JPH0761071A - Record medium conveying mechanism and recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent ink blur of a record medium due to ink blur of a record medium conveying system by providing guide members for guiding the record medium and rotary bodies which rotate by pressing both ends in the cross direction of the record medium against the guide members, and conveying the record medium with the guide members and the rotary bodies by keeping the cross direction of the record medium horizontal. CONSTITUTION:In a record medium conveying mechanism A for conveying a recorded record medium P, guide members 3a and 3b for guiding the record medium P and rotary bodies 3 and 4 (for example, resin or metallic spur 4 and elastic roller 5) which rotate by pressing both ends in the cross direction of the record medium P against the guide members 3a and 3b are provided. The record medium is conveyed by the guide members 3a, 3b and the rotary bodies 4, 5 with the cross direction of the record medium kept horizontal. As a result, the rotary bodies are not blurred by their contact with the recording face i.e., with the recording area of the record medium, so that the record medium is not blurred.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recording medium conveying mechanism for conveying a recording medium on which recording has been performed and a recording apparatus having the recording medium conveying mechanism.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, various ink jet recording apparatuses for ejecting ink to record on a recording medium have been developed and put into practical use. For example, in the ink jet recording apparatus as shown in FIG. 5, the ink is directly ejected from the ink ejection surface of the recording head 52 which reciprocates in the direction of arrow a by the drive shaft 51 with respect to the recording sheet P conveyed by the recording medium conveying system. Let me record it.

The recording sheet P on which recording has been performed is driven by a driving force transmitted from a driving source (not shown) and is rotated by a discharge roller 53.
And the spur 54, which is pressed against the discharge roller 53 and is driven to rotate, is discharged to the outside of the apparatus. Since the spur 54 is in direct contact with the recording surface of the recording sheet P, a spur 54 having a small contact area with the recording sheet P is used. Further, in order to prevent the recording sheet P from rising, the width direction of the recording sheet P is reduced. Many are arranged over.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, when the ink on the recording sheet P on which the recording is performed is not sufficiently dried, the spur 54 disposed in the recording area of the recording sheet P is used. The ink adheres to the recording sheet P, and the ink further adheres to the recording sheet P,
There was a risk of soiling.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to prevent ink stains on a recording medium due to ink stains on the recording medium conveying system.

[0006]

The structure of a typical recording medium conveying mechanism of the present invention for achieving the above object is to guide the recording medium in a recording medium conveying mechanism for conveying a recording medium on which recording has been performed. A guide member and a rotating body that rotates while pressing both widthwise end portions of the recording medium against the guide member. The guide member and the rotating body convey the recording medium while keeping the recording medium horizontal in the width direction. It is characterized by being configured as follows.

Further, the structure of a typical recording apparatus of the present invention for attaining the above-mentioned object is a recording apparatus in which a recording unit ejects ink in response to a signal to record on a recording medium,
A guide member that guides the recording medium, and a rotating body that rotates while pressing both widthwise end portions of the recording medium against the guide member are provided, and the width direction of the recording medium is horizontal by the guide member and the rotating body. The present invention is characterized in that it is provided with a recording medium carrying mechanism configured to carry while keeping the above.

[0008]

According to the present invention, since the both ends of the recording medium in the width direction, that is, the outside of the recording region are conveyed while being pressed by the rotating member to the guide member, the rotating member records on the recording medium. It does not come into contact with the surface, that is, the inside of the recording area, and is not contaminated, so that the recording medium is not contaminated.

[0009]

【Example】

First Embodiment Next, a recording apparatus equipped with a recording medium conveying mechanism according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. still,
FIG. 1 is a perspective explanatory view schematically showing a schematic configuration of a recording unit of the recording apparatus and a recording medium conveying mechanism in the vicinity thereof, FIG.
FIG. 2A is a sectional view of the recording medium transport mechanism shown in FIG.
1 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1, and FIG.
It is a -B sectional view.

