Carriage unit
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- ROLAND DG CORP
- Filing Date
- 2026-01-05
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-30
Smart Images
Figure JP2026000043_30072026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Carriage unit
[0001] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2025-009719 filed in Japan on January 23, 2025, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference. The present invention relates to a carriage unit.
[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a mechanism that includes an ink head (carriage) and a cutting head (carriage) that are movable in the scanning direction, and connects the heads (carriages) to each other detachably by the attracting force of a magnet.
[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-177005
[0004] As the carriage becomes larger, the load acting on the carriage increases during acceleration and deceleration of the carriage. Accordingly, it is necessary to increase the attracting force of the magnet so that the connection of the carriage does not come off. On the other hand, when the attracting force by the magnet is increased, the force for releasing the connection of the carriage also increases, so the drive motor of the carriage has to be enlarged, resulting in an increase in cost.
[0005] An object of the present invention is to suppress the disconnection of the connection of the carriage without changing the attracting force by the magnet.
[0006] The main invention for achieving the above object is a carriage unit comprising: a first carriage movable in the scanning direction; a second carriage movable in the scanning direction; a connecting mechanism that connects the first carriage and the second carriage by an attracting force due to magnetic force; and an auxiliary mechanism that assists the connection of the first carriage and the second carriage by the connecting mechanism.
[0007] Other features of the present invention will be clarified by the description in this specification.
[0008] According to the present invention, while connecting the carriages by the attracting force of the magnet, the connection of the carriage is assisted by the auxiliary mechanism, so that the disconnection of the carriage can be suppressed without changing the attracting force of the magnet.
[0009] Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram of the overall configuration of the processing apparatus 100. Figure 2 is a control block diagram of the processing apparatus 100. Figures 3A and 3B are explanatory diagrams of the carriage unit 20. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the auxiliary mechanism 70. Figure 5A is a conceptual explanatory diagram of the carriage unit 20 when it is moving independently. Figure 5B is a conceptual explanatory diagram of the carriage unit 20 when it is moving in conjunction with other units. Figure 6 is a conceptual explanatory diagram of the carriage unit 20 when the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B are in a standby state. Figures 7A and 7B are explanatory diagrams of the operation when it starts independent movement from the standby state. Figures 8A and 8B are explanatory diagrams of the operation when it goes from independent movement to the standby state. Figures 9A to 9D are explanatory diagrams of the operation when it starts linked movement from the standby state. Figures 10A to 10D are explanatory diagrams of the operation when it goes from linked movement to the standby state. Figure 11 is an explanatory diagram of the gap (play) between the engagement hole 711 and the claw portion 721 in the engaged state. Figure 12 is an explanatory diagram of the first modified example. Figure 13 is an explanatory diagram of the carriage unit 20 of the second modified example.
[0010] ===Embodiment=== <Overall Configuration> Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram of the overall configuration of the processing apparatus 100. Figure 2 is a control block diagram of the processing apparatus 100.
[0011] In the following explanation, each direction is defined as shown in Figure 1. The direction in which the carriage 21 (first carriage 21A and second carriage 21B) moves is called the "scanning direction". The scanning direction is also sometimes called the "left-right direction", "main scanning direction", "width direction", or "first direction". As viewed from the perspective of the operator operating the processing device 100, the right side is called "right" and the left side is called "left". The vertical direction is called the "up-down direction". The direction perpendicular to the scanning direction and the up-down direction is called the "front-back direction". As viewed from the perspective of the processing device 100, the side of the operator is called "front" and the opposite side is called "rear". The direction along the transport path of the medium M is called the "transport direction". On the platen 11, the transport direction is the front-back direction. The transport direction is also sometimes called the "sub-scanning direction" or "second direction".
[0012] The processing apparatus 100 is a device that performs processing on a medium M. In this embodiment, the processing apparatus 100 performs a first processing on the medium M, as well as a second processing that is different from the first processing. Here, the first processing is described as "cutting" and the second processing as "printing". However, the first processing may be "printing" and the second processing as "cutting". Furthermore, the processing performed on the medium M is not limited to printing and cutting; for example, the processing apparatus 100 may spray-apply a coating to the medium M. The processing apparatus 100 includes a frame 10, a platen 11, a carriage unit 20, a transport unit 30, a cutter unit 40, and a head unit 50.
[0013] The frame 10 is a component that constitutes the framework (base) of the processing apparatus 100. The frame 10 supports other components that make up the processing apparatus 100. For example, the frame 10 is provided with a platen 11 and a guide 12.
[0014] The platen 11 is a component on which the medium M is placed in the processing area. The platen 11 has a mounting surface on which the medium M is placed, and is fixed to the frame 10 so that the mounting surface is perpendicular in the vertical direction. The "processing area" is the area on which processing is performed on the medium M. In this case, the processing area is the area on which the medium M is cut, as well as the area on which liquid (ink) is discharged onto the medium M.
[0015] Figures 3A and 3B are explanatory diagrams of the carriage unit 20.
[0016] The carriage unit 20 is a unit for moving the carriage 21 in the scanning direction. The carriage unit 20 includes the carriage 21, a carriage motor 22, a transmission mechanism 23, and a coupling mechanism 25.
[0017] The carriage 21 is a component that can reciprocate in the scanning direction. The carriage unit 20 of this embodiment has a first carriage 21A and a second carriage 21B as carriages 21 that move in the scanning direction. The first carriage 21A is equipped with a first processing unit for performing a first processing on the medium M, and in this case, a cutter unit 40 is equipped on it. The second carriage 21B is equipped with a second processing unit for performing a second processing on the medium M, and in this case, a head unit 50 is equipped on it. The first carriage 21A is sometimes called a cutting carriage (or cut carriage) because it is equipped with a cutter 41 for cutting the medium M. The second carriage 21B is sometimes called a head carriage because it is equipped with a head 51 for ejecting ink onto the medium M. However, the first carriage 21A is not limited to a cutting carriage, and the second carriage 21B is not limited to a head carriage. The first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B are guided in the scanning direction by guides 12 provided on the frame 10. The first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B are configured to be connectable by a coupling mechanism 25.
[0018] The carriage motor 22 is the drive source for moving the carriage 21. The transmission mechanism 23 is a mechanism for transmitting the driving force of the carriage motor 22 to the first carriage 21A, and is composed of gears (not shown), pulleys 231, belts 232, etc. The controller 60 controls the movement of the carriage 21 (first carriage 21A and second carriage 21B) by controlling the carriage motor 22.
