721 in the modified example connects the upper air blowing chamber 61 and the heating chamber 51. In the modified example, the provision of the intake port 721 in the second wall portion 72 causes air from the upper air blowing chamber 61 to be taken into the upstream chamber 51A of the heating chamber 51. As a result, even in the modified example, the temperature of the air supplied to the fan 511A of the heating chamber 51 can be lowered, and an excessive rise in the temperature of the fan 511A of the heating chamber 51 can be suppressed.

[0071] <Summary> The printing device 1 includes a front apron 33F (a guide member 33 arranged downstream of the printing area in the transport direction and guiding the medium M), a heating unit 50 that supplies heated air to the medium M guided by the front apron 33F, and a heating passage 52 formed between the front apron 33F and the heating unit 50 and through which the heated air flows. The heating unit 50 includes a main body case 70 arranged opposite the front apron 33F, a heating chamber 51 provided in the main body case 70, a fan 511A and a heater 511B housed in the heating chamber 51, a supply port 512 that supplies the heated air to the heating passage 52, and a recovery port 513 that recovers the heated air of the heated air 52 back into the heating chamber 51. The main body case 70 also includes a first wall 71, through which a supply port 512 and a recovery port 513 are formed, and which faces the front apron 33F. The second wall 72 defines the heating chamber 51 in the space between the first wall 71 and the second wall 72. The heating chamber 51 includes a downstream chamber 51B (first chamber) that supplies heated air from the supply port 512 to the heating passage 52, and an upstream chamber 51A (second chamber) that recovers the heated air from the heating passage 52 through the recovery port 513 and supplies it to the fan 511A. When the heating unit 50 is configured to circulate heated air in this manner, excessively high temperatures of the circulating heated air may cause the temperature of the fan 511A to rise excessively. To address this issue, the second wall 72 of the heating unit 50 includes an intake port 721 for drawing outside air into the upstream chamber 51A (second chamber) (see FIGS. 4, 5, 9 to 11).

[0072] As shown in FIG. 12 , even when the first wall 71 has an inlet 721, outside air can be drawn into the upstream chamber 51A (second chamber) through the inlet 721. However, in this case, the heating passage 52 is formed between the first wall 71 and the front apron 33F, so only high-temperature outside air can be drawn into the upstream chamber 51A (second chamber). In contrast, when the second wall 72 has an inlet 721, the second wall 72 does not form the heating passage 52, so outside air that is cooler than the heated air in the heating passage 52 can be drawn into the upstream chamber 51A (second chamber). This reduces the temperature of the air supplied to the fan 511A of the heating chamber 51, preventing the fan 511A from excessively increasing in temperature. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 12 , if the ambient temperature around the recovery port 513 is lowered by drawing low-temperature outside air into the heating passage 52, the temperature in the heating passage 52 also drops due to the low-temperature outside air, making it difficult to adjust the temperature of the circulating heated air by adjusting the amount of air recovered through the recovery port 513. In contrast, when the inlet 721 is provided in the second wall portion 72, the heated air and low-temperature outside air taken into the upstream chamber 51A (second chamber) are taken in separately from the recovery port 513 and the inlet 721, respectively, so that the temperature of the circulating heated air can be adjusted by adjusting the amount of heated air recovered from the recovery port 513 and the amount of outside air taken in from the inlet 721. Therefore, by providing the inlet 721 in the second wall portion 72 (i.e., by taking in low-temperature outside air into the upstream chamber 51A (second chamber) from the inlet 721 of the second wall portion 72), it is possible to adjust the temperature of the circulating heated air while also lowering the temperature of the air supplied to the fan 511A of the heating chamber 51.

[0073] The second wall portion 72 is covered with a heat insulating material 73. This makes it possible to insulate the heating chamber 51. However, the second wall portion 72 does not have to be covered with the heat insulating material 73.

[0074] As shown in Figures 4 and 8A, a recess 73B is provided on the edge of the insulating material 73 to expose the intake port 721. By providing the recess 73B on the edge of the insulating material 73 in this way, a structure is created that makes it easy to align the position of the recess 73B of the insulating material 73 with the intake port 721. Note that the recess 73B is not limited to being located on the lower edge 73A of the insulating material 73, but may also be provided on the left and right edges or the upper edge. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8B, the intake port 721 may be exposed by providing a through hole 73C in a location other than the edge.

[0075] When the recess 73B is provided on the edge of the insulating material 73, it is desirable that the edge (e.g., lower edge 73A) of the insulating material 73 where the recess 73B is provided be in contact with the wall portion (e.g., first wall portion 71; see FIG. 5) facing that edge. This makes it easier to align the positions of the recess 73B of the insulating material 73 and the intake port 721. However, even when the recess 73B is provided on the edge of the insulating material 73, the edge of the insulating material 73 does not have to be in contact with the wall portion.

