Inkjet printer

Abstract

The objective of the present invention is to improve maintainability without causing an increase in size in an inkjet printer comprising a heating device.　An inkjet printer (1) comprises a printer body (10) and a heating device (50) that heats a recording medium (5) transported from the printer body (10). The heating device (50) has: a casing (54) that partitions a heating chamber (52) through which the recording medium (5) passes; a heater (56) disposed in the heating chamber (52); and an exterior cover (80) disposed on the outside of at least a portion of the casing (54). A heat-dissipating paint (86) is applied to the surface on the outside of the exterior cover (80).

Description

Inkjet printer

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

[0002] Conventionally, in an inkjet printer that discharges ink onto a recording medium, there is known one equipped with a heating device for heating the recording medium after the ink lands. For example, such an inkjet printer is disclosed in Patent Document 1.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2023-95353

[0004] When the heating temperature of the heating device is relatively high, the heating device itself becomes high temperature. Therefore, the surface temperature of the heating device rises. Since the heating device heats the recording medium after the ink lands, it is installed on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the recording medium. For example, in an inkjet printer in which the recording medium is conveyed forward from the printer main body, the heating device is arranged in front of the printer main body. In this type of inkjet printer, when the user performs maintenance on the printer main body, the user works from the front of the printer main body. When the surface temperature of the heating device is high, the user needs to perform maintenance work so as not to touch the heating device. Extreme caution is required not to touch the heating device, and the burden of maintenance work increases.

[0005] For example, as shown in FIG. 7, in an inkjet printer 105 including a printer main body 104 and a heating device 100, it is conceivable to install an exterior cover 102 outside the heating device 100 so that the user does not touch the heating device 100. Note that reference numeral 106 represents the recording medium. If a large gap is ensured between the heating device 100 and the exterior cover 102, an air layer of sufficient size can be formed between the heating device 100 and the exterior cover 102. Since this air layer exhibits a heat insulation function, an increase in the surface temperature of the exterior cover 102 can be suppressed. When the user performs maintenance work, the user does not need to pay extreme attention not to touch the exterior cover 102, so the burden of maintenance work can be reduced.

[0006] However, if an outer cover 102 is added to form a sufficiently large air layer between the heating device 100 and the printer, the inkjet printer 105 will become larger. In addition, it will become more difficult for the user to access the printer body 104, thus reducing maintainability.

[0007] This invention has been made in view of the above, and its purpose is to improve maintainability in an inkjet printer equipped with a heating device without increasing its size.

[0008] The inkjet printer disclosed herein comprises a printer body having a support stand for supporting a recording medium, an ink head for ejecting ink toward the recording medium on the support stand, and a transport mechanism for transporting the recording medium onto which the ink has landed. The inkjet printer comprises a heating device for heating the recording medium transported from the printer body. The heating device comprises a casing that partitions a heating chamber through which the recording medium passes, a heating source disposed in the heating chamber, and an outer cover disposed outside at least a portion of the casing. At least a portion of the outer surface of the outer cover is coated with a heat-dissipating paint.

[0009] According to the above inkjet printer, an outer cover is positioned outside at least a portion of the heating device casing, preventing the user from touching the heating device casing. In addition, since a heat-dissipating coating is applied to at least a portion of the outer surface of the outer cover, the outer surface of the outer cover does not easily become hot even without forming a sufficiently large air layer between the outer cover and the heating device casing. Therefore, the user can perform maintenance work on the printer body without having to take extreme care not to touch the outer cover. Thus, maintainability can be improved without increasing the size of the inkjet printer.

[0010] According to the present invention, maintainability can be improved in an inkjet printer equipped with a heating device without increasing its size.

[0011] This is a perspective view of an inkjet printer according to an embodiment. This is a vertical cross-sectional view of the inkjet printer. This is a front view showing the internal structure of the printer body casing. This is a bottom view of the carriage and ink head. This is a vertical cross-sectional view of the heating device. This is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in Figure 5. This is a schematic diagram showing an inkjet printer equipped with a heating device in which an outer cover is installed on the outside of the heating device.