[0019] The driving force of the carriage motor 22 is directly transmitted to the first carriage 21A, causing the first carriage 21A to reciprocate in the scanning direction, as shown in Figure 3A. The second carriage 21B is connected to the first carriage 21A and, as shown in Figure 3B, reciprocates together with the first carriage 21A in the scanning direction.
[0020] The coupling mechanism 25 is a mechanism for connecting the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B. The coupling mechanism 25 connects the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B using magnetic attraction. The coupling mechanism 25 has a first adsorbent 25A and a second adsorbent 25B. The first adsorbent 25A is provided on the first carriage 21A and is made of a magnet or magnetic material. The second adsorbent 25B is provided on the second carriage 21B and is made of a magnet or magnetic material. The first adsorbent 25A and the second adsorbent 25B are arranged to face each other in the scanning direction, and the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B are connected by attracting the first adsorbent 25A and the second adsorbent 25B to each other. Here, the first adsorbent 25A is an iron plate and the second adsorbent 25B is a magnet. However, the first adsorbent 25A may be made of a magnet and the second adsorbent 25B may be made of a magnetic material, or the first adsorbent 25A and the second adsorbent 25B may be made of magnets.
[0021] The coupling mechanism 25 is configured to release the connection between the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B. By releasing the connection between the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B by the coupling mechanism 25, the first carriage 21A becomes able to reciprocate independently in the scanning direction, as shown in Figure 3A.
[0022] In the following explanation, the movement of the first carriage 21A alone, as shown in Figure 3A, may be referred to as "solo movement." Also, the movement of the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B while they are connected, as shown in Figure 3B, may be referred to as "connected movement." Furthermore, the position where the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B are waiting at the end of their range of movement may be referred to as the "standby position." The standby position may also be called the home position. As shown in Figure 3A, during solo movement, the second carriage 21B is in the standby position. The state in which the carriage 21 is in the standby position may be referred to as "standby time" or "standby state."
[0023] The transport unit 30 is a unit for transporting the medium M. The transport unit 30 includes a transport member 31 and a transport motor 32. The transport member 31 is a member that transports the medium M by rotating, such as a transport roller. The transport motor 32 is a drive source that rotates the transport member 31. The transport unit 30 also has a transmission mechanism (not shown; for example, a gear) for transmitting the driving force of the transport motor 32 to the transport member 31. The controller 60 controls the transport (or reverse transport) of the medium M by controlling the transport motor 32.
[0024] The cutter unit 40 is a unit for cutting the medium M. The cutter unit 40 has a cutter 41 and a solenoid 42. The cutter 41 is a tool equipped with a cutting edge for cutting the medium M. The cutter 41 is mounted on the first carriage 21A and is movable in the scanning direction. The solenoid 42 is a drive unit that drives the cutter 41 in the vertical direction. The controller 60 controls the contact / non-contact between the cutting edge of the cutter 41 and the medium M by controlling the solenoid 42.
[0025] The head unit 50 is a unit for printing an image onto a medium M. The head unit 50 has a head 51 that ejects ink onto the medium M. The head 51 is provided with nozzles for ejecting ink. The head unit 50 is mounted on a second carriage 21B and is movable in the scanning direction. The number of heads 51 in the head unit 50 (in other words, the number of heads 51 mounted on the second carriage 21B) may be one or multiple. The controller 60 controls the ejection of ink from the heads 51.
[0026] The controller 60 is a control unit that is responsible for controlling the processing apparatus 100. The controller 60 has, for example, an arithmetic processing unit and a memory device (not shown), and the arithmetic processing unit executes a program stored in the memory device. By the arithmetic processing unit constituting the controller 60 executing the program stored in the memory device, a cutting operation (first processing) in which the cutter 41 cuts the medium M and a printing operation (second processing) in which the head 51 prints an image on the medium M are realized.
[0027] <Auxiliary Mechanism 70> As shown in the configuration diagram 3B, when the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B are attracted to each other by the magnetic attraction force, if the first carriage 21A is accelerated or decelerated with a large acceleration, there is a risk that the connection between the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B may come undone, especially if the carriage is enlarged. Furthermore, if a magnet with a strong magnetic force is used to attract the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B to prevent them from coming undone, it becomes difficult to release the connection between the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B. For this reason, the carriage unit 20 of this embodiment has an auxiliary mechanism 70 that assists in the connection between the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B by the connecting mechanism 25.
[0028] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the auxiliary mechanism 70. Figure 5A is a conceptual diagram illustrating the carriage unit 20 (and auxiliary mechanism 70) when moving independently. Figure 5B is a conceptual diagram illustrating the carriage unit 20 when moving in conjunction with other carriages. Figure 6 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the carriage unit 20 (and auxiliary mechanism 70) when the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B are in a standby state. Note that the carriage motor 22 and transmission mechanism 23 shown in Figures 3A and 3B are not shown in Figures 5A, 5B, and 6 (the same applies to Figures 6 and subsequent figures).
[0029] Figures 5A, 5B, and 6 show the first carriage 21A, the second carriage 21B, and the connecting mechanism 25, which have already been described. The first adsorbent 25A (here, an iron plate) of the connecting mechanism 25 is provided on the first carriage 21A, and the second adsorbent 25B (here, a magnet) of the connecting mechanism 25 is provided on the second carriage 21B. The carriage unit 20 comprises the first carriage 21A, the second carriage 21B, and the connecting mechanism 25, and further includes an auxiliary mechanism 70 and a locking mechanism 80.
[0030] The auxiliary mechanism 70 is a mechanism for assisting the connection between the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B by the connecting mechanism 25. The auxiliary mechanism 70 assists in connecting the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B by mechanical engagement of its components (engaging parts). The auxiliary mechanism 70 includes a first engaging member 71 (here, a leaf spring 71) provided on the first carriage 21A, and a second engaging member (here, a claw member 72), a slider 73, a regulating member 74, and a spring 75 provided on the second carriage 21B.
[0031] The first engaging member 71 is an engaging member provided on the first carriage 21A. The first engaging member 71 is a member that engages with the second engaging member 72 provided on the second carriage 21B. The first engaging member 71 has a first engaging portion 711 (here, an engaging hole 711), and the first engaging member 71 and the second engaging member 72 engage when the first engaging portion 711 engages with the second engaging portion (here, a claw portion 721). Here, the first engaging member 71 is made of a leaf spring, and the first engaging portion is made of a hole. Hereafter, the first engaging member 71 will be referred to as the leaf spring 71, and the first engaging portion will be referred to as the engaging hole 711.