[0076] The heating unit 50 includes an airflow chamber 60 (the lower airflow chamber 62 in FIG. 5 or the upper airflow chamber 61 in FIG. 11 ) provided in the main body case 70 and positioned outside the second wall portion 72, and an airflow fan (the lower airflow fan 621 in FIG. 5 or the upper airflow fan 611 in FIG. 11 ) housed in the airflow chamber. The air intake 721 is configured to connect the airflow chamber 60 (the lower airflow chamber 62 or the upper airflow chamber 61) to the upstream chamber 51A (second chamber) of the heating chamber 51 (see FIG. 5 or FIG. 11 ). This allows air blown from the airflow chamber 60 to be taken into the upstream chamber 51A (second chamber) of the heating chamber 51. However, it is also possible to directly take in outside air from the air intake 721 into the upstream chamber 51A (second chamber) of the heating chamber 51 without providing the airflow chamber 60 outside the second wall portion 72. However, by providing an outer wall portion 74 on the outside of the second wall portion 72 and providing an air blowing chamber 60 between the outer wall portion 74 and the second wall portion 72, the temperature of the outer wall surface of the heating unit 50 can be lowered, and workers can be prevented from coming into contact with high-temperature areas.

[0077] The heating unit 50 also has an outlet (outlet 623 in FIG. 5 or outlet 612 in FIG. 11) that blows air from the air blowing chamber 60 to the outside of the air blowing chamber 60 using a blower fan (lower blower fan 621 in FIG. 5 or upper blower fan 611 in FIG. 11). This allows the air from the air blowing chamber 60 that has been taken in to form the air curtain to be taken into the upstream chamber 51A (second chamber) of the heating chamber 51. However, an intake port 721 may be provided so that air separate from the air taken in to form the air curtain can be taken into the upstream chamber 51A (second chamber) of the heating chamber 51.

[0078] The blower chamber 60 is configured as a space extending in the left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 6B , multiple downward blower fans 621 are arranged in the lower blower chamber 62 at left-right intervals, and multiple inlets 721 are arranged in the second wall portion 72 at left-right intervals. As shown in FIG. 6B , the inlets 721 are preferably arranged at left-right positions different from the downward blower fans 621. This allows air whose speed and temperature have been equalized in the blower chamber 60 to be taken into the heating chamber 51 through the inlets 721, thereby reducing the amount of air taken into the heating chamber 51 through the inlets 721 and preventing an extreme drop in the temperature of the heating chamber 51. However, the left-right position of the inlets 721 may be the same as the left-right position of the downward blower fans 621, as long as the amount of air taken into the heating chamber 51 can be adjusted appropriately based on the fan performance, the configuration of the inlets 721b, etc.

[0079] As shown in FIG. 4 , the main body case 70 includes an outer wall 74 that defines a blower chamber in the space between itself and the second wall. As shown in FIG. 6A , the outer wall 74 includes a plurality of intake areas 742 (areas in which intake ports 741 for drawing outside air into the blower chamber 60 are provided) spaced apart in the left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 6B , the lower blower fan 621 is preferably positioned at a different left-right position from the intake areas 742. This prevents foreign matter (e.g., the operator's hair) that enters through the lower intake port 741D from being caught in the lower blower fan 621. Similarly, the upper blower fan 611 is preferably positioned offset from the position of the upper intake port 741U (intake area 742).

[0080] 4, the lower air blowing chamber 62 is provided with lower air outlets 622 for sending the air in the lower air blowing chamber 62 to the air outlet 623. The lower air outlets 622 are uniformly arranged in the left-right direction as shown in FIG. 7, whereas the inlets 721 are arranged at intervals in the left-right direction as shown in FIG. 6B. The total opening area of ​​the inlets 721 is smaller than the total opening area of ​​the lower air outlets 622. This makes it possible to prevent an extreme drop in the temperature of the heating chamber 51.

[0081] 9A and 9B, an opening / closing mechanism 81 for opening and closing the air inlet 721 may be provided. This makes it possible to adjust whether the air taken into the heating chamber 51 from the air inlet 721 is blocked or opened. It is further desirable that the opening / closing mechanism 81 be configured to be able to adjust the opening degree of the air inlet 721. This makes it possible to adjust the flow rate of air taken into the heating chamber 51 from the air inlet 721.

[0082] 10 , an intake fan 82 may be provided at the intake port 721. This makes it possible to adjust the flow rate of air taken into the heating chamber 51 from the intake port 721. Alternatively, air from outside the main body case 70 may be taken in directly by the intake fan 82, without providing the air blower chamber 60.

[0083] <Regarding the Positional Relationship Between the Bent Portion and the Air Outlet> FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram of the first reference example.

[0084] In the first reference example, the heating unit 50 is positioned further downstream in the transport direction than in the present embodiment, and the air outlet 612 is positioned opposite a flat region of the front apron 33F (the flat member 331 and flat region 332C described below). To provide a predetermined heating to the printed medium M, the region to which heated air is supplied must be set to a predetermined length Lh, and there is a limit to how much the length of the heating unit 50 in the transport direction can be shortened. Therefore, when the heating unit 50 is positioned downstream in the transport direction as in the first reference example, the length L1 from the print region to the time when the medium M passes through the heating unit 50 becomes longer. A longer length L1 from the print region to the time when the medium M passes through the heating unit 50 results in more wasted medium M. Therefore, it is desirable to keep the length L1 from the print region to the time when the medium M passes through the heating unit 50 short.

