EP0794063B1 - Imprimante à jet d'encre - Google Patents

Imprimante à jet d'encre Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0794063B1
EP0794063B1 EP19970102553 EP97102553A EP0794063B1 EP 0794063 B1 EP0794063 B1 EP 0794063B1 EP 19970102553 EP19970102553 EP 19970102553 EP 97102553 A EP97102553 A EP 97102553A EP 0794063 B1 EP0794063 B1 EP 0794063B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
roller
printhead
flat material
support member
printer according
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP19970102553
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0794063A1 (fr
Inventor
Christophe Bizzini
Alain Tabasso
Georges Zoganas
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Olivetti Tecnost SpA
Original Assignee
Olivetti Tecnost SpA
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Olivetti Tecnost SpA filed Critical Olivetti Tecnost SpA
Publication of EP0794063A1 publication Critical patent/EP0794063A1/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0794063B1 publication Critical patent/EP0794063B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J25/00—Actions or mechanisms not otherwise provided for
    • B41J25/304—Bodily-movable mechanisms for print heads or carriages movable towards or from paper surface
    • B41J25/308—Bodily-movable mechanisms for print heads or carriages movable towards or from paper surface with print gap adjustment mechanisms
    • B41J25/3082—Bodily-movable mechanisms for print heads or carriages movable towards or from paper surface with print gap adjustment mechanisms with print gap adjustment means on the print head carriage, e.g. for rotation around a guide bar or using a rotatable eccentric bearing
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J11/00—Devices or arrangements  of selective printing mechanisms, e.g. ink-jet printers or thermal printers, for supporting or handling copy material in sheet or web form
    • B41J11/0045—Guides for printing material
    • B41J11/005—Guides in the printing zone, e.g. guides for preventing contact of conveyed sheets with printhead
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J25/00—Actions or mechanisms not otherwise provided for
    • B41J25/304—Bodily-movable mechanisms for print heads or carriages movable towards or from paper surface
    • B41J25/308—Bodily-movable mechanisms for print heads or carriages movable towards or from paper surface with print gap adjustment mechanisms