(Recording Means) In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a recording head as a recording means for recording an ink image on a recording sheet P as a recording medium. As a recording means in this apparatus, an inkjet recording method is used in which ink is ejected from a recording head to perform recording. That is, this recording head has a fine liquid discharge port (orifice), a liquid passage and an energy acting portion provided in a part of this liquid passage, and energy generation for generating droplet forming energy for acting on the liquid in the acting portion. Equipped with means.

As an energy generating means for generating such energy, a recording method using an electromechanical transducer such as a piezo element, electromagnetic waves such as a laser are irradiated to generate heat, and droplets are ejected by the action of the heat generation. There are a recording method using an energy generating means, a recording method using an energy generating means for heating a liquid and discharging the liquid by an electrothermal converter such as a heating element having a heating resistor.

Among them, a recording head used in an ink jet recording method for ejecting a liquid by thermal energy has a high density of liquid ejection ports (orifices) for ejecting recording liquid droplets to form ejection liquid droplets. Since they can be arranged, high resolution recording is possible. Among them, the recording head using the electrothermal converter as the energy generating means can easily be made compact, and has the advantages of the IC technology and the microfabrication technology, which have been remarkably improved in technology and reliability in the recent semiconductor field. This is advantageous because it can be used in two parts, high-density mounting is easy, and the manufacturing cost is low.

The recording head 1 scans in the direction of arrow a (main scanning direction) in the drawing by a drive shaft 2 which is rotated by driving force transmitted from a driving source (not shown). At the time of this scanning, recording is performed on the recording sheet P conveyed in the direction of arrow b in the figure. An ink tank 1a is detachably attached to the recording head 1. A flexible cable 1b sends a recording signal to the recording head 1.

(Recording Medium Conveying Mechanism) In FIG. 1, A is a recording medium conveying mechanism, which is located downstream of the recording position, which is the scanning area of the recording head 1, in the sheet conveying direction, and recording is performed. The recording sheet P is conveyed outside the apparatus. The recording medium transport mechanism A includes guide members 3a and 3b for guiding the recorded recording sheet P,
It has a spur 4 and a roller 5 as a rotating body that rotates while pressing both widthwise ends (outside the recording area) of the recording sheet P against the guide members 3a and 3b, and the guide members 3a and 3b and the rotation. The spur 4 as a body and the roller 5 are configured to convey the recording sheet P while keeping the width direction thereof horizontal.

The structure of the recording medium conveying mechanism will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The guide members 3a and 3b are connected by a connecting member 3c, and are configured to be expandable and contractable in the width direction of the recording sheet P. That is, one end of the connecting member 3c is the guide member 3c.
It is fixed to b, and the other end side is configured to enter the inside of the guide member 3a. Therefore, the guide member 3
Since a and 3b can be changed according to the width of the recording sheet used, stable sheet conveyance can be always performed.

Further, although the spur 4 is made of fluoroplastic or engineered plastic such as polyacetal, it is not specified and may be made of metal or the like. Further, the roller 5 is molded relatively wide with a rubber material having elasticity so as to firmly press the recording sheet P.

A driving force transmission gear 6 is provided on the shaft of the roller 5.
Is connected, and the gear 6 meshes with the driving force transmission gear 7 on the apparatus main body side. Further, among the plurality of spurs 4 shown in the figure, a pin 8 is connected to the spur 4 located on the most downstream side in the sheet conveying direction, and the pin 8 and the gear 6 of the roller 5 are connected.
A belt 9 is stretched between and. Therefore, the spur 4 and the roller 5 as the rotating body are driven and rotated by driving force transmitted from a drive source (not shown) via the gear train, the belt 9 and the pin 8.

The gear train is a spur 4 serving as the rotating body.
The sheet conveyance amount of the roller 5 is set to be the same as the sheet conveyance amount of a sheet conveyance system (not shown) that conveys the recording sheet P to the recording position. Further, in the present embodiment, an example in which the drive system for the rotating body is provided only on the guide member 3b side is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the drive system for the rotating body may be provided on both sides.

In FIG. 1, 10 is a sheet conveying system located upstream of the recording position in the sheet conveying direction.
The platen 11 has a conveying roller 10a which is rotated by a driving force transmitted from a drive source (not shown), and a pinch roller 10b which is rotated by being pressed against the conveying roller 10a. It is intended to be carried over.