[0085] FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram of the second reference example.

[0086] In the second reference example, the heating unit 50 is positioned so that the length L2 from the printing area to the point where the medium passes through the heating unit 50 is shorter than the length L1 in the first reference example. However, in the second reference example, the bent portion 34 of the front apron 33F is positioned in the heating area (area through which heated air flows) of the heating unit 50. If the bent portion 34 of the guide member 33 is positioned in the heating area in this way, there is a risk of wrinkles forming in the medium M, as will be explained next.

[0087] 19A to 19C are explanatory diagrams of the mechanism by which wrinkles are formed in the medium M.

[0088] The figure shows a guide member 33 (e.g., a front apron 33F) having two guide surfaces. The guide surface on the upstream side in the conveying direction and the guide surface on the downstream side in the conveying direction are not flush with each other, and a bent portion 34 (folded line) is provided between the guide surface on the upstream side in the conveying direction and the guide surface on the downstream side in the conveying direction. The bent portion 34 (folded line) is a folded line that runs in the left-right direction (a direction intersecting the conveying direction; the width direction of the medium M). The medium M curves when passing through the bent portion 34.

[0089] The medium M shown in Figure 19A is guided by a guide surface (one flat guide surface) on the upstream side in the transport direction, and the surface (paper surface) of the medium M is flat. However, when the medium M is heated and stretches in the left-right direction (scanning direction; width direction of the medium M), the medium M may lift off the guide surface, as shown in Figure 19B. Note that in Figure 19B, one location on the medium M is lifted in the left-right direction, but in the case of a medium M that is wide in the left-right direction, the medium M may lift off the guide surface at multiple locations in the left-right direction.

[0090] When the medium M expands in the left-right direction and rises from the guide surface, the medium M is deformed so that a ridge line is formed in the transport direction (a direction intersecting the left-right direction) as shown in Fig. 19B. If the medium M that has been deformed so that a ridge line is formed in the transport direction (a direction intersecting the left-right direction) is curved at a bending portion 34 along the left-right direction, the portion that rises from the guide surface may be crushed, and wrinkles may be formed in the medium M along the transport direction as shown in Fig. 19C.

[0091] 19C , it is desirable to prevent the medium M from being bent at the bent portion 34 after the medium M is heated (after the medium M is stretched). However, as shown in the first reference example in FIG. 17 , if the heating unit 50 is disposed downstream in the transport direction from the bent portion 34 of the guide member 33, the problem of wrinkles being formed in the medium M can be solved, but the length L1 from the printing area to passing through the heating unit 50 becomes longer, resulting in a problem of a large amount of wasted medium M. In this embodiment, as will be described next, the length from the printing area to passing through the heating unit 50 is reduced while preventing wrinkles from being formed in the medium M.

[0092] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of the positional relationship between the bent portion 34 and the air outlet 612.

[0093] The front apron 33F (guide member 33 arranged downstream in the transport direction from the printing region) is composed of a flat member 331 and a bending member 332. The flat member 331 is a flat, plate-like member that guides the medium M with its flat guide surface. The flat member 331 is arranged opposite the heating unit 50. The bending member 332 is a curved, plate-like member that guides the medium M with its curved guide surface. The bending member 332 is arranged upstream in the transport direction from the flat member 331. The upstream portion of the bending region 332B in the transport direction is arranged upstream in the transport direction from the heating unit 50. The downstream portion of the bending region 332B in the transport direction is arranged opposite the heating unit 50. Note that, although the front apron 33F is composed of two members (the flat member 331 and the bending member 332) in this example, the front apron 33F may be composed of a single member. However, when forming a curved guide surface by bending sheet metal, it is easier to process the front apron 33F if it is formed from two members (a flat member 331 and a bending member 332), as this allows the member to be bent to be made smaller.

[0094] The front apron 33F has an upstream region 332A, a curved region 332B, and a flat region 332C. When the front apron 33F is composed of two members, a flat member 331 and a curved member 332, the curved member 332 has the upstream region 332A, the curved region 332B, and the flat region 332C.

[0095] The upstream region 332A is the region on the most upstream side in the conveying direction of the front apron 33F (bending member 332). The upstream region 332A has a flat guide surface that is parallel to the guide surface of the platen 33A. The upstream region 332A is the region that takes over the medium M being conveyed from the platen 33A.

[0096] The curved region 332B is a region that curves the medium M to guide it. The curved region 332B is a region downstream of the upstream region 332A in the transport direction, and is a region between the upstream region 332A and the flat region 332C. The guide surface of the curved region 332B has a guide surface that is inclined with respect to the guide surface of the upstream region 332A (and the guide surface of the flat region 332C). The guide surface of the curved region 332B is not limited to a flat surface, and may be a curved surface. The medium M is transported while being curved by the guide surface of the curved region 332B.