Definitions

  • This invention concerns an ink jet printer comprising a printing area in which a printhead is designed to print a flat material moved according to a feeding direction from a printer entrance through the printing area to an outlet and means for adjusting the distance separating the front surface of the printhead from the said flat material.
  • EP-A-0 519 495 and EP-A-0 334 548 disclose a printer according to the preamble of claim 1.
  • the European Patent Application EP-A-0 519 495 discloses a gap regulating member having an upper surface guiding an ink jet head and a lower surface guiding a recording medium at a defined distance from the head
  • the European Patent Application EP-A-0 334 548 discloses a skid-like spacer riding upon the printed surface in order to maintain a preselected spacing between the print head and the printed surface.
  • the support member(s) for the material to be printed is (are) arranged near the printhead and cooperate with the surface to be printed to form a reference level which does not change, regardless of thickness of the material to be printed, whether thin sheet, cardboard sheet, envelope, etc. Considering that it is not necessary to provide means for measuring thickness, nor mechanisms for adjusting height, construction of the printer is greatly simplified, cost price is reduced, operation is reliable and operating life longer.
  • the support member consists of at least a first rotating member (i.e. a continuous roller, a cylinder or a segmented roller) mounted on a shaft rotating around a fixed axis, or of a fixed crosspiece.
  • a first rotating member i.e. a continuous roller, a cylinder or a segmented roller
  • the support member cooperates with a second rotating member (i.e. again a continuous roller, a cylinder or a segmented roller), resiliently pressing against the support member, or with at least a first resilient pressure pad.
  • a second rotating member i.e. again a continuous roller, a cylinder or a segmented roller
  • resiliently pressing against the support member or with at least a first resilient pressure pad.
  • the printer comprises at least a third rotating member (i.e. again a continuous roller, a cylinder or a segmented roller), arranged downstream of the printhead and rotating around a second fixes axis, intended for cooperating with the surface of the flat material facing the printhead to define with the support member the said reference level, and cooperating with a fourth rotating member (i.e. again a continuous roller, a cylinder or a segmented roller), resiliently pressing against it, or with at least a second resilient pressure pad.
  • a third rotating member i.e. again a continuous roller, a cylinder or a segmented roller
  • the first and the third rotating members are driven to rotate and the tangential speed on the circumference of the third rotating member is from 0.1 to 1.0% greater than that of the first rotating member.
  • the material to be printed is thus perfectly taut and aligned, and its surface to be printed is at one with the reference level defined before, thereby ensuring printing of great quality and precision.
  • the printer can advantageously comprise a second support member consisting of a fixed crosspiece arranged between the first rotating member and the printhead and whose surface facing the flat material is aligned with the circumference of the first rotating member so as to define the said reference level.
  • the sole figure is a side view in partial section of this embodiment.
  • the ink jet printer comprises a frame 14, a printing area 10 situated between an entrance 11 for the flat materials 18 to be printed and an outlet 12.
  • a carriage 16 with a printhead 15 is slidingly fitted on a shaft 17 and rests with a projection 25 on a fixed crosspiece 26. It may be moved according to a direction perpendicular to a direction of feeding 19 of the flat materials 18.
  • the latter may be sheets of paper ranging from a light to a heavy weight, cardboard paper, envelopes, etc., so their thickness may vary to a considerable extent.
  • the ink jet printer further comprises a first support member 22 cooperating with a surface of the flat material 18 facing the printhead 15.
  • This first support member 22 comprises a roller 23 (which can be a continuous cylinder or a segmented roller), the shaft 24 of which is rotatable around a fixed axis.
  • Back-up counter-rollers 27 are mounted on pivoting levers 28 and resiliently pressed by springs 29 against the first support member 22 which is arranged in the upstream vicinity of the printhead 15.
  • a first fixed support member 32 is arranged between the roller 23 and the printhead 15 and comprises a fixed crosspiece 35 in the form of a profiled part, the lower surface of which is aligned with the circumference of the roller 23.
  • the pivoting levers 28 are provided at their top part with a blade of a plastic material 36, for example MylarTM, 0.12 mm thick.
  • the blade 36 is attached to the lever 28 and presses resiliently with a distal part against a surface of the flat material 18 opposite to the surface to be printed, so as to press the flat material 18 against the fixed crosspiece 35.
  • the fixed crosspiece 35 and the blade 36 thus ensure in combination precise alignment during introduction of the flat material 18, and also that the material 18 is held in position at page bottom, when the material 18 is no longer held by the roller 23 and the counter-rollers 27.
  • the printer comprises downstream of the printhead 15 a mechanism 40 intended for tautening the material 18 to be printed in the printing area 10.
  • the mechanism 40 comprises a roller 41, arranged on a shaft 42 rotatable around a fixed axis.
  • the roller 41 is fitted with fine points 43 intended for cooperating with the flat material 18.
  • Counter-rollers 46 are resiliently pressed by springs 47 against the roller 41.
  • the latter and the roller 23 are made rotate by a motor not shown.
  • the tangential displacement speed of the roller 41 is slightly greater than that of the roller 23 so that the material 18 is tautened in the printing area. A tangential speed difference of between 0.1 and 1.0% is particularly advantageous.
  • the flat material 18 is introduced through the entrance 11 where it slides on a surface 50 of the frame 14, and where it is guided by a guiding element 51 before being gripped between the roller 23 and the counter-rollers 27.
  • the upper surface of the flat material 18 to be printed thereafter always adopts the same position and height with respect to the printhead 15, regardless of the thickness of the material 18, in order to define a reference level creating a predetermined gap h with the front surface 20 of the printhead 15.
  • the position of the counter-rollers 27 consequently varies in function of thickness of the flat material 18.
  • the flat material 18 is then pressed by the plastic blade 36 against the fixed crosspiece 35, perfectly aligned with the circumference of the roller 23.
  • the flat material 18 is thus guided by the first support member 22 and the first fixed support member 32 until it comes between the roller 41 and the counter-rollers 46, in order to be tautened in the printing area 10.
  • the gap of distance h between the surface of the flat material 18 to be printed and the front surface 20 of the printhead 15 is also constant for all the materials to be printed, however thick they may be. This perfectly adjusted gap is obtained by the support members 22, 32 and the roller 41 and through the effect of the tension exerted on the flat material 18 in the printing area 10.
  • the rotating members 23, 27, 41 and 46 could consist of continuous rollers or cylinders or discontinuous rollers arranged on a common shaft.
  • the roller 23 could be replaced by a fixed support in the form of a crosspiece.
  • the rollers 23 and 41 need not necessarily be driven; the printer in this case would comprise additional driving members.
  • rollers 27 and 46 could be replaced by resilient support pads.
  • the printhead 15 and fixed support members could be arranged under the material 18 to be printed, in which case printing would take place upwards.
  • the reference level could be inclined, or even vertical.

Landscapes

  • Ink Jet (AREA)
  • Common Mechanisms (AREA)
  • Handling Of Cut Paper (AREA)

Claims (10)