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Naturally, the embodiment described herein is not intended to limit the present invention. Furthermore, the same reference numerals are used for members and parts that perform the same function, and redundant explanations are omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0013] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an inkjet printer (hereinafter simply referred to as "printer") 1 according to this embodiment. Printer 1 prints on a recording medium (hereinafter simply referred to as "medium") 5. In the following description of printer 1, left, right, top, and bottom refer to the left, right, top, and bottom as seen from the perspective of a user (not shown) standing in front of printer 1. The direction from printer 1 towards the user is considered the front, and the direction from the user towards printer 1 is considered the rear. The symbols F, Rr, L, R, U, and D in the drawing indicate front, rear, left, right, top, and bottom, respectively.

[0014] In the drawings, the symbol Y indicates the main scanning direction. In this embodiment, the main scanning direction Y coincides with the left-right direction. In the drawings, the symbol X indicates the sub-scanning direction. The sub-scanning direction X is perpendicular to the main scanning direction Y in a plan view. In this embodiment, the sub-scanning direction X coincides with the front-back direction in a plan view. Furthermore, below, the side from which the medium 5 has been transported is referred to as the upstream side in the transport direction, and the side from which the medium 5 is being transported is referred to as the downstream side in the transport direction. However, these directions are merely defined for the sake of explanation and do not in any way limit the installation configuration of the printer 1.

[0015] Printer 1 is an inkjet printer that ejects ink. The term "inkjet method" includes various conventionally known methods, such as various continuous methods including binary deflection methods and continuous deflection methods, and various on-demand methods including thermal methods and piezoelectric element methods. In this embodiment, Printer 1 prints by sequentially feeding a rolled medium 5 forward. Printer 1 is a so-called roll-to-roll type printer.

[0016] The printer 1 comprises a printer body 10 and a heating device 50. The printer body 10 has a casing 12, a front cover 11, and legs 14 that support the casing 12. The heating device 50 is located in front of the casing 12.

[0017] Figure 2 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing the main components of printer 1. As shown in Figure 2, the printer body 10 includes a support base 24 for supporting the media 5, a supply roller 16 on which the media 5 is wound before printing, a take-up roller 18 for winding up the media 5 after printing, and a plurality of rollers 20 and 22 for guiding the transport of the media 5. The front cover 11 is positioned in front of the support base 24. The front cover 11 is rotatably attached to the casing 12 by a hinge shaft 19. The front cover 11 is rotatable up and down around the hinge shaft 19 (see arrow D in Figure 2).

[0018] Figure 3 is a schematic front view showing the internal structure of the casing 12 of the printer body 10. The printer body 10 includes a guide rail 26 extending in the main scanning direction Y, a carriage 28 slidably engaged with the guide rail 26, and an ink head 30 fixed to the carriage 28. The guide rail 26 is positioned above the support base 24. The guide rail 26 is positioned parallel to the upper surface of the support base 24.

[0019] The ink head 30 is configured to eject ink. The ink head 30 is mounted on the carriage 28 such that its bottom surface is exposed downwards. Figure 4 is a schematic bottom view showing the configuration of the carriage 28 and the bottom surface of the ink head 30. The number of ink heads 30 is not particularly limited. In this embodiment, there are two ink heads 30. The two ink heads 30 are aligned in the main scanning direction Y. Each ink head 30 has a nozzle surface 32. The nozzle surface 32 constitutes the bottom surface of the ink head 30. A plurality of nozzles 34 for ejecting ink are formed on each nozzle surface 32. The plurality of nozzles 34 are aligned in the sub-scanning direction X. Here, the plurality of nozzles 34 aligned in the sub-scanning direction X are called a nozzle row 36. Each ink head 30 has four rows of nozzle rows 36. However, the number of nozzle rows 36 of the ink head 30 is not particularly limited and may be one to three, or five or more.