[0097] The bending region 332B is a region having bending portions 34 (34F, 34E). The bending portion 34 is a folded line along the left-right direction (a direction intersecting the conveying direction; the width direction of the medium M). Here, the bending region 332B is formed by bending a metal plate, and the bending portion 34 is formed by a single folded line. Note that the bending portion 34 is not limited to being formed by a single folded line (ridge line) along the left-right direction, but may also be formed by a continuous ridge line. When the bending portion 34 is formed by a continuous ridge line, the guide surface is formed by a curved surface. The medium M is curved at the bending portion 34.

[0098] The bending region 332B in the figure has an upstream-most bending portion 34F and a downstream-most bending portion 34E as bending portions 34. The upstream-most bending portion 34F is the bending portion 34 located most upstream in the conveying direction (most upstream in the conveying direction). The upstream-most bending portion 34F is located between the upstream region 332A and the upstream region 332A, and is the bending portion 34 where the printed medium M bends first (the first bending portion 34). The downstream-most bending portion 34E is the bending portion 34 located most downstream in the conveying direction (the most downstream in the conveying direction). The downstream-most bending portion 34E is located between the flat region 332C and the flat region 332C, and is the bending portion 34 where the medium M bends last (the last bending portion 34) before being guided into the flat region 332C. Although two bending portions 34 (the upstream-most bending portion 34F and the downstream-most bending portion 34E) are shown in FIG. 13 , another bending portion 34 may be located between the two bending portions 34 in the figure.

[0099] The flat region 332C is a region having a flat guide surface. The flat region 332C is the region on the most downstream side of the bending member 332 in the conveying direction. The flat region 332C has a guide surface parallel to the guide surface of the flat member 331. The flat region 332C is a region where the medium M being conveyed is handed over to the flat member 331. Note that the flat region 332C may be configured integrally with the flat member 331, so that the front apron 33F is configured as a single member.

[0100] As already explained, the air outlet 612 is configured to blow air from the downstream chamber 61B of the upper blowing chamber 61 toward the front apron 33F (or the medium M). As shown in FIG. 13 , the air outlet 612 is configured by a first plate portion 612A and a second plate portion 612B. The first plate portion 612A is the upstream portion of the two plate-shaped portions that make up the air outlet 612 in the conveying direction. The second plate portion 612B is the downstream portion of the two plate-shaped portions that make up the air outlet 612 in the conveying direction. The first plate portion 612A and the second plate portion 612B are arranged opposite each other with a gap between them, and form a slit-shaped air outlet 612 that extends in the left-right direction. The gap between the first plate portion 612A and the second plate portion 612B serves as a passage for air sent out from the downstream chamber 61B of the upper air blowing chamber 61, and an air curtain is formed by air being blown out from the lower ends (air outlets 612) of the first plate portion 612A and the second plate portion 612B toward the front apron 33F (or medium M).

[0101] Position A in Figure 13 indicates a position on the bending member 332 that faces the air outlet 612. Position A is the intersection of an extension of the inner wall surface of the first plate portion 612A (a line parallel to the air blowing direction of the air outlet 612) and the guide surface of the bending member 332. Position B in the figure indicates a position on the bending member 332 that faces the supply port 512U on the most upstream side in the conveying direction of the heating unit 50 (the most upstream entrance / exit for heated air in the conveying direction). Position B is the intersection of a line that passes through the entrance / exit on the most upstream side in the conveying direction (here, the supply port 512U) and is perpendicular to the first wall portion 71 (a line parallel to the direction of the heated air at the entrance / exit), and the guide surface of the front apron 33F (the flat member 331 or the bending member 332).

[0102] As already explained, the air curtain blown out from the air outlet 612 prevents the heated air from rising and flowing into the printing area. Therefore, the medium M is not heated upstream of position A in the transport direction. Furthermore, heated air is present downstream of position A in the transport direction, and it is believed that the medium M is heated. Furthermore, as already explained, heated air is supplied from the supply port 512 of the heating unit 50 and recovered from the recovery port 513. Therefore, it is believed that the heated air supplied to the heating passage 52 continues to flow stably in the first heating passage 52A between the supply port 512 and the recovery port 513 of the heating passage 52, and that relatively high-temperature heated air is present. In other words, in the first heating passage 52A downstream of position B in Figure 13 in the transport direction, the medium M is heated by relatively high-temperature heated air.

[0103] In the second heating passage 52B from position B to position A in FIG. 13 , rising heated air from the first heating passage 52A enters. Unlike the first heating passage 52A, heated air is not supplied stably to the second heating passage 52B, and room-temperature air blown out from the air outlet 612 flows in. As a result, the medium M is heated at a lower temperature in the second heating passage 52B than in the first heating passage 52A. Furthermore, in the second heating passage 52B, the temperature is considered to be lower upstream in the transport direction (closer to position A) and higher downstream in the transport direction (closer to position B). In other words, in the second heating passage 52B from position A to position B in FIG. 13 , the medium M is more difficult to heat upstream in the transport direction and more easily heated downstream in the transport direction. In other words, the medium M begins to heat from position A and is gradually heated as it is transported from position A to position B.

