Inkjet printer
The inkjet printer's innovative design with a cooling air passage and insulation maintains the heating chamber temperature, addressing maintenance challenges and ensuring efficient heating without enlarging the printer.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- ROLAND DG CORP
- Filing Date
- 2025-09-30
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-04
AI Technical Summary
Inkjet printers with heating devices pose a maintenance challenge due to high surface temperatures, requiring users to exercise caution and increasing the complexity of maintenance tasks, while adding a large air layer for insulation enlarges the printer and complicates access.
An inkjet printer design with a heating device featuring a casing, cooling air passage, and insulation material, along with a fan to form airflow, maintains the heating chamber temperature without enlarging the printer, allowing safe maintenance by preventing the outer cover from becoming excessively hot.
The design improves maintainability by reducing the need for caution during maintenance and prevents overheating of the outer cover, ensuring proper heating of the recording medium while keeping the printer size compact.
Smart Images
Figure JP2025034829_04062026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
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 provided with a heating device that heats 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 hot. 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 performs the work from the front of the printer main body. When the surface temperature of the heating device is high, the user needs to perform the maintenance work so as not to touch the heating device. Extreme care is required not to touch the heating device, which increases the burden of the maintenance work.
[0005] For example, as shown in FIG. 10, 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 a recording medium. If a large space is secured 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 the maintenance work, the user does not need to pay extreme attention not to touch the exterior cover 102, so the burden of the 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] An 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 on 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. Inside the outer cover, a cooling air passage is formed, at least a portion of which is partitioned between the outer cover and the casing. The inkjet printer comprises a fan that forms an airflow through the cooling air passage, and an insulating material disposed in the cooling air passage and provided in the casing.
[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. While there is concern that the heating device casing will become hot and thus the surface temperature of the outer cover will rise, a cooling air passage is formed inside the outer cover, so the outer cover is cooled by the airflow through the cooling air passage. Therefore, even without forming a sufficiently large air layer between the outer cover and the heating device casing, the outer surface of the outer cover does not easily become hot. Thus, the user can perform maintenance work on the printer body without having to take extreme care to avoid touching the outer cover. Maintainability can be improved without increasing the size of the inkjet printer. On the other hand, since the cooling air passage is adjacent to the heating device casing, there is concern that the heating device may be cooled by the airflow through the cooling air passage. If the heating device is cooled, the internal temperature of the heating chamber may decrease, potentially preventing proper heating of the recording medium. However, according to the above inkjet printer, insulation material is provided in the casing of the cooling air passage, so this insulation material suppresses heat transfer from the casing to the cooling air passage. Therefore, the heating chamber of the heating device can be kept warm, and the recording medium can be heated properly.
[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 the line VI-VI in Figure 5. This is a diagram corresponding to Figure 6 according to another embodiment. This is a diagram corresponding to Figure 6 according to another embodiment. This is a vertical cross-sectional view of an inkjet printer according to another embodiment. 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 components 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. No insulating material is provided on the inside of the front portion 82a and the inclined surface portion 82b of the upper cover 82. Also, no insulating material is provided on the inside of a part of the upper surface portion 82c.
[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, a cooling air passage 90 is formed, at least a portion of which is partitioned between the outer cover 80 and the casing 54. In this embodiment, 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. An insulating material 73 is attached to the upper plate 54U of the casing 54. An insulating material 74 is attached to the front surface of the partition plate 58. Parts of the insulating materials 73, 74, and 72 are arranged inside the cooling air passage 90. In this embodiment, the insulating material 73 is arranged on the lower side of the cooling air passage 90, and parts of the insulating materials 74 and 72 are arranged on the rear side of the cooling air passage 90. The inside of the front portion 82a of the upper cover 82, the inside of the inclined surface portion 82b, and the inside of a part of the upper surface portion 82c are in contact with the air in the cooling air passage 90.