[0020] In this embodiment, one of the two ink heads 30 is a foam suppression ink head that ejects foam suppression ink (hereinafter referred to as reference numeral 30A when distinguishing between them), and the other of the two ink heads 30 is a color ink head that ejects color ink (hereinafter referred to as reference numeral 30B when distinguishing between them). The printer body 10 has a foam suppression ink head 30A and a color ink head 30B as ink heads 30. Here, the arrangement of the foam suppression ink head 30A and the color ink head 30B is a so-called staggered arrangement. The position of the foam suppression ink head 30A in the sub-scanning direction X and the position of the color ink head 30B in the sub-scanning direction X are offset from each other. In this embodiment, a part of the foam suppression ink head 30A is located in front of the front end of the color ink head 30B. Alternatively, the entire foam suppression ink head 30A may be located in front of the front end of the color ink head 30B.

[0021] The medium 5 is formed to foam when heated. Although not shown in the diagram, the medium 5 has a heat-foaming layer that foams when heated. The foam-suppressing ink is an ink that suppresses foaming of the medium 5 (more specifically, the heat-foaming layer of the medium 5) when the medium 5 is heated. When the medium 5 foams, the foamed portion of the medium 5 bulges. The foam-suppressing ink is dispensed to the portion of the medium 5 that you do not want to bulge. On the other hand, the portion of the medium 5 to which the foam-suppressing ink is not dispensed foams and bulges when heated. The foam-suppressing ink is preferably a water-based ink suitable for the polyolefin surface that forms the heat-foaming layer of the medium 5. Here, the foam-suppressing ink is a colorless and transparent ink, but it may also be a colored ink or an opaque ink.

[0022] The color ink ejected from the color ink head 30B forms an image (where the image includes characters, figures, symbols, photographs, patterns, etc.) on the medium 5. The color ink ejected from the color ink head 30B is, for example, process color ink or spot color ink. Process color ink includes, for example, cyan ink, magenta ink, yellow ink, and black ink. Spot color ink is ink of a color other than process color ink. Spot color ink includes, for example, white ink, clear ink, gloss ink, primer ink, fluorescent ink, metallic ink, orange ink, red ink, violet ink, blue ink, and green ink. In this embodiment, a different color ink is ejected from each nozzle row 36 of the color ink head 30B. The material of the color ink is not limited in any way, and various materials that have been conventionally used as ink materials for inkjet printers and the like can be used. The color ink may be, for example, solvent-based pigment ink or water-based pigment ink. In this embodiment, the color ink differs from the foam-suppressing ink described above in that it is not an ink that suppresses foaming when the medium 5 is heated. However, the color ink may also be an ink that suppresses foaming when the medium 5 is heated.

[0023] In the printer body 10, the medium 5 is sequentially transported in the sub-scanning direction X, and printing is performed by ejecting ink as the ink head 30 moves in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in Figure 3, the printer body 10 is equipped with a head moving mechanism 40 that moves the ink head 30 in the main scanning direction Y, and a transport mechanism 60 that moves the medium 5 in the sub-scanning direction X.

[0024] In this embodiment, the head movement mechanism 40 includes a pulley 41, a pulley 42, an endless belt 43, and a scan motor 44. The pulley 41 is located near the left end of the guide rail 26. The pulley 42 is located near the right end of the guide rail 26. The belt 43 is wrapped around the pulleys 41 and 42. The belt 43 is fixed to the upper part of the back of the carriage 28. The scan motor 44 is connected to the right pulley 42. However, the scan motor 44 may also be connected to the left pulley 41. When the scan motor 44 drives the pulley 42, the pulley 42 rotates, causing the belt 43 to travel between the pulleys 41 and 42. As a result, the carriage 28, which is fixed to the belt 43, moves in the main scanning direction Y, and the ink head 30 moves in the main scanning direction Y together with the carriage 28.