[0032] The leaf spring 71 is a plate-shaped member (first engaging member) provided on the first carriage 21A. The leaf spring 71 is an elastically deformable member provided in a cantilevered shape. One end of the leaf spring 71 (the left end in the figure) is a fixed end fixed to the first carriage 21A, and the other end (the right end in the figure) is a displaceable free end. The leaf spring 71 has an engaging hole 711 and an inclined portion 712. The engaging hole 711 is the portion (first engaging portion) into which the claw portion 721 of the claw member 72 engages. The inclined portion 712 is a portion inclined with respect to the scanning direction. The inclined portion 712 is located on the second carriage 21B side of the engaging hole 711 and is inclined toward the engaging hole 711. As will be described later, the end of the leaf spring 71 is elastically deformed when the inclined portion 712 comes into contact with the claw member 72 or the slider 73.
[0033] The second engaging member 72 is an engaging member provided on the second carriage 21B. The second engaging member 72 is a member that engages with the first engaging member 71 (here, a leaf spring 71) provided on the first carriage 21A. The second engaging member 72 has a second engaging portion 721 (here, a claw portion 721), and the first engaging member 71 and the second engaging member 72 engage when the second engaging portion 721 engages with the first engaging portion (here, an engaging hole 711). Hereinafter, the second engaging member 72 is made up of a member having a claw portion.
[0034] The claw member 72 is a claw-shaped member (second engaging member) provided on the second carriage 21B. The claw member 72 has a claw portion 721 (second engaging portion) that protrudes in a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction. The claw member 72 is a member (second engaging member) that engages with the engagement hole 711 of the leaf spring 71. The claw member 72 also has the function of contacting the leaf spring 71 (inclined portion 712) and elastically deforming the leaf spring 71.
[0035] The claw portion 721 of the claw member 72 of the second carriage 21B engages with the engagement hole 711 of the leaf spring 71 of the first carriage 21A, thereby substantially connecting the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B, and assisting the magnetic connection by the connecting mechanism 25. In the following description, the state in which the first engaging member 71 (here, the leaf spring 71) and the second engaging member 72 (here, the claw member 72) are engaged, more specifically, the state in which the first engaging portion of the first engaging member 71 (here, the engagement hole 711) and the second engaging portion of the second engaging member 72 (here, the claw portion 721) are engaged, may be referred to as the "engaged state" or "assisted state." The state in which they are not engaged may be referred to as the "unengaged state" or "non-assisted state."
[0036] Incidentally, in the engaged state, there is a gap (play; see ΔX in Figure 11) between the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion. Here, there is a gap (play) between the engaging hole 711 and the claw portion 721. For this reason, if the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B were connected by the auxiliary mechanism 70 alone without the magnetic coupling mechanism 25, the positional accuracy of the second carriage 21B in the scanning direction may decrease by the amount of the gap (play) between the first engaging portion (engagement hole 711) and the second engaging portion (721). In contrast, if the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B are connected by attracting the first adsorbent 25A and the second adsorbent 25B, the rattle of the second carriage 21B relative to the first carriage 21A can be suppressed by the close contact between the first adsorbent 25A and the second adsorbent 25B, and the decrease in the positional accuracy of the second carriage 21B in the scanning direction can be suppressed. On the other hand, if the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B are connected only by magnetic attraction, there is a risk that the connection between the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B may break when the carriage is enlarged, causing the first carriage 21A to be accelerated or decelerated with a large acceleration, and a force exceeding the attraction force (magnetic attraction force) acting between the first adsorbent 25A and the second adsorbent 25B acts on the connecting mechanism 25. However, in this embodiment, even if the first carriage 21A is accelerated or decelerated with a large acceleration, and a force exceeding the magnetic attraction force acting between the first adsorbent 25A and the second adsorbent 25B acts on the coupling mechanism 25, the first engaging part (engagement hole 711) and the second engaging part (claw part 721) remain engaged, preventing the first adsorbent 25A and the second adsorbent 25B from being pulled apart. Therefore, the disconnection between the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B can be suppressed. Thus, it is effective to use in combination the coupling mechanism 25 using magnetic force and the auxiliary mechanism 70 using mechanical engaging parts (in this case, the engagement hole 711 and the claw part 721).
[0037] The slider 73 is a component that can slide in the scanning direction relative to the second carriage 21B. The slider 73 is a component for disengaging the engagement hole 711 from the claw portion 721. In other words, the slider 73 is a component (disengagement component) for disengaging the auxiliary mechanism 70 from an engaged state. The slider 73 has a pressing portion 731, an elongated hole 732, and a contact portion 733. The pressing portion 731 is the part that presses the leaf spring 71 (inclined portion 712) and causes the leaf spring 71 to elastically deform. The pressing portion 731 is a wedge-shaped part inclined with respect to the scanning direction. The pressing portion 731 is provided at the end of the slider 73 (the end on the first carriage 21A side; the left end in the figure), and has a shape that becomes thicker the further it is from the first carriage 21A. This shape allows the pressing portion 731 to push up the leaf spring 71. The elongated hole 732 is a hole that penetrates the slider 73 in a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction and has a shape that extends in the scanning direction. The elongated hole 732 is a part (restricting part) that has the function of limiting the range of movement of the slider 73. A restricting member 74 is inserted inside the elongated hole 732. The range of movement of the slider 73 relative to the second carriage 21B is restricted by the contact between the edge of the elongated hole 732 and the restricting member 74. The contact part 733 is the part that contacts the stopper 13. When the contact part 733 contacts the stopper 13, the movement of the slider 73 may be restricted even when the second carriage 21B moves, that is, it may move relative to the second carriage 21B. The stopper 13 is a part provided on the guide 12 (frame 10). In other words, the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B are movable relative to the guide 12 (frame 10), while the stopper 13 is fixed relative to the guide 12 (frame 10).
[0038] The restricting member 74 is a member fixed to the second carriage 21B and positioned inside the elongated hole 732 of the slider 73. The restricting member 74 is a part (restricting portion) that has the function of limiting the range of movement of the slider 73. The range of movement of the slider 73 relative to the second carriage 21B is restricted by the contact between the edge of the elongated hole 732 and the restricting member 74.