[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 exhaust port 92o are examples of openings formed in the right side cover 85R and the left side cover 85L. The intake port 92i and exhaust port 92o are connected to the cooling air passage 90.
[0037] A fan 94R is positioned inside the intake port 92i. Note that "inside the intake port 92i" refers to the area within the cooling air passage 90 that is closer to the center than the intake port 92i. Here, "inside the intake port 92i" is synonymous with the left side of the intake port 92i. The fan 94R is positioned inside the casing 54, further inside than the intake port 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 casing 54, closer to the exhaust port 92o. The fan 94L is located 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. Fans 94R and 94L form an airflow that flows to the left in the cooling air passage 90.
[0039] 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.
[0040] 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.
[0041] 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).
[0042] 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.
[0043] However, according to the present embodiment, since the cooling air passage 90 in which the air flow is formed by the fans 94L and 94R is formed inside the exterior cover 80, the exterior cover 80 is cooled by the air flow. It is possible to suppress the surface of the exterior cover 80 from becoming high temperature. Therefore, 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. Further, according to the present embodiment, since the exterior cover 80 is unlikely to become high temperature, it is not necessary to secure a large space 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 space between the exterior cover 80 and the casing 54 is increased, the size of the printer 1 will increase. However, according to the present embodiment, it is not necessary to increase the space between the exterior cover 80 and the casing 54. Therefore, it is possible to improve the maintainability of the printer 1 without increasing the size of the printer 1.
[0044] On the other hand, since the cooling air passage 90 is adjacent to the casing 54 of the heating device 50, there is a concern that the heating device 50 may be cooled by the air flowing through the cooling air passage 90. If the heating device 50 is cooled, the internal temperature of the heating chamber 52 may decrease, and there is a risk that the medium 5 cannot be heated well. However, according to the present embodiment, the heat insulating material 73 is disposed in the cooling air passage 90, and the heat insulating material 73 suppresses the heat transfer from the casing 54 to the cooling air passage 90. Therefore, the heating chamber 52 of the heating device 50 can be kept warm, and the medium 5 can be heated well.
[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 covers 80, the upper cover 82 is a portion where the user's hand is likely to touch. According to the present embodiment, the cooling air passage 90 is formed between the upper plate 54U of the heating device 50 and 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. Therefore, the burden of the user's maintenance work can be reduced.
[0046] The intake port 92i of the cooling air passage 90 is formed in the right side cover 85R, and the exhaust port 92o is formed in the left side cover 85L. Air is sucked in from the right side of the right side cover 85R and discharged to the left side of the left side cover 85L. Since the user performs maintenance from the front of the printer 1, the flow of air sucked in from the right side and the flow of air discharged to the left side do not interfere with maintenance. Therefore, the user can easily perform maintenance work.
[0047] According to the present 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 arranged at a position farther from the casing 54 than the front cover 81. The amount of protrusion of the front cover 81 forward can be suppressed, and the surface temperature of the upper cover 82 can be further suppressed. Therefore, while suppressing the enlargement of the printer 1 in the front-rear direction, the maintainability of the printer 1 can be improved.
[0048] As shown in FIG. 2, according to the present embodiment, the exterior cover 80 is arranged below the front cover 11 in the closed state. In addition, reference numeral 11a represents the lower end portion of the front cover 11. Although the exterior cover 80 is installed in a place where the user can easily touch it, as described above, the surface temperature of the exterior cover 80 can be suppressed. Therefore, the burden of the user's maintenance work can be reduced.
[0049] According to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the heat insulating material 71 is provided inside the front cover 81 of the exterior cover 80, and the heat insulating material 72 is provided inside a part of the upper cover 82. Also by this, the conduction of heat from the casing 54 of the heating device 50 to the exterior cover 80 can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the surface temperature of the exterior cover 80 from becoming high. Further, the temperature drop of the heating chamber 52 of the heating device 50 can be suppressed, and the medium 5 can be heated well.
[0050] 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.