[0025] The conveying mechanism 60 includes a grid roller 61, a pinch roller 62, and a feed motor (not shown). The grid roller 61 is mounted on a support base 24. Here, the grid roller 61 is embedded in the support base 24 such that a portion of it is exposed upward from the support base 24. The pinch roller 62 is positioned above the grid roller 61. The pinch roller 62 faces the grid roller 61 and, together with the grid roller 61, grips the medium 5. The pinch roller 62 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction. The installation position and number of the grid roller 61 and pinch roller 62 are not particularly limited. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, seven grid rollers 61 and seven pinch rollers 62 are provided. These grid rollers 61 and pinch rollers 62 are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction Y. The feed motor is connected to the grid roller 61 and rotates by driving the grid roller 61. When the grid roller 61 rotates with the medium 5 sandwiched between the grid roller 61 and the pinch roller 62, the medium 5 on the support base 24 is transported in the sub-scanning direction X.

[0026] As shown in Figure 1, an operation panel 13 is provided at the right end of the casing 12. Although not shown in the illustration, the operation panel 13 includes a display screen that shows the status of the printer 1, and operation keys that are operated by the user.

[0027] A cartridge holder 17 into which multiple ink cartridges 15 are inserted is provided above the left end of the casing 12. Although not shown in the illustration, the ink cartridges 15 and the nozzle row 36 of the ink head 30 are connected by an ink supply path such as a tube. The ink in the ink cartridges 15 is supplied to each nozzle 34 of the nozzle row 36 through the ink supply path.

[0028] Next, the heating device 50 will be described. As shown in Figure 2, the heating device 50 includes a casing 54 that partitions the heating chamber 52, a heater 56 placed in the heating chamber 52, and an outer cover 80 placed outside at least a part of the casing 54.

[0029] As shown in Figure 5, the casing 54 has a front plate 54F, a rear plate 54B, an upper plate 54U, and a lower plate 54D. The upper plate 54U is positioned above the heater 56, and the front plate 54F is positioned in front of the heater 56. The front plate 54F and the rear plate 54B extend in the vertical and left-right directions. The vertical direction here is not limited to the vertical direction, but also includes directions inclined forward or backward at an angle of less than 45° relative to the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the front plate 54F and the rear plate 54B are inclined from the vertical direction so that they move forward as they go downward. The upper plate 54U and the lower plate 54D extend in the front-rear and left-right directions. The front-rear direction here is not limited to the horizontal direction, but also includes directions inclined upward or downward at an angle of less than 45° relative to the horizontal direction. In this embodiment, the upper plate 54U and the lower plate 54D are inclined from the horizontal direction so that they move downward as they go rearward. As shown in Figure 1, the casing 54 has a left plate 54L and a right plate 54R. The left plate 54L and the right plate 54R extend in the front-to-back and up-to-down directions. The heating chamber 52 is partitioned by a front plate 54F, a rear plate 54B, an upper plate 54U, a lower plate 54D, a left plate 54L, and a right plate 54R.

[0030] As shown in Figure 5, the upper plate 54U has an inlet 54i for guiding the medium 5 into the heating chamber 52. The lower plate 54D has an outlet 54o for dischargering the medium 5 from the heating chamber 52. The heating chamber 52 has a transport path 54p that goes from the inlet 54i to the outlet 54o. The medium 5 is transported in the order of inlet 54i, transport path 54p, and outlet 54o.

[0031] The heater 56 is an example of a heat source for heating the medium 5. The heat source is not limited to the heater 56, as long as it can heat the medium 5. Furthermore, the type of heater 56 is not limited. In this embodiment, the heater 56 has a plurality of ceramic heaters arranged in the main scanning direction Y. The heater 56 faces the transport path 54p. Here, the heater 56 is positioned in front of the transport path 54p. When the medium 5 passes through the transport path 54p, the front surface of the medium 5 faces the heater 56. The surface of the medium 5 on which the ink lands faces the heater 56. The heater 56 is positioned to heat the surface of the medium 5.

[0032] The exterior cover 80 covers the front and top of the casing 54. The exterior cover 80 includes a front cover 81 located in front of the front plate 54F of the casing 54, and an upper cover 82 located above the top plate 54U. Here, the front cover 81 and the upper cover 82 are a single unit, but they may be separate. The exterior cover 80 may be a single part or may be composed of multiple parts. In this embodiment, the upper cover 82 is made of a bent plate and includes a front portion 82a extending in the vertical direction, an inclined surface portion 82b inclined with respect to the front portion 82a, and an upper surface portion 82c extending in the front-rear direction.