[0039] The spring 75 is a biasing member that biases the slider 73 relative to the second carriage 21B. One end of the spring 75 (the right end in the figure) is fixed to the second carriage 21B, and the other end (the left end in the figure) is fixed to the slider 73. The spring 75 biases the slider 73 toward the stopper 13, that is, toward the opposite side from the first carriage 21A (to the right in the figure). In other words, the spring 75 biases the slider 73 toward the direction (to the right in the figure) away from the inclined portion 712 of the leaf spring 71 where the pressing portion 731 is located. As shown in Figure 5B, when the slider 73 (contact portion 733) is not in contact with the stopper 13, the slider 73 is in the position furthest from the first carriage 21A due to the biasing force of the spring 75. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5B, when the slider 73 (contact portion 733) is not in contact with the stopper 13, the biasing force of the spring 75 causes the edge of the elongated hole 732 of the slider 73 (the edge on the first carriage 21A side) to be in contact with the regulating member 74. Note that, as shown in Figures 5A and 6, when the slider 73 (contact portion 733) is in contact with the stopper 13, the slider 73 moves toward the first carriage 21A side relative to the second carriage 21B, against the biasing force of the spring 75. The spring 75 shown in Figure 5A is even more stretched than the spring 75 shown in Figure 5B.
[0040] The locking mechanism 80 is a mechanism for fixing (locking) the second carriage 21B in the standby position. The locking mechanism 80 has a locking member 81 and a release part 82.
[0041] The locking member 81 is a member for fixing the second carriage 21B in the standby position. The second carriage 21B is provided with a locking portion 211B, and the second carriage 21B is fixed (locked) when the locking member 81 engages with the locking portion 211B of the second carriage 21B. Here, the locking mechanism 80 is configured such that when the second carriage 21B reaches the standby position from the machining area, the locking member 81 engages with the locking portion 211B of the second carriage 21B. In the following description, the state in which the second carriage 21B is fixed by the locking mechanism 80 (locking member 81) may be referred to as the "locked state". As shown in Figures 5A and 6, when the second carriage 21B is in the standby position, the locking mechanism 80 locks the second carriage 21B (the second carriage 21B is fixed in the standby position).
[0042] The release portion 82 is the part for releasing the locked state. Here, the locking mechanism 80 is configured such that when the second carriage 21B comes into contact with the release portion 82, the locking member 81 disengages from the locking portion 211B of the second carriage 21B, and the locked state is released. In the following description, the state in which the locked state is released may be referred to as the "released state".
[0043] As shown in Figure 5A, during independent movement, the engagement hole 711 (first engagement part) and claw part 721 (second engagement part) of the auxiliary mechanism 70 are not engaged, and the auxiliary mechanism 70 is in a disengaged state. Also, during independent movement, the second carriage 21B is locked by the locking mechanism 80. Note that during independent movement, since the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B are separated in the scanning direction, no magnetic attraction force acts between the first adsorbent 25A and the second adsorbent 25B, and the connection by the coupling mechanism 25 is released.
[0044] As shown in FIG. 5B, during the connected movement, the engagement hole 711 (first engagement portion) and the claw portion 721 (second engagement portion) of the auxiliary mechanism 70 are engaged, and the auxiliary mechanism 70 is in an engaged state. Also, during the connected movement, the second carriage 21B is released from the locking mechanism 80 (released state). Note that during the connected movement, the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B are in a state of being connected by the connecting mechanism 25.
[0045] As shown in FIG. 6, when the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B are in the standby state, the engagement hole 711 (first engagement portion) and the claw portion 721 (second engagement portion) of the auxiliary mechanism 70 are not engaged, and the auxiliary mechanism 70 is in a non-engaged state. At this time, the leaf spring 71 (inclined portion 712) of the first carriage 21A is in contact with the pressing portion 731 of the slider 73, and the leaf spring 71 is elastically deformed so that the inclined portion 712 is pushed up, whereby the engagement hole 711 of the leaf spring 71 is disengaged from the claw portion 721. Also, when the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B are in the standby state, the second carriage 21B is locked by the locking mechanism 80. Note that when the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B are in the standby state, an attractive force due to magnetic force acts between the first adsorbent 25A and the second adsorbent 25B, so the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B are in a state of being connected by the connecting mechanism 25. For this reason, the first carriage 21A is fixed to the standby position by the locking mechanism 80 via the second carriage 21B.
[0046] - FIGS. 7A and 7B, which are diagrams of the operation when starting the independent movement from the standby state, are explanatory diagrams of the operation when starting the independent movement from the standby state.
[0047] As shown in FIG. 7A (and FIG. 6), when the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B are in the standby state, the leaf spring 71 (inclined portion 712) of the first carriage 21A is pressed by the pressing portion 731 of the slider 73, and the leaf spring 71 elastically deformssuch that the inclined portion 712 is pushed up, causing the engaging hole 711 of the leaf spring 71 to be disengaged from the claw portion 721, resulting in a non-engaged state. Further, when the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B are in the standby state, the second carriage 21B is in a locked state by the locking mechanism 80.
[0048] As shown in FIG. 7A, the controller 60 drives the carriage motor 22 to move the first carriage 21A toward the processing area side (the left side in the figure). At this time, the second carriage 21B is in a locked state by the locking mechanism 80, and the auxiliary mechanism 70 is in a non-engaged state where the engaging hole 711 of the leaf spring 71 is disengaged from the claw portion 721. In such a state, the controller 60 drives the carriage motor 22 to separate the first adsorbent 25A and the second adsorbent 25B with a force exceeding the adsorption force, thereby releasing the connection between the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B by the connecting mechanism 25. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7B, the first carriage 21A can be moved independently. In this embodiment, since it is not necessary to strongly set the adsorption force due to the magnetic force of the connecting mechanism 25, the structure is such that it is easy to separate the first adsorbent 25A and the second adsorbent 25B. [[ID=,4]]
[0049] - Operation when changing from independent movement to standby state FIGS. 8A and 8B are explanatory diagrams of the operation when changing from independent movement to standby state.
[0050] As shown in Figure 8A, the controller 60 drives the carriage motor 22 to move the first carriage 21A toward the standby position. At this time, the second carriage 21B is fixed in the standby position. As shown in Figure 8A, when the first carriage 21A moves toward the standby position, the inclined portion 712 of the leaf spring 71 of the first carriage 21A comes into contact with the claw member 72 of the second carriage 21B, and the leaf spring 71 elastically deforms so that the inclined portion 712 is pushed upward. As the first carriage 21A moves toward the standby position further, the inclined portion 712 of the leaf spring 71 of the first carriage 21A is pressed against the pressing portion 731 of the second carriage 21B, and the leaf spring 71 elastically deforms so that the inclined portion 712 is pushed upward.