[0051] As shown in Figure 6, in the above embodiment, fan 94R is located inside the right side cover 85R and fan 94L is located inside the left side cover 85L. However, one of the fans 94R and fan 94L may be omitted as long as sufficient airflow in the cooling air passage 90 can be ensured. The printer 1 may be equipped only with a fan that blows air from the outside to the inside of the cooling air passage 90, or it may be equipped only with a fan that blows air from the inside to the outside of the cooling air passage 90.
[0052] As shown in Figure 6, in the above embodiment, an intake port 92i is formed in the right side cover 85R and an exhaust port 92o is formed in the left side cover 85L, and the air in the cooling air passage 90 flows from right to left. However, the cooling air passage 90 only needs to be able to cool the outer cover 80 by the flow of air, and the direction of airflow in the cooling air passage 90 is not particularly limited. As shown in Figure 7, the fans 94L and 94R may be configured to blow air to the right, an exhaust port 92o may be formed in the right side cover 85R, and an intake port 92i may be formed in the left side cover 85L. In this case, the air flows to the right in the cooling air passage 90.
[0053] Furthermore, the air does not have to flow in one direction in the cooling air passage 90. For example, as shown in Figure 8, both fans 94L and 94R may be configured to blow air from outside to inside the cooling air passage 90, with intake ports 92i formed in the right side cover 85R and the left side cover 85L, and exhaust ports 92o formed in parts other than the right side cover 85R and the left side cover 85L. In this case, fan 94L blows air to the right, and fan 94R blows air to the left, creating leftward and rightward airflows in the cooling air passage 90. Even in this case, the aforementioned effects can be obtained. That is, since the user performs maintenance from the front of the printer 1, the airflow drawn in from the left and right does not interfere with maintenance. Therefore, the user can easily perform maintenance work.
[0054] Although not shown in the diagram, both fans 94L and 94R are configured to blow air from the inside to the outside of the cooling air passage 90, exhaust ports 92o are formed in the right side cover 85R and the left side cover 85L, and intake ports 92i may be formed in parts other than the right side cover 85R and the left side cover 85L. In this case, fan 94L blows air to the left, and fan 94R blows air to the right.
[0055] In the above embodiment, fans 94L and 94R are located inside the cooling air passage 90, but one or both of fans 94L and 94R may be located outside the cooling air passage 90.
[0056] In the above embodiment, there are two fans that form airflow in the cooling air passage 90, but the number of fans is not limited to two. There may be one fan or three or more fans.
[0057] As shown in Figure 9, a heat-dissipating paint 86 may be applied to the outer surface of the outer cover 80. The heat-dissipating paint 86 may be applied to part or all of the outer surface of the front cover 81 (i.e., the front surface), or to part or all of the outer surface of the upper cover 82 (i.e., the upper surface). A "heat-dissipating paint" is a coating agent that can lower the temperature of the substrate itself or the ambient temperature by utilizing heat radiation. By applying the heat-dissipating paint 86 to the outer surface of the outer cover 80, the radiation of heat from the outer cover 80 to the outside is promoted, so the surface temperature of the outer surface of the outer cover 80 can be further reduced. As long as it can be applied to the outer cover 80, the type of heat-dissipating paint 86 is not particularly limited, and conventionally known types can be suitably used. Here, the material of the outer cover 80 is iron, so a heat-dissipating paint 86 that can be applied to iron should be applied to the outer cover 80.
[0058] Furthermore, a heat insulating paint 88 may be applied to the inner surface of the outer cover 80. The heat insulating paint 88 may be applied to part or all of the inner surface of the front cover 81 (i.e., the rear surface), or to part or all of the inner surface of the upper cover 82 (i.e., the lower surface). Note that "heat insulating paint" refers to a paint that has the effect of suppressing heat conduction. By applying the heat insulating paint 88 to the inner surface of the outer cover 80, the amount of heat transferred from the inside to the outside of the outer cover 80 is reduced compared to when the heat insulating paint 88 is not applied. As a result, the outer surface temperature of the outer cover 80 decreases. The type of heat insulating paint 88 is not particularly limited as long as it can be applied to the outer cover 80, and conventionally known types can be suitably used. Here, since the material of the outer cover 80 is iron, a heat insulating paint 88 that can be applied to iron should be applied to the outer cover 80.