Next, the operation of the recording medium transport mechanism will be described. The recorded recording sheet P is horizontally guided by the sheet conveying system 10 along the guide members 3a and 3b. When the recording sheet P reaches the position of the roller 5, both ends of the recording sheet P, that is, the outside of the recording area are pressed by the guide members 3a and 3b by the roller 5 and conveyed. At this time, a tensile force acts on the recording sheet P to prevent the recording sheet P from being bent.

As the recording progresses further, the recording sheet P is conveyed while being pressed by the guide members 3a and 3b by the roller 5 and the spur 4 outside the recording area, and horizontally along the guide members 3a and 3b. Be guided. The recording sheet P for which recording has been completed is finally discharged and conveyed from the recording medium conveying mechanism A to the outside by the spur 4 located on the most downstream side of the guide members 3a and 3b in the sheet conveying direction.

Recording medium conveying mechanism A constructed as described above
By conveying the recording sheet P on which recording is performed by the recording sheet P, ink stains on the recording sheet P due to ink stains on the spur 4 and the roller 5 as a rotating body that gives a conveying force to the recording sheet P are prevented and stabilized. Sheets can be transported.

In this embodiment, an example in which the recording medium conveying mechanism is integrally incorporated in the recording apparatus main body is shown.
The present invention is not limited to this, and may be incorporated as a unit or may be a separate body.

Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the recording medium carrying mechanism according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
The members having substantially the same functions as those of the first embodiment described above are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.

The recording medium transport mechanism A in this embodiment is
As shown in FIG. 3, the spur 4 located on the most downstream side in the sheet conveying direction is connected by a spur shaft 12, and a plurality of small spurs 13 are arranged on the spur shaft 12. .

The spur shaft 12 has a so-called double pipe structure in which the shaft 12a fixed to the guide member 3a side is inserted into the shaft 12a fixed to the guide member 3a side. Stretchable. The outer diameters of the plurality of small spurs 13 arranged on the spur shaft 12 are equal to or slightly smaller than those of the spurs 4 at both ends.

With the above structure, it is possible to obtain the same effect as that of the recording medium conveying mechanism of the first embodiment described above, and it is possible to prevent the recording sheet P from floating by the small spur 13.

Since the small spur 13 is located in the recording area of the recording sheet P, it comes into contact with the recording surface of the recording sheet P. However, before being conveyed to this position, the recording surface of the recording sheet P remains untouched. Since the ink is dry,
The recording sheet P is not soiled, and therefore the recording sheet P is not soiled.

Third Embodiment Next, a third embodiment of the recording medium carrying mechanism according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
The members having substantially the same functions as those of the first embodiment described above are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.

The recording medium transport mechanism A in this embodiment is
As shown in FIG. 4, the guide members 3a and 3b are characterized by having an inclined portion that is inclined upward from the middle (in the present embodiment, near the center) toward the downstream side in the sheet conveying direction.

Reference numeral 14 in the drawing is a pin for inclining the belt 9 which is a driving force transmission system along the inclination of the guide member.

With the above structure, the same effect as that of the recording medium conveying mechanism of the first embodiment described above can be obtained, and the force pressing the recording sheet P downward by the inclined portions of the guide members 3a and 3b is further increased. Since it becomes stronger, the recording sheet P is prevented from floating. Therefore, problems such as the recording surface P being soiled due to bending and floating of the recording sheet P and the recording head surface being damaged by the recording sheet P are solved.

[Other Embodiments] In the above-mentioned embodiments, the ink jet recording system is used as the recording means, but the electrothermal converter is energized according to a recording signal, and the thermal energy applied by the electrothermal converter is used. It is more preferable that the recording is performed by ejecting the ink from the ejection port due to the growth and contraction of the bubbles generated in the ink by utilizing the film boiling generated in the ink.