[0033] The outer cover 80 is spaced apart from the casing 54. The front cover 81 is spaced forward from the front plate 54F of the casing 54. An insulating material 71 is provided between the front cover 81 and the front plate 54F. The insulating material 71 is attached to the front plate 54F. The insulating material 71 is provided on the inside of the front cover 81. That is, the insulating material 71 is provided on the rear side of the front cover 81. The upper cover 82 is spaced upward from the upper plate 54U. An insulating material 72 is provided on the inside of a part of the upper cover 82. Here, the insulating material 72 is provided on the inside of the upper surface portion 82c of the upper cover 82. The insulating material 72 is provided on the underside of the upper surface portion 82c of the upper cover 82.

[0034] Regarding the upper cover 82 and the upper plate 54U of the casing 54, the distance between the upper cover 82 and the upper plate 54U in the direction perpendicular to the upper plate 54U is referred to as the distance between the upper cover 82 and the upper plate 54U. In this embodiment, since the upper cover 82 is inclined with respect to the upper plate 54U, the distance between the upper cover 82 and the upper plate 54U varies depending on the part of the upper cover 82. Also, regarding the front cover 81 and the front plate 54F of the casing 54, the distance between the front cover 81 and the front plate 54F in the direction perpendicular to the front plate 54F is referred to as the distance between the front cover 81 and the front plate 54F. In this embodiment, since the front cover 81 is parallel to the front plate 54F, the distance between the front cover 81 and the front plate 54F is constant. Here, the average distance B1 between the upper cover 82 and the upper plate 54U is greater than the average distance B2 between the front cover 81 and the front plate 54F (which in this embodiment coincides with the constant distance mentioned above). The outer cover 80 is formed so as not to protrude significantly forward from the heating device 50.

[0035] A partition plate 58 extending upward is attached to the upper plate 54U of the casing 54. Here, the partition plate 58 is inclined from the vertical so that it moves towards the rear as it goes upward. Inside the outer cover 80, the cooling air passage 90 is partitioned by the upper plate 54U of the casing 54, the upper cover 82, and the partition plate 58. Insulation material 73 is attached to the upper plate 54U of the casing 54. Insulation material 74 is attached to the front surface of the partition plate 58. Part of the cooling air passage 90 is partitioned by the insulation materials 72, 73, and 74. In this embodiment, the lower side of the cooling air passage 90 is partitioned by the insulation material 73, and the rear side of the cooling air passage 90 is partitioned by the insulation materials 74 and 72.

[0036] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of a part of the heating device 50, and is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-VI in Figure 5. A left side cover 85L is provided to the left of the cooling air passage 90, and a right side cover 85R is provided to the right of the cooling air passage 90. An intake port 92i for drawing air into the cooling air passage 90 is formed in the right side cover 85R (see also Figure 1). An exhaust port 92o for discharging air from the cooling air passage 90 is formed in the left side cover 85L. The intake port 92i and the exhaust port 92o are connected to the cooling air passage 90.

[0037] A fan 94R is positioned inside the air intake 92i. The "inside of the air intake 92i" refers to the area closer to the center of the cooling air passage 90 than the air intake 92i. Here, "inside of the air intake 92i" is synonymous with the left side of the air intake 92i. The fan 94R is located inside the cooling air passage 90. Here, the fan 94R is attached to the right side cover 85R. The fan 94R is configured to blow air from the outside to the inside of the cooling air passage 90. The fan 94R is configured to blow air to the left.