[0051] When the first carriage 21A reaches the standby position, a magnetic attraction force acts between the first adsorbent 25A and the second adsorbent 25B, so that the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B are connected by the coupling mechanism 25. As a result, the first carriage 21A is fixed in the standby position by the locking mechanism 80 via the second carriage 21B. In addition, the inclined portion 712 of the leaf spring 71 of the first carriage 21A is pressed against the pressing portion 731 of the second carriage 21B, and the leaf spring 71 elastically deforms so that the inclined portion 712 is pushed upward, causing the engagement hole 711 of the leaf spring 71 to disengage from the claw portion 721.
[0052] Figures 9A to 9D, which show the operation when starting a coupled movement from a standby state, are explanatory diagrams of the operation when starting a coupled movement from a standby state.
[0053] First, the controller 60 releases the lock on the second carriage 21B by the locking mechanism 80. Here, as shown in Figure 9A, the controller 60 drives the carriage motor 22 to move the first carriage 21A toward the locking mechanism 80 (right side in the figure). The second carriage 21B receives force from the first carriage 21A and also moves toward the locking mechanism 80 (right side in the figure). The slider 73 is restricted from moving toward the locking mechanism 80 (right side in the figure) by the stopper 13, and the slider 73 moves relative to the first carriage 21A with respect to the second carriage 21B. The elongated hole 732 and regulating member 74 of the slider 73 are configured to allow the slider 73 to move relative to the second carriage 21B in this manner. When the second carriage 21B comes into contact with the release portion 82 of the locking mechanism 80, the locking member 81 disengages from the locking portion 211B of the second carriage 21B, and the locked state of the second carriage 21B is released.
[0054] Next, the controller 60 drives the carriage motor 22 to move the first carriage 21A toward the machining area (left side in the figure). At this time, since the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B are connected by the coupling mechanism 25, the second carriage 21B also moves toward the machining area (left side in the figure) together with the first carriage 21A. The second carriage 21B moves toward the machining area (left side in the figure). In this case, the slider 73 moves relative to the second carriage 21B toward the opposite side of the machining area due to the biasing force of the spring 75. In other words, the slider 73 moves relative to the second carriage 21B toward the inclined portion 712 of the leaf spring 71 due to the biasing force of the spring 75. As a result, as shown in Figure 9C, the elastic deformation of the leaf spring 71 of the first carriage 21A, which had been pushed up by the pressing portion 731 of the slider 73, returns to its original state, the engagement hole 711 of the leaf spring 71 engages with the claw portion 721, and the auxiliary mechanism 70 becomes engaged.
[0055] The slider 73 moves relative to the second carriage 21B on the opposite side of the machining area due to the biasing force of the spring 75 until the edge of the elongated hole 732 of the slider 73 (the edge on the first carriage 21A side) comes into contact with the regulating member 74. When the edge of the elongated hole 732 of the slider 73 (the edge on the first carriage 21A side) comes into contact with the regulating member 74, the relative movement between the slider 73 and the second carriage 21B stops. Then, when the controller 60 further drives the carriage motor 22 to move the first carriage 21A further toward the machining area side (left side in the figure), the slider 73 moves away from the stopper 13 (see Figure 9D).
[0056] When the slider 73 is separated from the stopper 13, the engagement hole 711 and the claw portion 721 of the auxiliary mechanism 70 are engaged, and the auxiliary mechanism 70 is in an engaged state. Also, the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B are connected by the connecting mechanism 25. As a result, the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B are connected by the connecting mechanism 25, and the connection between the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B is assisted by the auxiliary mechanism 70, allowing the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B to move in a connected state.
[0057] Figures 10A to 10D illustrate the operation when transitioning from coupled movement to standby mode.
[0058] As shown in Figure 10A, the controller 60 drives the carriage motor 22 to move the first carriage 21A (and the second carriage 21B) toward the standby position. At this time, the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B are connected by the coupling mechanism 25, and the engagement hole 711 and the claw portion 721 of the auxiliary mechanism 70 are engaged, so the auxiliary mechanism 70 is in an engaged state.
[0059] As shown in Figure 10B, when the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B move toward the standby position, the slider 73 of the second carriage 21B comes into contact with the stopper 13. As the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B continue to move toward the standby position while the slider 73 is in contact with the stopper 13, as shown in Figure 10C, the second carriage 21B moves further toward the standby position with the slider 73 stopped moving in the scanning direction. In other words, the slider 73 moves relative to the second carriage 21B toward the first carriage 21A side (left side in the figure), against the biasing force of the spring 75. As a result, the pressing portion 731 of the slider 73 moves toward the inclined portion 712 of the leaf spring 71 of the first carriage 21A.
[0060] As shown in Figure 10C, when the slider 73 moves relative to the first carriage 21A with respect to the second carriage 21B, the pressing portion 731 of the slider 73 comes into contact with the inclined portion 712 of the leaf spring 71. As the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B move further toward the standby position while the inclined portion 712 of the leaf spring 71 of the first carriage 21A is in contact with the pressing portion 731 of the second carriage 21B, the leaf spring 71 undergoes elastic deformation so that the inclined portion 712 is pushed upward.
[0061] As shown in Figure 10D, when the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B reach the standby position, the leaf spring 71 elastically deforms so that the inclined portion 712 is pushed up, causing the engagement hole 711 of the leaf spring 71 to disengage from the claw portion 721, and the auxiliary mechanism 70 becomes disengaged. Also, when the second carriage 21B reaches the standby position, the locking member 81 of the locking mechanism 80 engages with the locking portion 211B of the second carriage 21B, and the second carriage 21B becomes locked by the locking mechanism 80 (the second carriage 21B is fixed in the standby position).
[0062] Furthermore, even when the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B reach the standby position, the magnetic attraction force continues to act between the first adsorbent 25A and the second adsorbent 25B, so that the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B remain connected by the connecting mechanism 25. As a result, the first carriage 21A is fixed in the standby position by the locking mechanism 80 via the second carriage 21B.
[0063] <First Modified Example> Figure 11 is an explanatory diagram of the gap (play) between the engagement hole 711 and the claw portion 721 in the engaged state. Here, in a situation where the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B are connected by the connecting mechanism 25 (a situation where the first suction body 25A and the second suction body 25B are in close contact; engaged state), a gap ΔX is generated between the engagement hole 711 and the claw portion 721 due to machining, part tolerances, etc. If such a gap ΔX exists, and the first carriage 21A is accelerated or decelerated with a large acceleration, causing the first suction body 25A and the second suction body 25B to be pulled apart, the positional accuracy of the second carriage 21B relative to the first carriage 21A may deteriorate by the amount of the gap ΔX. For this reason, it is desirable that there be no gap (play) between the engagement hole 711 and the claw portion 721 in the engaged state.