With regard to its typical structure and principle, it is preferable to use the basic principle disclosed in, for example, US Pat. Nos. 4,723,129 and 4740796. This method can be applied to both the so-called on-demand type and continuous type, but in the case of the on-demand type in particular, it is arranged corresponding to the sheet or liquid path holding the liquid (ink). By applying at least one drive signal to the electrothermal transducer, which corresponds to the recorded information and gives a rapid temperature rise beyond nucleate boiling,
This is effective because heat energy is generated in the electrothermal converter to cause film boiling on the heat acting surface of the recording head, and as a result, bubbles in the liquid can be formed in a one-to-one correspondence with this drive signal. Due to the growth and contraction of the bubbles, the liquid is ejected through the ejection openings to form at least one droplet. It is more preferable to make this drive signal into a pulse shape because bubbles can be grown and contracted immediately and appropriately, so that particularly excellent liquid ejection can be achieved.

As the pulse-shaped drive signal, those described in US Pat. Nos. 4,463,359 and 4,345,262 are suitable.

If the conditions described in US Pat. No. 4,313,124, which is an invention relating to the rate of temperature rise on the heat acting surface, are adopted, more excellent recording can be performed.

As the constitution of the recording head, in addition to the combination constitution of the ejection port, the liquid passage, and the electrothermal converter (the linear liquid passage or the right-angled liquid passage) as disclosed in the above-mentioned respective specifications. The present invention also includes configurations using US Pat. Nos. 4,558,333 and 4,459,600, which disclose configurations in which the heat acting portion is arranged in a bending region.

Further, JP-A-59-123670, which discloses a structure in which a common slit is used as a discharge portion of a plurality of electrothermal converters, and an opening for absorbing a pressure wave of thermal energy are disclosed. Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No.
The effect of the present invention is effective even if the configuration is based on Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 59-138461. That is, according to the present invention, recording can be surely and efficiently performed regardless of the form of the recording head.

Furthermore, the present invention can be effectively applied to a full line type recording head having a length corresponding to the maximum width of a recording medium which can be recorded by the recording apparatus.

As such a recording head, a combination of a plurality of recording heads to satisfy the length thereof or a structure of one recording head integrally formed may be used.

In addition, even in the case of the serial type described above, when the recording head is fixed to the carriage or mounted on the carriage, it is possible to electrically connect to the apparatus main body and supply ink from the apparatus main body. A replaceable chip type recording head or a cartridge type recording head in which an ink tank is integrally provided in the recording head itself may be used.

Further, it is preferable to add a recovery means for the recording head, a preliminary auxiliary means, etc., which are provided as a configuration of the recording apparatus of the present invention, because the effects of the present invention can be further stabilized. Specific examples thereof are capping means, cleaning means, pressurizing or suctioning means for the recording head, electrothermal converter or a heating element other than this, or preheating means by a combination thereof, and recording. It is also effective to perform a stable recording by performing a preliminary discharge mode in which another discharge is performed.

Regarding the type and number of recording heads mounted on the carriage, for example, only one recording head is provided corresponding to a single color ink, or a plurality of inks having different recording colors and densities are supported. And a plurality of them may be provided. That is, for example, the recording mode of the recording apparatus is not limited to a recording mode of only the mainstream color such as black, but may be a combination of a plurality of recording heads integrally formed, but a mixed color of different colors or a mixed color It is also applicable to a device with at least one of the full colors according to

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiments, the ink is described as a liquid, but it is an ink that solidifies at room temperature or lower and softens or liquefies at room temperature, or in the ink jet recording system. 30 inks
Generally, the temperature is controlled in the range of ℃ or more and 70 ℃ or less to control the temperature of the ink so that the viscosity of the ink is in the stable ejection range. good. In addition, it is possible to prevent the temperature rise due to thermal energy from being positively used as the energy for changing the state of the ink from the solid state to the liquid state, or to use the ink that solidifies when left standing for the purpose of preventing ink evaporation. However, in any case, heat is applied such as ink that is liquefied by application of heat energy according to the recording signal and liquid ink is ejected, or that begins to solidify when it reaches the recording sheet. It is also applicable when using an ink that has the property of being liquefied for the first time by energy.