[0104] In this embodiment, the air outlet 612 faces the curved region 332B. That is, the slit-shaped gap (air outlet 612) between the first plate portion 612A and the second plate portion 612B faces the curved region 332B. As a result, in this embodiment, the length from the print region to the heating unit 50 can be shortened compared to when the air outlet 612 faces the flat region 332C as in the first reference example of FIG. 17 . Note that because the guide surface of the curved region 332B is inclined with respect to the guide surface of the platen 33A, when the air outlet 612 faces the curved region 332B as in this embodiment, there is an advantage in that the air blown out from the air outlet 612 can be prevented from flowing into the print region, compared to when the air outlet 612 faces the upstream region 332A.

[0105] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the most downstream bent portion 34E is positioned closer to position A than to position B. In other words, the most downstream bent portion 34E is positioned closer to the position (position A) facing the air outlet 612 than to the position (position B) facing the heated air supply port 512U. As already explained, the temperature in the second heating passage 52B is lower upstream in the transport direction (closer to position A). Therefore, by positioning the most downstream bent portion 34E closer to position A, the medium M can be curved and transported before it is heated and stretched in the left-right direction (scanning direction; width direction of the medium M). Therefore, in this embodiment, even if the medium M is curved and transported in the bending region 332B (the most downstream bent portion 34E), it is possible to prevent wrinkles from forming in the medium M.

[0106] In the configuration shown in FIG. 13 , the most downstream bent portion 34E is positioned opposite the air outlet 612. In other words, at least a portion of the ridge (a bent line running horizontally) on the surface of the most downstream bent portion 34E is located between the extension of the inner wall surface of the first plate portion 612A (see the dotted line in the figure) and the extension of the inner wall surface of the second plate portion 612B. Because the air curtain blown out from the air outlet 612 is low-temperature (room-temperature) air, it can curve and transport the substantially unheated medium M, thereby preventing wrinkles from forming on the medium M. Furthermore, because the air curtain presses the medium M curved on the most downstream bent portion 34E against the guide surface, it prevents the medium M from lifting off the guide surface, as shown in FIG. 19B . As a result, it is possible to further prevent wrinkles from forming on the medium M. The most downstream bent portion 34E does not have to be positioned substantially opposite the air outlet 612; it need only be positioned closer to position A than position B.

[0107] FIG. 14 is another explanatory diagram of the positional relationship between the bent portion 34 and the air outlet 612.

[0108] 14, the air outlet 612 is positioned above the guide surface of the platen 33A and the guide surface of the upstream region 332A. As a result, when the end of the medium M is transported downstream in the transport direction from the printing region at the start of printing, even if the end of the medium M rushes toward the heating unit 50 before the medium M is bent at the bending portion 34, the end of the medium M can be prevented from coming into contact with the air outlet 612, thereby preventing damage to the air outlet 612.

[0109] FIG. 14 shows that the angle of the downstream guide surface in the conveying direction relative to the upstream guide surface in the conveying direction (the guide surface in the upstream region 332A) in the most upstream bending portion 34F is θf. FIG. 14 also shows that the angle of the downstream guide surface in the conveying direction (the guide surface in the flat region 332C) relative to the upstream guide surface in the conveying direction in the most downstream bending portion 34E is θe. However, if the angle θf in the most upstream bending portion 34F is set too large, there is a risk that the medium M, which is stiff, may lift off the platen 33A in the printing region when it is bent at the most upstream bending portion 34F. For this reason, it is desirable to set the angle of the bending portion 34 (the most upstream bending portion 34F) close to the printing region small. Meanwhile, the most downstream bending portion 34E is the bending portion 34 farthest from the printing region, and at the position of the most downstream bending portion 34E, the medium M has not yet stretched due to heating. Therefore, the medium M is allowed to bend at the position of the most downstream bending portion 34E. Therefore, in this embodiment, the bending member 332 is configured so that the angle θf at the most upstream bending portion 34F is smaller than the angle θe at the most downstream bending portion 34E (θf<θe). This makes it possible to prevent wrinkles from forming on the medium M and to prevent the medium M from lifting up from the platen 33A in the printing area.

[0110] In a situation where the air outlet 612 is positioned above the guide surfaces of the platen 33A and the upstream region 332A, if the angle θf at the most upstream bent portion 34F is set large, the distance between the air outlet 612 and the bending member 332 increases, making it difficult to obtain the effect of the air curtain. For this reason, in a configuration where the air outlet 612 is positioned above the guide surfaces of the platen 33A and the upstream region 332A, it is particularly effective for the angle θf at the most upstream bent portion 34F to be smaller than the angle θe at the most downstream bent portion 34E.

[0111] As already described, the bending member 332 has two bending portions 34 (the most upstream bending portion 34F and the most downstream bending portion 34E), and another bending portion 34 may be provided between the two bending portions 34. When the bending member 332 has multiple bending portions 34 in this manner, it is desirable that the most downstream bending portion 34E be located closer to position A (the position facing the air outlet 612) than the other bending portions 34. This allows the medium M to be curved and transported before it is heated and stretched, resulting in a structure that is less likely to cause wrinkles to form in the medium M. Furthermore, when the most downstream bending portion 34E is located closer to position A than the other bending portions 34, it is desirable that the angle θe at the most downstream bending portion 34E be larger than the angle at the other bending portions 34 (the angle of the guide surface downstream in the transport direction relative to the guide surface upstream in the transport direction). This allows the angle at the bending portion 34 upstream in the transport direction to be set smaller than the most downstream bending portion 34E, resulting in a structure that makes it easier to prevent the medium M from lifting up from the platen 33A when the medium M is curved. Note that, in order to prevent the medium M from lifting up from the platen 33A, it is even more desirable that the angle θf at the most upstream bending portion 34F be smaller than the angles at the other bending portions 34.