[0038] A fan 94L is positioned inside the exhaust port 92o. The area inside the exhaust port 92o refers to the area closer to the center of the cooling air passage 90 than the exhaust port 92o. Here, the area inside the exhaust port 92o is synonymous with the area to the right of the exhaust port 92o. The fan 94L is positioned inside the cooling air passage 90. Here, the fan 94L is attached to the left side cover 85L. The fan 94L is configured to blow air from the inside of the cooling air passage 90 outwards. The fan 94L is configured to blow air to the left. In the cooling air passage 90, air flows from the intake port 92i towards the exhaust port 92o. In the cooling air passage 90, the air flows to the left.

[0039] As shown in Figure 5, heat dissipation paint 86 is applied to at least a portion of the outer surface of the outer cover 80. Here, the heat dissipation paint 86 is applied to the entire outer surface of the outer cover 80. Note that the heat dissipation paint 86 is not applied to the inner surface of the outer cover 80. The heat dissipation paint 86 is applied to the outer surface of the front cover 81 (i.e., the front surface) and the outer surface of the upper cover 82 (i.e., the upper surface). Note that "heat dissipation paint" refers to a coating agent that can lower the temperature of the substrate itself or the ambient temperature by utilizing heat radiation. The type of heat dissipation paint 86 is not particularly limited as long as it can be applied to the outer cover 80, and conventionally known types can be suitably used. In this embodiment, the material of the outer cover 80 is iron. The outer cover 80 is coated with heat dissipation paint 86 that can be applied to iron. However, the material of the outer cover 80 is not limited to iron.

[0040] The above describes the configuration of printer 1. Next, the printing operation of printer 1 will be explained. During printing, the medium 5 is transported from the supply roller 16 toward the support base 24 (see Figure 2). The medium 5 is transported intermittently. When the medium 5 is stopped on the support base 24, the ink head 30 moves in the main scanning direction Y and ejects ink toward the medium 5. The color ink head 30B of the ink head 30 ejects color ink toward the medium 5, thereby forming an image on the medium 5. The foam suppression ink head 30A ejects foam suppression ink onto the parts of the medium 5 that are not to be raised. After that, the medium 5 is transported forward by a predetermined length, and after transport stops, the ink head 30 moves again in the main scanning direction Y and ejects ink toward the medium 5. Thereafter, the same operation is repeated on the support base 24.

[0041] The portion of the medium 5 on the support base 24 where the color ink and foam-suppressing ink have landed is transported forward from the support base 24. That is, the medium 5 is transported downstream in the sub-scanning direction X. As shown in Figure 5, the transport direction of the medium 5 is changed by the roller 20 and it is transported downward. The medium 5 is introduced into the heating chamber 52 from the inlet 54i of the casing 54 of the heating device 50. The medium 5 introduced into the heating chamber 52 is heated by the heater 56. The portion of the medium 5 where the foam-suppressing ink has not landed will foam and bulge when heated. On the other hand, foaming is suppressed in the portion of the medium 5 where the foam-suppressing ink has landed. This foaming of the medium 5 creates irregularities on the medium 5. The medium 5 heated in the heating chamber 52 is transported to the outside of the heating chamber 52 from the outlet 54o. As shown in Figure 2, the medium 5 transported to the outside of the heating chamber 52 has its transport direction changed by the roller 22 and is then wound onto the winding roller 18.

[0042] Incidentally, for example, a paper jam may occur near the grit roller 61 and pinch roller 62 during the printing process. In this case, the user interrupts the printing process and clears the paper jam near the support stand 24. Also, after finishing printing and before starting the next print job, the user may set up the media 5 near the support stand 24. In such cases, the user may open the front cover 11 and insert their hand from the front of the casing 12 towards the support stand 24 (see arrow A in Figure 2).

[0043] Because the heating chamber 52 of the heating device 50 becomes hot, the surface temperature of the casing 54 that partitions the heating chamber 52 also becomes high. However, since the outer cover 80 is installed on the outside of the casing 54, it is prevented from the user touching the casing 54. On the other hand, because the distance between the outer cover 80 and the casing 54 is relatively close, there is a concern that the heat from the casing 54 will be transferred to the outer cover 80, causing the surface temperature of the outer cover 80 to rise. Not only during printing (i.e., while the heating device 50 is operating), but even after the printing operation is interrupted or terminated, the surface temperature of the outer cover 80 may remain high for a while.