[0064] Figure 12 is an explanatory diagram of the first modified example. The figure shows the engagement state between the engagement hole 711 and the claw portion 721 when the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B are connected by the connecting mechanism 25 (when the first adsorbent 25A and the second adsorbent 25B are in close contact).
[0065] In the first modified example, an inclined surface 721A is provided on the claw portion 721. The inclined surface 721A is a surface that is inclined with respect to the vertical direction. The inclined surface 721A is inclined to slope downward from the right side of the top of the claw portion 721 (opposite side from the first carriage 21A). Here, the inclined surface 721A is inclined so that the lower part is further to the right (opposite side from the first carriage 21A). Also, here, the inclined surface 721A is inclined by an angle θ2 with respect to the vertical direction.
[0066] When the engagement hole 711 and the claw portion 721 are engaged, the inclined surface 721A contacts the inner edge of the engagement hole 711. This eliminates any gap (play) between the engagement hole 711 and the claw portion 721 when they are engaged. Therefore, even if the first carriage 21A is accelerated or decelerated at a large acceleration, the deterioration of the positional accuracy of the second carriage 21B relative to the first carriage 21A can be suppressed.
[0067] As shown in Figure 12, the leaf spring 71 is an elastically deformable member provided in a cantilevered shape. The left end of the leaf spring 71 is a fixed end fixed to the first carriage 21A by a fixing part 71A, and the right end of the leaf spring 71 is a displaceable free end. When the engagement hole 711 and the claw part 721 are engaged, the leaf spring 71 is elastically deformed, and the inner edge of the engagement hole 711 comes into contact with the inclined surface 721A. As the leaf spring 71 elastically deforms, the inclined surface 721A receives a force from the inner edge of the engagement hole 711. This force acts in a direction that further assists in the connection between the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B.
[0068] As shown in Figure 12, the inclined surface 721A contacts the inner edge of the engagement hole 711 between its upper and lower edges. If L is the length from the part of the leaf spring 71 fixed by the fixing part 71A to the inner edge of the engagement hole 711 before elastic deformation, then the length in the scanning direction from the fixing part 71A to the upper edge of the inclined surface 721A (the top of the claw part 721A) in the engaged state is set to be shorter than L. Also, the length in the scanning direction from the fixing part 71A to the lower edge of the inclined surface 721A in the engaged state is set to be slightly longer than L.
[0069] As shown in Figure 12, the amount of deflection at the inner edge of the engagement hole 711 (the vertical displacement of the inner edge of the engagement hole 711) is denoted as δ, and the angle of the leaf spring 71 with respect to the scanning direction at the position of the engagement hole 711 is denoted as θ1. θ1 corresponds to arctan(δ / L). Since L is much larger than δ (L >> δ), θ1 corresponds to δ / L (θ1 ≈ δ / L). The angle θ2 of the inclined surface 721A is set to be larger than the angle θ1 of the leaf spring 71 (θ2 > θ1). This allows the inner edge of the engagement hole 711, which has overcome the top of the claw portion 721, to contact the inclined surface 721A when the engagement state is achieved.
[0070] <Second variation>
[0071] Figure 13 is an explanatory diagram of the carriage unit 20 of the second modified example.
[0072] In the second modified example, the carriage unit 20 also comprises a first carriage 21A, a second carriage 21B, and a connecting mechanism 25. In the second modified example, the first adsorbent 25A of the connecting mechanism 25 is provided on the first carriage 21A, and the second adsorbent 25B of the connecting mechanism 25 is provided on the second carriage 21B. The connecting mechanism 25 is configured to connect the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B by magnetic attraction between the first adsorbent 25A and the second adsorbent 25B. In the second modified example, the carriage unit 20 also includes an auxiliary mechanism 70 and a locking mechanism 80.
[0073] The auxiliary mechanism 70 of the second modified example consists of a first engaging portion 711' (recess) provided on the first carriage 21A, a second engaging member 72' (claw member) provided on the second carriage 21B, and an engaging motor 76. The first engaging portion 711' is a hole (recess) provided on the surface (upper surface in the figure) of the first carriage 21A. The second engaging member 72' is a member having a second engaging portion 721' that engages with the first engaging portion 711' of the first carriage 21A, and is configured to be movable (rotatable) relative to the second carriage 21B. The engaging motor 76 is a drive source for moving the second engaging member 72'. The controller 60 can move the second engaging member 72' by controlling the engaging motor 76, and switch between an engaged state in which the first engaging portion 711' and the second engaging portion 721' are engaged, and an unengaged state in which the first engaging portion 711' and the second engaging portion 721' are not engaged.
[0074] As shown in the second modified example, the auxiliary mechanism 70 may be configured to switch between an engaged state and an unengaged state by a motor. In other words, the auxiliary mechanism 70 does not have to be configured in such a way that the engaged state and unengaged state of the auxiliary mechanism 70 can be switched by the movement of the carriage 21 in the scanning direction, as in the auxiliary mechanism 70 described above. According to the auxiliary mechanism 70 of the second modified example, the engaged state and unengaged state of the auxiliary mechanism 70 can be switched without moving the carriage 21 in the scanning direction.
[0075] The locking mechanism 80 of the second modified example is composed of a locking member 81 and a locking motor 83. The locking member 81 is a member that engages with the locking portion 211B of the second carriage 21B. In the second modified example as well, the second carriage 21B is fixed (locked) by the locking member 81 engaging with the locking portion 211B of the second carriage 21B. The locking motor 83 is a drive source for moving the locking member 81. The controller 60 can move the locking member 81 by controlling the locking motor 83 and switch between a locked state in which the locking member 81 is engaged with the locking portion 211B of the second carriage 21B and an unlocked state in which the lock is released.
[0076] As shown in the second modified example, the locking mechanism 80 may be configured to switch between a locked state and an unlocked state using a motor. In other words, the locking mechanism 80 does not have to be configured in such a way that the locked state and unlocked state of the locking mechanism 80 can be switched by movement of the carriage 21 in the scanning direction, as in the locking mechanism 80 described above. According to the locking mechanism 80 of the second modified example, the locked state and unlocked state of the locking mechanism 80 can be switched without moving the carriage 21 in the scanning direction. For this reason, in the case of the second modified example, when switching the locking mechanism 80 from the locked state to the unlocked state, it is not necessary to move the carriage 21 to the locking mechanism 80 side (right side in Figure 9A) as shown in Figure 9A.