[0112] <Modification> FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram of a heating unit 50 according to a modification.

[0113] In the modified example, the heating chamber 51 is also provided with a supply port 512 and a recovery port 513 as inlets and outlets for heated air. In the modified example, the supply port 512 is disposed downstream of the recovery port 513 in the conveying direction and is disposed below the recovery port 513. In addition, in the modified example, the hot air generator 511 (fan 511A and heater 511B) is disposed facing in the opposite direction, and the upstream chamber 51A of the heating chamber 51 is disposed above the downstream chamber 51B.

[0114] 16 is an explanatory diagram of the positional relationship between the bending portion 34 and the air outlet 612 in the modified example. "Position A" in the figure indicates the position on the bending member 332 that faces the air outlet 612. Position B in the figure indicates the position on the bending member 332 that faces the recovery port 513U on the most upstream side in the conveying direction of the heating unit 50 (the most upstream port in the conveying direction among the heated air ports).

[0115] Even in the modified example, heated air supplied to the heating passage 52 continues to flow stably in the first heating passage 52A between the supply port 512 and the recovery port 513 of the heating passage 52, and it is believed that relatively high-temperature heated air is present. Therefore, even in the modified example, in the first heating passage 52A downstream of position B in the transport direction, the medium M is heated by relatively high-temperature heated air. On the other hand, in the second heating passage 52B from position B to position A, the medium M is heated at a lower temperature than in the first heating passage 52A. Furthermore, in the second heating passage 52B, it is believed that the temperature is lower toward the upstream side in the transport direction (closer to position A) and higher toward the downstream side in the transport direction (closer to position B). In other words, even in the modified example, in the second heating passage 52B from position A to position B, the medium M is less likely to be heated toward the upstream side in the transport direction and more likely to be heated toward the downstream side in the transport direction.

[0116] In this modified example, the air outlet 612 also faces the bent region 332B. This shortens the distance from the printing region to the heating unit 50. In this modified example, the most downstream bent section 34E is positioned closer to position A, which faces the air outlet 612, than to position B, which faces the heated air inlet / outlet (the recovery port 513U in this modified example). As already explained, the temperature in the second heating passage 52B is lower upstream in the transport direction (closer to position A). Therefore, by positioning the most downstream bent section 34E closer to position A, the medium M can be curved and transported before it is heated and stretched in the left-right direction (scanning direction; width direction of the medium M). Therefore, even in this modified example, the formation of wrinkles in the medium M can be suppressed.

[0117] <Summary> The printing device 1 includes a front apron 33F (a guide member 33 that is positioned downstream of the printing area in the transport direction and that guides the medium M), and a heating unit 50 that supplies heated air to the medium M that is guided by the front apron 33F. The heating unit 50 includes a main body case 70 that is positioned opposite the front apron 33F, a heating chamber 51 provided in the main body case 70, a fan 511A and a heater 511B housed in the heating chamber 51, a supply port 512 that supplies heated air to a heating passage 52, and a recovery port 513 that recovers the heated air into the heating chamber 51. The heating unit 50 also includes an upper air blowing chamber 61 provided in the main body case 70 separately from the heating chamber 51, an upper air blowing fan 611 housed in the upper air blowing chamber 61, and an air outlet 612 located upstream of the supply port 512 and the recovery port 513 in the transport direction, which blows air from the upper air blowing chamber 61 toward the front apron 33F using the upper air blowing fan 611. The air outlet 612 is located upstream of the supply port 512 and the recovery port 513 in the transport direction to form an air curtain that prevents heated air from flowing into the printing area. The front apron 33F includes a curved region 332B that curves the medium M at the bending portion 34 to guide the medium M, and a flat region 332C that is located downstream of the curved region 332B in the transport direction and guides the medium M with a flat surface. In addition, in order for the medium M transported on the horizontal platen 33A to be transported along the inclined guide surface of the front apron 33F, it is necessary to curve the medium M at the bending portion 34 (to change the direction of transport of the medium M). In this embodiment, the air outlet 612 is disposed opposite the bending region 332B (see FIGS. 13 and 16 ). This shortens the length from the printing region to the heating unit 50. In this embodiment, at least one of the supply port 512 and the recovery port 513 is disposed opposite the flat region 332C, and the most downstream bending portion 34E (the bending portion 34 most downstream in the transport direction of the bending region 332B) is disposed closer to position A, which faces the air outlet 612, than position B, which faces the supply port 512 and the recovery port 513 (e.g., the supply port 512U in FIG. 13 and the recovery port 513U in FIG. 16 ).This allows the medium M to be curved and transported before it expands due to heating, thereby preventing wrinkles from forming on the medium M. In other words, according to this embodiment, an air curtain can be provided so as to prevent the occurrence of wrinkles while reducing the waste of the medium.