[0044] However, according to the present embodiment, a heat radiation paint 86 is applied to the outer surface of the exterior cover 80. Therefore, even if the heat of the casing 54 is transmitted to the exterior cover 80, the radiation of heat from the exterior cover 80 to the outside is promoted, so the exterior cover 80 is unlikely to get hot. It is possible to suppress the surface of the exterior cover 80 from becoming high temperature. Thus, when the user performs maintenance work from the front of the printer 1, there is no need to take great care not to touch the exterior cover 80. Since the work burden on the user is reduced, the user can easily perform maintenance work. Also, according to the present embodiment, since the exterior cover 80 is unlikely to get hot, it is not necessary to secure a large gap between the exterior cover 80 and the casing 54. It is not necessary to form a large air layer between the exterior cover 80 and the casing 54. If the gap between the exterior cover 80 and the casing 54 is increased, the printer 1 will be enlarged. However, according to the present embodiment, it is not necessary to increase the gap between the exterior cover 80 and the casing 54. Therefore, the maintainability of the printer 1 can be improved without causing the printer 1 to become larger.

[0045] When performing maintenance, the user inserts a hand into the inside of the casing 12 from the front of the casing 12 (see arrow A in FIG. 2). Among the exterior cover 80, the upper cover 82 is a portion where the user's hand is likely to touch. According to the present embodiment, a heat radiation paint 86 is applied to the upper surface of the upper cover 82. Therefore, the temperature of the portion of the printer 1 where the user's hand is likely to touch can be suppressed. Thus, the burden of the user's maintenance work can be reduced.

[0046] Also, the user performs maintenance in a posture standing in front of the printer 1. If the surface temperature of the front cover 81 of the exterior cover 80 is high, the user is likely to feel hot air. However, according to the present embodiment, a heat radiation paint 86 is applied to the front surface of the front cover 81. Therefore, the hot air felt by the user can be suppressed. Thus, the burden of the user's maintenance work can be reduced.

[0047] According to this embodiment, the average distance B1 between the upper cover 82 and the upper plate 54U of the casing 54 is larger than the average distance B2 between the front cover 81 and the front plate 54F (see FIG. 5). The upper cover 82 is disposed at a position farther from the casing 54 than the front cover 81. It is possible to suppress the amount of protrusion of the front cover 81 forward, and it is possible to further suppress the surface temperature of the upper cover 82. Therefore, it is possible to improve the maintainability of the printer 1 while suppressing the increase in size in the front-rear direction of the printer 1.

[0048] According to this embodiment as shown in FIG. 2, the exterior cover 80 is disposed below the front cover 11 in the closed state. Although the exterior cover 80 is installed at a location where it is easily touched by the user, the surface temperature of the exterior cover 80 can be suppressed as described above. Therefore, the burden on the user's maintenance work can be reduced.

[0049] According to this embodiment, the lower end portion 11a of the front cover 11 in the closed state overlaps with the upper cover 82 of the exterior cover 80 in plan view (see FIG. 5). The lower end portion 11a of the front cover 11 has the same position in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction with respect to a part of the upper cover 82. The user opens and closes the front cover 11 during maintenance. Among the upper cover 82 of the exterior cover 80, the portion that overlaps with the lower end portion 11a of the front cover 11 in plan view is a portion that is particularly easily touched by the user during maintenance. According to this embodiment, since the temperature of the portion that is particularly easily touched by the user can be suppressed, the burden on the user's maintenance work can be reduced.

[0050] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, insulating materials 71 and 72 are provided on the inside of the outer cover 80. This also suppresses heat transfer from the casing 54 of the heating device 50 to the outer cover 80. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the surface temperature of the outer cover 80 from becoming too high. However, since the outer cover 80 is coated with heat-dissipating paint 86, heat dissipation from the outer cover 80 is promoted. This raises concerns that the amount of heat dissipated from the casing 54 of the heating device 50 will increase, causing the internal temperature of the heating chamber 52 to decrease. However, in this embodiment, since insulating materials 71 and 72 are provided on the inside of the outer cover 80, it is easier to maintain a high internal temperature in the heating chamber 52. Therefore, the medium 5 can be heated well in the heating chamber 52.