[0059] The outer surface of the outer cover 80 may be partially or entirely coated with heat-dissipating paint 86, while the inner surface of the outer cover 80 may be partially or entirely coated with heat-insulating paint 88. The outer surface of the outer cover 80 may be partially or entirely coated with heat-dissipating paint 86, while the inner surface of the outer cover 80 may not be coated with heat-insulating paint 88. The inner surface of the outer cover 80 may be partially or entirely coated with heat-insulating paint 88, while the outer surface of the outer cover 80 may not be coated with heat-dissipating paint 86.
[0060] In the above embodiment, the cooling air passage 90 is formed above the casing 54 of the heating device 50, but the position of the cooling air passage 90 is not particularly limited. For example, the cooling air passage 90 may be formed in front of the casing 54 of the heating device 50. The cooling air passage 90 may be formed between the front cover 81 of the outer cover 80 and the front plate 54F of the casing 54. Alternatively, the cooling air passage 90 may be formed both above and in front of the casing 54 of the heating device 50.
[0061] 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.
[0062] 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.
[0063] 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.
[0064] 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.
[0065] 1 Inkjet printer 5 Recording medium 10 Printer body 11 Front cover 24 Support base 30 Ink head 50 Heating device 52 Heating chamber 54 Casing 56 Heater (heat source) 60 Transport mechanism 73 Insulation material 80 Outer cover 81 Front cover 82 Top cover 90 Cooling air passage 92i Intake port 92o Exhaust port 94L, 94R Fan
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, a cooling air passage formed inside the outer cover, at least a portion of which is partitioned between the outer cover and the casing, a fan that forms an airflow through the cooling air passage, and an insulating material disposed in the cooling air passage and provided in the casing.
2. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein the casing is located above the heating source and has an upper plate extending in the front-rear and left-right directions, the outer cover is located above the upper plate and has an upper cover extending in the front-rear and left-right directions, the cooling air passage is formed between the upper plate and the upper cover, and the heat insulating material is provided on the upper surface of the upper plate.
3. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein the transport mechanism is configured to transport the recording medium on which ink has landed to the front of the printer body, the heating device is positioned in front of the printer body and includes a side cover positioned to the left or right of the cooling air passage, and the side cover has an opening formed therein as an air intake for drawing air into the cooling air passage or an exhaust port for discharging air from the cooling air passage.
4. The inkjet printer according to claim 3, wherein the fan is located inside the casing beyond the opening.
5. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein the transport mechanism is configured to transport the recording medium on which ink has landed to the front of the printer body, and the heating device is located in front of the printer body and comprises a left side cover located to the left of the cooling air passage and a right side cover located to the right of the cooling air passage, and each of the left side cover and the right side cover has an opening formed therein as an air intake port for drawing air into the cooling air passage or an exhaust port for discharging air from the cooling air passage.
6. The inkjet printer according to claim 5, wherein the fan is positioned inside the casing beyond one opening of the left side cover and the right side cover, and further comprises another fan positioned inside the casing beyond the other opening of the left side cover and the right side cover.
7. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein the transport mechanism is configured to transport the recording medium on which ink has landed to the front of the printer body, the heating device is located in front of the printer body, the outer cover has 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, 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, the cooling air passage is formed between the upper plate and the upper cover, the heat insulating material is provided on the upper surface of the upper plate, 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.
8. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein the transport mechanism is configured to transport the recording medium on which ink has landed to the front of the printer body, the heating device is located in front of the printer body, the printer body has an openable and closable front cover located in front of the support base, and the outer cover is located below the front cover when closed.