[0118] The air outlet 612 is positioned opposite the most downstream bent portion 34E (see FIGS. 13 and 16 ). This allows the air curtain to press the medium M bending over the most downstream bent portion 34E against the guide surface, further preventing wrinkles from forming on the medium M. However, the air outlet 612 does not have to be positioned opposite the most downstream bent portion 34E; as long as the most downstream bent portion 34E is positioned closer to position A than position B, it is possible to prevent wrinkles from forming on the medium M.

[0119] The front apron 33F has an upstream region 332A, located upstream of the bending region 332B in the transport direction, that guides the medium M parallel to the guide surface for the medium M in the printing region (see FIGS. 13 and 16). The air outlet 612 is positioned above (vertically above) the guide surface for the medium M in the upstream region 332A (see FIG. 14). This prevents the end of the medium M from coming into contact with the air outlet 612, thereby preventing damage to the air outlet 612. However, the air outlet 612 may be positioned at approximately the same height as the guide surface for the medium M in the upstream region 332A, or may be positioned below the guide surface for the medium M in the upstream region 332A.

[0120] Furthermore, the angle θf between the downstream guide surface in the transport direction and the upstream guide surface in the most upstream bending portion 34F is smaller than the angle θe between the downstream guide surface in the transport direction and the upstream guide surface in the most downstream bending portion 34E (see FIG. 14). This makes it possible to prevent wrinkles from forming in the medium M while also preventing the medium M from lifting up from the platen 33A in the printing area. However, the angle θf may be approximately the same as the angle θe, or the angle θf may be greater than the angle θe.

[0121] The most downstream bent portion 34E is desirably located closer to position A, which faces the air outlet 612, than the other bent portions 34. This allows the medium M to be curved and transported before it is heated and stretched, resulting in a structure that is less likely to cause wrinkles to form on the medium M. Furthermore, when the most downstream bent portion 34E is located closer to position A, which faces the air outlet 612, than the other bent portions 34, it is desirably that the angle θe at the most downstream bent portion 34E is larger than the angles at the other bent portions 34 (the angle of the guide surface downstream in the transport direction relative to the guide surface upstream in the transport direction). This allows the angle at the bent portion 34 upstream in the transport direction to be set smaller than the most downstream bent portion 34E, resulting in a structure that makes it easier to prevent the medium M from lifting up from the platen 33A when the medium M is curved.

[0122] Furthermore, the front apron 33F (the guide member 33 that is positioned downstream of the printing area in the transport direction and that guides the medium M) is preferably composed of a bending member 332 and a flat member 331 that is positioned downstream of the bending member 332 in the transport direction and that guides the medium with a flat guide surface. This makes it easier to process the front apron 33F. However, the front apron 33F may be composed of one member, or may be composed of three or more members including the bending member 332 and the flat member 331.

[0123] ===Other Embodiments===The above embodiments are presented as examples and do not limit the scope of the invention. The above configurations can be implemented in appropriate combinations, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The above embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the inventions described in the claims and their equivalents.

[0124] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Printing device, 10 Controller, 20 Carriage unit, 21 Carriage, 22 Carriage motor, 30 Transport unit, 31 Transport member, 31A Transport roller, 31B Pinch roller, 32 Transport motor, 33 Guide member, 33A Platen, 33R Rear apron, 33F Front apron, 331 Flat member, 332 Bending member, 332A Upstream region, 332B Bending region, 332C Flat region, 34 Bending portion, 34F Most upstream bending portion, 34E Most downstream bending portion, 41 Head, 50 Heating unit, 51 Heating chamber, 51A Upstream chamber (second chamber), 51B Downstream chamber (first chamber), 511 Hot air generating section, 511A Fan, 511B Heater, 512 Supply port, 512U Supply port, 513 Recovery port, 513U Recovery port, 52 Heating passage, 52A First heating passage, 52B Second heating passage, 60 Blowing chamber, 61 Upper blowing chamber, 61A Upstream chamber, 61B Downstream chamber, 611 Upper blowing fan, 612 Outlet, 612A First plate portion, 612B Second plate portion, 62 Lower blowing chamber, 62A Upstream chamber, 62B Downstream chamber, 621 Lower blowing fan, 622 Lower blowing port (blowing port), 623 Outlet, 70 Main body case, 71 First wall portion, 72 Second wall portion, 721 Intake port, 73 Heat insulating material, 73A Lower edge, 73B Recess, 73C Through hole, 74 Outer wall portion, 74U Upper wall portion, 74F Front wall portion, 74D lower wall portion, 741 intake port, 741U upper intake port, 741D lower intake port, 742 intake area, 743 non-intake area, 75 (75A to 75C) fan mounting wall portion, 76 partition wall portion, 77 current plate, 78 extension cover, 79 outer cover, 81 opening / closing mechanism, 81A opening / closing portion, 81B rotating shaft, 82 intake fan