[0051] According to this embodiment, a cooling air passage 90 is formed below the upper cover 82 of the outer cover 80 (more specifically, the front portion of the upper cover 82). Air flows through the cooling air passage 90. The upper cover 82 is cooled by the air flowing through the cooling air passage 90. This also helps to suppress the outer cover 80 from becoming too hot.

[0052] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, this embodiment is merely an example, and various other embodiments are possible. Next, we will briefly describe some examples of other embodiments.

[0053] In the above embodiment, the casing 54 of the heating device 50 is formed in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped box, but the shape of the casing 54 is not particularly limited.

[0054] In the above embodiment, the heat dissipation paint 86 is applied to the entire outer surface of the outer cover 80, but the heat dissipation paint 86 may be applied to only a part of the outer surface of the outer cover 80. For example, the heat dissipation paint 86 may be applied only to the upper cover 82, or only to the front cover 81. The heat dissipation paint 86 may be applied to at least a part of the upper surface of the upper cover 82, and / or at least a part of the front surface of the front cover 81.

[0055] The shape of the outer cover 80 in the above embodiment is just one example. The shape of the outer cover 80 is not particularly limited and can be appropriately changed, for example, depending on the shape of the casing 54 of the heating device 50.

[0056] The outer cover 80 may cover only a part of the casing 54 of the heating device 50, as in the embodiment described above, or it may cover the entire casing.

[0057] In the above embodiment, the heating device 50 is configured to cause foaming by heating the medium 5, but the use of the heating device 50 is not limited to causing foaming of the medium 5. The medium 5 may be formed in a way that does not cause foaming, and the heating device 50 may be used to dry the ink that has landed on the medium 5. The ink head 30 does not need to be equipped with a foam-suppressing ink head 30A.

[0058] 1 Inkjet printer 5 Recording medium 10 Printer body 11 Front cover 24 Support stand 30 Ink head 50 Heating device 52 Heating chamber 54 Casing 56 Heater (heat source) 60 Transport mechanism 71-74 Insulation material 80 Outer cover 81 Front cover 82 Top cover 86 Heat dissipation paint

Claims

1. An inkjet printer comprising: a printer body having a support stand for supporting a recording medium, an ink head for ejecting ink toward the recording medium on the support stand, and a transport mechanism for transporting the recording medium onto which the ink has landed; and a heating device for heating the recording medium transported from the printer body, wherein the heating device comprises a casing that partitions a heating chamber through which the recording medium passes, a heating source disposed in the heating chamber, and an outer cover disposed outside at least a portion of the casing, and a heat-dissipating coating applied to at least a portion of the outer surface of the outer cover.

2. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein the exterior cover has an upper cover positioned above the casing of the heating device, and at least a portion of the upper surface of the upper cover is coated with the heat dissipation paint.

3. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein the transport mechanism is configured to transport the recording medium on which the ink has landed to the front of the printer body, the heating device is located in front of the printer body, the outer cover comprises an upper cover located above the casing of the heating device and a front cover located in front of the casing of the heating device, and the heat dissipation paint is applied to at least a portion of the upper surface of the upper cover and at least a portion of the front surface of the front cover.

4. The inkjet printer according to claim 3, wherein the casing of the heating device has an upper plate located above the heating source and a front plate located in front of the heating source, and the average distance between the upper cover and the upper plate is greater than the average distance between the front cover and the front plate.

5. The inkjet printer according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the printer body has an openable and closable front cover positioned in front of the support base, and the outer cover is positioned below the front cover when closed.

6. The inkjet printer according to claim 5, wherein the lower end of the front cover in the closed state overlaps with the upper cover of the exterior cover in a plan view.

7. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein an insulating material is provided on the inside of the outer cover.

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