[0077] <Summary> The carriage unit 20 described above includes a first carriage 21A and a second carriage 21B that are movable in the scanning direction, a coupling mechanism 25 that connects the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B by magnetic attraction, and an auxiliary mechanism 70 that assists in the coupling of the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B by the coupling mechanism 25. However, if the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B are only connected by magnetic attraction, there is a risk that the connection between the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B may come undone when the first carriage 21A is accelerated or decelerated at a large acceleration. On the other hand, if the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B are only connected by mechanical engagement by the auxiliary mechanism 70, there is a risk that the positional accuracy of the second carriage 21B in the scanning direction will decrease. For this reason, it is effective to use both the coupling mechanism 25 that uses magnetism and the auxiliary mechanism 70 that assists in coupling by mechanical engagement. This makes it possible to prevent the carriage from coming loose without changing the magnetic attraction force.
[0078] As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the auxiliary mechanism 70 comprises a leaf spring 71 (first engaging member), a claw member 72 (second engaging member), a stopper 13 provided on the guide 12, and a slider 73. The leaf spring 71, which is the first engaging member, has an engaging hole 711 that serves as the first engaging portion, and an inclined portion 712 that is located on the second carriage 21B side of the engaging hole 711 and inclined toward the engaging hole 711, and moves together with the first carriage 21A. The claw member 72, which is the second engaging member, has a claw portion 721 that serves as the second engaging portion, and moves together with the second carriage 21B. The slider 73 has a pressing portion 731 that presses against the inclined portion 712 and a contact portion 733 that contacts the stopper 13, and is movable relative to the second carriage 21B. As shown in Figure 5B, the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B are connected by a connecting mechanism 25, where the engagement hole 711 (first engagement part) and the claw part 721 (second engagement part) engage, and the leaf spring 71 (first member) and the claw member 72 (second engagement member) assist in connecting the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 10C and 10D, when the second carriage 21B moves with the contact portion 733 of the slider 73 in contact with the stopper 13, the slider 73 moves relative to the second carriage 21B, the pressing portion 731 presses against the inclined portion 712, disengaging the engagement between the engagement hole 711 (first engagement portion) and the claw portion 721 (second engagement portion), and releasing the assistance provided by the leaf spring 71 (first member) and the claw member 72 (second engagement member) in connecting the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B. By configuring the auxiliary mechanism 70 in this way, the engaged and disengaged states of the auxiliary mechanism 70 can be switched by the movement of the carriage 21.
[0079] The auxiliary mechanism 70 described above includes a spring 75 (biasing member) that biases the slider 73 toward the stopper 13 relative to the second carriage 21B. When the contact portion 733 of the slider 73 moves away from the stopper 13 due to the movement of the second carriage 21B, the biasing force of the biasing member causes the slider 73 to move relative to the stopper 13 relative to the second carriage 21B. As a result, the pressing portion 731 moves away from the inclined portion 712 of the leaf spring 71, causing the engagement hole 711 (first engagement portion) and the claw portion 721 (second engagement portion) to engage, and the leaf spring 71 (first member) and the claw member 72 (second engagement member) assist in connecting the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B. By configuring the auxiliary mechanism 70 in this way, when the contact portion 733 of the slider 73 moves away from the stopper 13, the biasing force of the spring 75 can change it from an unengaged state to an engaged state.
[0080] In the auxiliary mechanism 70 described above, the slider 73 has an elongated hole 732, and the second carriage 21B has a restricting member 74 inserted through the elongated hole 732. The range of movement of the slider 73 relative to the second carriage 21B is restricted by the contact between the edge of the elongated hole 732 and the restricting member 74. This allows the range of movement of the slider 73, which is biased by the spring 75, to be restricted.
[0081] The carriage unit 20 described above is equipped with a locking mechanism 80 for fixing the second carriage 21B in a standby position. In the standby position, the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B are connected by a coupling mechanism 25. As a result, the first carriage 21A can be fixed in the standby position via the second carriage 21B by the locking mechanism 80.
[0082] As shown in Figure 6, in the standby position, the slider 73 is provided on the second carriage 21B such that the contact portion 733 contacts the stopper 13, and the engagement between the engagement hole 711 (first engagement portion) and the claw portion 721 (second engagement portion) is disengaged, thus releasing the assistance in connecting the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B. Then, as shown in Figures 7A and 7B, when moving the first carriage 21A independently from the standby position, the connection between the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B by the connecting mechanism 25 is released by moving the first carriage 21A in the locked state (the state in which the locking mechanism 80 fixes the second carriage 21B). Furthermore, as shown in Figures 9A to 9D, when moving the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B in a connected manner from the standby position, moving the first carriage 21A in the unlocked state (the state in which the locking mechanism 80 is released) moves the second carriage 21B which is connected to the first carriage 21A by the connecting mechanism 25, and the movement of the second carriage 21B engages the engagement hole 711 (first engagement part) and the claw part 721 (second engagement part), thereby assisting the connection by the connecting mechanism 25. In this way, by switching between the locked state and the unlocked state of the locking mechanism 80, it is possible to switch between independent movement and connected movement, and in the case of connected movement, the leaf spring 71 (first engagement member) and the claw member 72 (second engagement member) can assist the connection by the connecting mechanism 25.
[0083] In the above-described auxiliary mechanism 70, the first engaging member is composed of a leaf spring 71, the first engaging portion is composed of an engaging hole 711, and the second engaging portion is composed of a claw portion 721 having an inclined surface 721A. In such a case, as shown in Figure 11, if a gap ΔX is formed between the engaging hole 711 and the claw portion 721 when the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B are connected by the connecting mechanism 25, the positional accuracy of the second carriage 21B relative to the first carriage 21A may deteriorate. For this reason, as shown in the first modified example in Figure 12, it is desirable that the inner edge of the engaging hole 711 and the inclined surface 721 come into contact when the first carriage 21A and the second carriage 21B are connected by the connecting mechanism 25. This eliminates the gap (play) between the engaging hole 711 and the claw portion 721, and suppresses deterioration of the positional accuracy of the second carriage 21B relative to the first carriage 21A.
[0084] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 12, when the inner edge of the engagement hole 711 is in contact with the inclined surface 721A, the angle of the leaf spring 71 at the position of the engagement hole 711 is denoted as θ1, and the angle of the inclined surface 721A is denoted as θ2. In this case, θ2 is set to be greater than θ1. This allows the inner edge of the engagement hole 711 to be in contact with the inclined surface 721A.