Claims

1. A device comprising: a guide member that is arranged downstream of a printing area in the transport direction and that guides a medium; a heating unit that supplies heated air to the medium guided by the guide member; and a heating passage formed between the guide member and the heating unit and through which the heated air flows, wherein the heating unit comprises: a main body case arranged opposite the guide member; a heating chamber provided in the main body case; a fan housed in the heating chamber; a heater housed in the heating chamber and that heats the air blown by the fan; a supply port that supplies the heated air heated by the heater to the heating passage; and a recovery port that recovers the heated air from the heating passage to the heating chamber, wherein the main body case comprises: a first wall portion through which the supply port and the recovery port are formed and that is arranged opposite the guide member, and a second wall portion that forms the heating chamber in the space between the main body case and the first wall portion, wherein the heating chamber comprises: a first chamber that supplies the heated air from the supply port to the heating passage, a second chamber that recovers the heated air in the heating passage from the recovery port and supplies the recovered heated air to the fan, wherein the second wall portion is provided with an intake port for taking outside air into the second chamber.

2. A printing device according to claim 1, wherein the second wall portion is covered with a heat insulating material.

3. A printing device according to claim 2, characterized in that a recess is provided on the edge of the heat insulating material to expose the intake port.

4. A printing device according to claim 3, characterized in that the edge of the heat insulating material where the recess is provided is in contact with a wall portion opposite the edge.

5. A printing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the heating unit comprises: an air blowing chamber provided in the main body case and positioned outside the second wall portion; and an air blowing fan housed in the air blowing chamber; and the intake port connects the air blowing chamber to the second chamber.

6. A printing device according to claim 5, wherein the heating unit is provided with an air outlet through which the air in the air blowing chamber is blown out of the air blowing chamber by the air blowing fan.

7. A printing device as described in claim 5, wherein the air blowing chamber is configured as a space extending in the left-right direction, a plurality of the air blowing fans are arranged in the air blowing chamber at intervals in the left-right direction, and a plurality of the intake ports are arranged in the second wall portion at intervals in the left-right direction, and are arranged so that their positions in the left-right direction differ from those of the air blowing fans.

8. A printing device as described in claim 7, wherein the main body case has an outer wall portion that forms the air blowing chamber in the space between it and the second wall portion, the outer wall portion has a plurality of air intake areas spaced apart in the left-right direction and each of which has an air intake port for taking in outside air into the air blowing chamber, and the air blowing fan is positioned so that its position in the left-right direction is different from that of the air intake areas.

9. A printing device as described in claim 5, wherein the air blowing chamber is provided with air outlets for blowing out air from within the air blowing chamber, the air outlets are uniformly arranged along the left-right direction, the intakes are arranged at intervals in the left-right direction, and the total opening area of ​​the intakes is smaller than the total opening area of ​​the air blowing outlets.

10. A printing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising an opening / closing mechanism for opening and closing the inlet.

11. A printing device according to claim 10, characterized in that the opening and closing mechanism is configured to be able to adjust the opening of the intake port.

12. A printing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a fan is provided at the inlet.

13. A printing device as described in claim 1, wherein the heating unit comprises: an air blower chamber provided in the main body case separately from the heating chamber; an air blower fan housed in the air blower chamber; and an air outlet provided upstream in the transport direction from the supply inlet and the recovery inlet, and for blowing air from the air blower chamber towards the guide member by the air blower fan; the guide member comprises: a curved region that guides the medium by bending the medium at a bent portion; and a flat region that is located downstream in the transport direction from the curved region and guides the medium with a flat surface; the air outlet is located opposite the curved region; at least one of the supply inlet and the recovery inlet is located opposite the flat region; and the most downstream bent portion, which is the bent portion on the most downstream side in the transport direction of the bent region, is located closer to the position facing the air outlet than the position facing the supply inlet or the recovery inlet.

14. A printing device according to claim 13, characterized in that the air outlet faces the most downstream bent portion.

15. A printing device as described in claim 13 or 14, wherein the guide member has an upstream region on the upstream side of the bending region in the transport direction that guides the medium parallel to the guide surface of the medium in the printing region, and the air outlet is positioned vertically above the guide surface of the medium in the upstream region.

16. A printing device as claimed in claim 13 or 14, wherein the guide member has an upstream bent portion which is the bent portion on the most upstream side of the bent region in the conveying direction, and the angle of the downstream guide surface in the conveying direction relative to the upstream guide surface in the upstream bent portion is smaller than the angle of the downstream guide surface in the conveying direction relative to the upstream guide surface in the downstream bent portion.

17. A printing device as described in claim 13 or 14, characterized in that the guide member has a plurality of the bent portions, and the most downstream bent portion is positioned closer to the position facing the air outlet than the other bent portions.

18. A printing device as described in claim 17, characterized in that the angle of the guide surface downstream in the conveying direction relative to the guide surface upstream in the conveying direction at the most downstream bent section is larger than the angle of the guide surface downstream in the conveying direction relative to the guide surface upstream in the conveying direction at other bent sections.

19. A printing device as claimed in claim 13 or 14, characterized in that the guide member is composed of a bending member having the bending region, and a flat member arranged downstream in the transport direction of the bending member and guiding the medium with a flat guide surface.

Images