  1. Imprimante à jet d'encre comprenant :
    une zone d'impression (10) dans laquelle une téte d'impression (15) est susceptible d'imprimer un film monté (18) déplacé suivant une direction d'alimentation (19) à partir d'une entrée (11) de l'imprimante à travers la zone d'impression (10) vers une sortie (12) ;
    des moyens d'ajustement pour ajuster un intervalle (h) séparant une surface avant (20) de la tête d'impression dudit film monté (18), lesdits moyens d'ajustement comprenant un élément de support (22, 32) coopérant avec une surface du film monté (18) faisant face à la tête d'impression (15) afin de déterminer un niveau de référence créant l'intervalle prédéterminé (h) avec la surface avant (20) de la tête d'impression (15) ; et
    un mécanisme (40) pour durcir le film monté (18) dans la zone d'impression (10) afin de le positionner dans un plan à travers ledit niveau de référence,
       caractérisée en ce que ledit élément de support comprend un premier rouleau (23) rotatif autour d'un premier axe fixe, et en ce que ledit mécanisme destiné au durcissement comprend un second rouleau (41) rotatif autour d'un second axe fixe, ledit premier rouleau, ledit second rouleau et ladite tête d'impression étant situés du même côté que ledit film monté, ledit premier axe et ledit second axe étant dans une position fixe par rapport à ladite tête d'impression (15) et ledit intervalle (h) reste constant pour tous les documents à imprimer.
  2. Imprimante selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce que ledit premier rouleau (23) est fixé sur un axe (24) rotatif autour dudit premier axe.
  3. Imprimante selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce que ledit élément de support (32) comprend une entretoise fixe(35).
  4. Imprimante selon la revendication 3, caractérisée en ce qu'elle comprend une lame élastique (36) placée en regard de l'entretoise fixe (35) de telle sorte qu'elle comprime le film monté (18) contre l'entretoise fixe (35).
  5. Imprimante selon la revendication 2, caractérisée en ce que ledit élément de support (22) coopère avec un premier élément rotatif (27) appuyé de manière élastique contre l'élément de support (22).
  6. Imprimante selon la revendication 2, caractérisée en ce que ledit élément de support (22) coopère avec une garniture de support élastique.
  7. Imprimante selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, caractérisée en ce que ledit second rouleau (41) est agencé en aval de la tête d'impression (15), fixé sur un axe (42) rotatif autour d'un axe fixe, prévu pour coopérer avec la surface du film monté (18) faisant face à la tête d'impression (15) afin de déterminer à l'aide dudit premier élément de support (22) ledit niveau de référence, et coopère avec un second élément rotatif (46) appuyé de manière élastique contre lui.
  8. Imprimante selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, caractérisée en ce que ledit second rouleau (41) est agencé en aval de la tête d'impression (15), fixé sur un axe (42) rotatif autour d'un axe fixe, prévu pour coopérer avec la surface du film monté (18) faisant face à la tête d'impression (15) afin de déterminer à l'aide dudit premier élément de support (22) ledit niveau de référence, et coopère avec une garniture de support élastique.
  9. Imprimante selon la revendication 7 ou la revendication 8, caractérisée en ce qu'un mécanisme d'entraínement fait pivoter ledit second rouleau (41) et est pourvu sur l'ensemble de sa circonférence de points fins (43) coopérant avec le film monté (18) afin de constituer le mécanisme (40) prévu pour durcir le film monté (18) dans la zone d'impression.
  10. Imprimante selon la revendication 7 ou la revendication 8, caractérisée en ce que le premier rouleau (23) et le second rouleau (41) sont amenés à pivoter et en ce qu'une vitesse tangentielle sur la circonférence dudit second rouleau (41) est entre 0,1 et 1,0 % supérieure à la vitesse tangentielle sur la circonférence du premier rouleau (23).
EP19970102553 1996-03-05 1997-02-18 Imprimante à jet d'encre Expired - Lifetime EP0794063B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CH568/96 1996-03-05
CH56896 1996-03-05
CH00568/96A CH691961A5 (fr) 1996-03-05 1996-03-05 Imprimante.

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0794063A1 EP0794063A1 (fr) 1997-09-10
EP0794063B1 true EP0794063B1 (fr) 2001-10-10

Family

ID=4190025

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19970102553 Expired - Lifetime EP0794063B1 (fr) 1996-03-05 1997-02-18 Imprimante à jet d'encre

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0794063B1 (fr)
JP (1) JPH09323408A (fr)
CH (1) CH691961A5 (fr)
DE (1) DE69707173T2 (fr)

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP4892389B2 (ja) * 2007-04-03 2012-03-07 株式会社ミマキエンジニアリング プリンター装置
CN102616006B (zh) * 2012-03-13 2014-02-26 新会江裕信息产业有限公司 一种平推式打印机

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS5859878A (ja) * 1981-10-06 1983-04-09 Usac Electronics Ind Co Ltd 印字ヘツドの支持装置
EP0334548B1 (fr) * 1988-03-21 1993-12-22 Hewlett-Packard Company Dispositif pour assurer l'égalité d'une feuille de papier et l'espacement entre le papier et le traceur pendant l'impression
JP3584044B2 (ja) * 1991-06-18 2004-11-04 セイコーエプソン株式会社 インクジェットプリンタ
EP0650846B1 (fr) * 1993-10-29 1998-12-09 Hewlett-Packard Company Commande auto-ajustable de l'espace entre la tête d'impression et le support d'enregistrement dans les imprimantes par jet d'encre
GB2290262B (en) * 1994-02-10 1996-09-04 Seiko Epson Corp Ink jet printer

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE69707173T2 (de) 2002-06-27
JPH09323408A (ja) 1997-12-16
CH691961A5 (fr) 2001-12-14
DE69707173D1 (de) 2001-11-15
EP0794063A1 (fr) 1997-09-10

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