The ink in such a case is disclosed in JP-A-54-568.
As described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 47 or Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-71260, a mode in which it is opposed to an electrothermal converter in a state of being held as a liquid or a solid substance in a concave portion or a through hole of a porous sheet. Also good. The most effective one for each of the above-mentioned inks is to execute the above-mentioned film boiling method.

Further, as a form of the above-mentioned ink jet recording apparatus, in addition to a form used as an image output terminal of an information processing equipment such as a computer, a form of a copying machine combined with a reader or the like, and a form of a facsimile machine having a transmission / reception function. It may be something to take.

Although an example of using the ink jet recording system as the recording means has been described above, the recording system of the present invention is not limited to the ink jet recording system, and other thermal transfer recording system, thermal recording system, and Can be applied to a recording method such as a wire dot recording method or another recording method. Further, it is not necessary to limit to the serial recording method, and a so-called line recording method may be used.

[0048]

As described above, in the recording medium conveying mechanism according to the present invention, when the recording medium on which recording is performed is conveyed, the recording medium is rotated at both widthwise ends of the recording medium, that is, outside the recording area. Since it is configured to be conveyed while being pressed against the guide member by the body, the rotating body does not come into contact with the recording surface of the recording medium, that is, the recording area to be contaminated, and thus the recording medium is not contaminated. Furthermore, since the guide member is expandable / contractible in the width direction of the recording medium, the width of the guide member can be freely changed according to the width of the recording medium used, and stable recording medium conveyance can be performed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective explanatory view schematically showing a schematic configuration of a recording unit of a recording apparatus and a recording medium conveying mechanism in the vicinity thereof.

2A is an AA of the recording medium transport mechanism shown in FIG.
A sectional view, (b) is BB of the recording medium conveying mechanism shown in FIG.
FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective explanatory view schematically showing a schematic configuration of a recording medium carrying mechanism according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective explanatory view schematically showing a schematic configuration of a recording medium carrying mechanism according to a third embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional technique.

[Description of References] A ... Recording medium transport mechanism 1 ... Recording head 1a ... Ink tank 1b ... Flexible cable 2 ... Drive shafts 3a, 3b ... Guide member 3c ... Connecting member 4 ... Spurs 5 ... Rollers 6, 7 ... Gear 8 ... Pin 9 ... Belt 10 ... Sheet transport system 10a ... Transport roller 10b ... Pinch roller 11 ... Platen 12 ... Spur shaft 12a, 12b ... Shaft 13 ... Small spur 14 ... Pin

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Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A recording medium transporting mechanism for transporting a recorded recording medium, comprising: a guide member that guides the recording medium; and a rotating body that rotates while pressing both widthwise ends of the recording medium against the guide member. A recording medium conveying mechanism comprising: a recording medium conveying mechanism configured to convey the recording medium while keeping the width direction of the recording medium horizontal by the guide member and the rotating body. 2. The rotating body has a plurality of elastic body rollers and a spur made of resin or metal.
The recording medium transporting mechanism according to. 3. The recording medium conveying mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the guide member is configured to be expandable / contractible in the width direction of the recording medium. 4. The recording medium conveyance mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the guide member has an inclined portion on the downstream side in the recording medium conveyance direction. 5. A recording device in which recording means ejects ink in response to a signal to perform recording on a recording medium, and a guide member for guiding the recording medium and both end portions in the width direction of the recording medium as the guide member. A recording apparatus, comprising: a rotating body that rotates while pressing it; and a recording medium conveying mechanism configured to convey the recording medium while keeping the width direction of the recording medium horizontal by the guide member and the rotating body. 6. The rotating body has a plurality of elastic body rollers and a spur made of resin or metal.
The recording device according to 1. 7. The recording apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the guide member is configured to be capable of expanding and contracting in the width direction of the recording medium. 8. The recording apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the guide member has an inclined portion on the downstream side in the recording medium conveyance direction. 9. The recording device according to claim 5, wherein the recording device is provided with an electrothermal converter for generating thermal energy for ejecting ink by the recording means. 10. The recording apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the recording means ejects the ink from the ejection port by utilizing the film boiling generated in the ink by the thermal energy applied by the electrothermal converter. The recording device described.