[0085] In the second modified example shown in Figure 13, the first carriage 21A has a first engaging portion 711', and the second carriage 21B has a second engaging member 72' having a second engaging portion 721' and an engaging motor 76 (motor). In the second modified example, the engaging motor 76 moves the second engaging member 72' to engage the first engaging portion 711' and the second engaging portion 721', thereby assisting the connection by the connecting mechanism 25. In the second modified example, the engaging motor 76 also moves the second engaging member 72' to disengage the first engaging portion 711' and the second engaging portion 721', thereby releasing the assistance for connection. In this way, the engaged and disengaged states of the auxiliary mechanism 70 may be switched by the power of the motor. According to the second modification, although it is necessary to provide an engagement motor 76 on the second carriage 21B, it becomes easy to switch between the engaged and disengaged states of the auxiliary mechanism 70 without being related to the movement of the second carriage 21B.
[0086] In the carriage unit 20 described above, the first carriage 21A is a cutting carriage equipped with a cutter 41, and the second carriage 21B is a head carriage equipped with a head 51. When cutting the medium M, the cutter 41 is moved repeatedly over short distances, compared to the movement of the head 51 when ejecting ink. Therefore, it is preferable to mount the cutter 41 on the independently movable first carriage 21A. However, the first carriage 21A does not have to be a cutting carriage, and the second carriage 21B does not have to be a head carriage.
[0087] ===Other Embodiments=== The above embodiments are presented as examples and do not limit the scope of the invention. The above configurations can be combined as appropriate, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The above embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims of the invention and its equivalents.
[0088] 10 Frame, 11 Platen, 12 Guide, 13 Stopper, 20 Carriage unit, 21 Carriage, 21A First carriage, 21B Second carriage, 211B Locking part, 22 Carriage motor, 23 Transmission mechanism, 231 Pulley, 232 Belt, 25 Connecting mechanism, 25A First suction body, 25B Second suction body, 30 Conveying unit, 31 Conveying member, 32 Conveying motor, 40 Cutter unit, 41 Cutter, 42 Solenoid, 50 Head unit, 51 Head, 60 Controller, 70 Auxiliary mechanism, 71 Leaf spring (first engaging member), 711 Engagement hole (first engaging part), 711' First engaging part, 712 Inclined part, 72 Claw member (second engaging member), 721 Claw part (second engaging part), 72' Second engaging member, 721' Second engaging part, 73 Slider, 731 Pressing part, 732 Slotted hole, 733 Contact part, 74 Regulating member, 75 Spring (biasing member), 76 Engaging motor, 80 Locking mechanism, 81 Locking member, 82 Release part, 83 Locking motor, 100 Processing device
Claims
1. A carriage unit comprising: a first carriage movable in the scanning direction; a second carriage movable in the scanning direction; a connecting mechanism that connects the first carriage and the second carriage by magnetic attraction; and an auxiliary mechanism that assists in the connection of the first carriage and the second carriage by the connecting mechanism.
2. A carriage unit according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary mechanism comprises: a first engaging member having a first engaging portion and an inclined portion located on the second carriage side of the first engaging portion and inclined toward the first engaging portion, and moving together with the first carriage; a second engaging member having a second engaging portion that engages with the first engaging portion and moving together with the second carriage; a stopper provided on a guide that guides the first carriage and the second carriage in the scanning direction; and a slider having a pressing portion that presses the inclined portion and a contact portion that contacts the stopper, and being movable relative to the second carriage, wherein when the first carriage and the second carriage are connected by the connecting mechanism, the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion engage, thereby assisting the connection between the first carriage and the second carriage by the first engaging member and the second engaging member. A carriage unit characterized in that, when the second carriage moves while the contact portion of the slider is in contact with the stopper, the slider moves relative to the second carriage, the pressing portion presses against the inclined portion, disengaging the engagement between the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion, and releasing the assistance provided by the first engagement member and the second engagement member in connecting the first carriage and the second carriage.
3. A carriage unit according to claim 2, wherein the auxiliary mechanism has a biasing member that biases the slider toward the stopper side with respect to the second carriage, and the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion engage as the slider moves relative to the second carriage in a direction away from the inclined portion due to the biasing force of the biasing member.
4. A carriage unit according to claim 3, wherein the slider has an elongated hole extending along the scanning direction, the second carriage has a regulating member inserted through the elongated hole, and the range of movement of the slider relative to the second carriage is restricted by contact between the edge of the elongated hole and the regulating member.
5. A carriage unit according to any one of claims 2 to 4, comprising a locking mechanism for fixing the second carriage in a standby position, wherein in the standby position, the first carriage and the second carriage are connected by the connecting mechanism.
6. A carriage unit according to claim 5, wherein in the standby position, the slider is provided on the second carriage such that the contact portion contacts the stopper, the engagement between the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion is disengaged, and the assistance for connecting the first carriage and the second carriage is released; when the first carriage is moved independently from the standby position, the connection between the first carriage and the second carriage by the connecting mechanism is released by moving the first carriage with the locking mechanism fixing the second carriage; when the first carriage and the second carriage are moved together from the standby position, the second carriage connected to the first carriage by the connecting mechanism is moved by moving the first carriage with the locking mechanism releasing the fixing of the second carriage, and the movement of the second carriage engages the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion, thereby assisting the connection between the first carriage and the second carriage by the connecting mechanism.
7. A carriage unit according to claim 2, wherein the first engaging member is composed of a leaf spring, the first engaging portion is composed of an engaging hole, the second engaging portion is composed of a claw portion having an inclined surface, and when the first carriage and the second carriage are connected by the connecting mechanism, the inner edge of the engaging hole and the inclined surface come into contact.
8. A carriage unit according to claim 7, characterized in that when the angle of the leaf spring at the position of the engagement hole when the inner edge of the engagement hole and the inclined surface are in contact is θ1, and the angle of the inclined surface is θ2, θ2 is greater than θ1.
9. A carriage unit according to claim 1, wherein the first carriage has a first engaging portion, the second carriage has a second engaging member having a second engaging portion that engages with the first engaging portion, and a motor for moving the second engaging member, wherein the motor moves the second engaging member to engage the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion, thereby assisting the connection between the first carriage and the second carriage by the connecting mechanism, and the motor moves the second engaging member to disengage the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion, thereby releasing the assistance in connecting the first carriage and the second carriage.
10. A carriage unit according to claim 1, wherein the first carriage is equipped with a cutter for cutting a medium, and the second carriage is equipped with a head for ejecting ink onto the medium.