JP2006205651A - Recording apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a recording apparatus which can retreat a guiding member from a paper carrying path when a paper medium is recorded, and can rotate the guiding member on the carrying path for carrying the paper medium and perform a recording operation when a disk-like recording medium is recorded. <P>SOLUTION: An inkjet recording apparatus records an image on a disk-like recording medium layer, and comprises a rotatable guiding member, a driving device for rotating the guiding member, a holding tool for fixing the disk-like recording medium at the apex part of the guiding member, an inkjet recording means for recording the image on the disk-like recording medium carried by the guiding member, and a data processing system for dividing image information into appropriate line information in advance. The apparatus is characterized by that the information divided in lines is recorded on the disk-like recording medium on every line to form the image. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus having a carriage equipped with a recording head having a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink droplets, and reciprocating the carriage on a disk-shaped recording medium having a print layer suitable for recording image information. The present invention relates to a recording apparatus for recording an image.

  The configuration of a printer for recording image information on a disk-shaped recording medium is that the disk-shaped recording medium is rotated around the center hole of the disk-shaped recording medium in a positional relationship where the center hole of the disk-shaped recording medium is on the scanning line of the recording head. A method has been proposed in which image information broken down into lines is recorded in the radial direction for each line while rotating around the center (see Patent Document 1).

  As another configuration, the disk-shaped recording medium fixed by the holder is moved along the direction perpendicular to the scanning direction of the recording head by two conveyor belts, and the paper is recorded in the same manner as image recording on the paper medium. A method has been proposed in which image information decomposed into lines is recorded for each line from the front end to the rear end (see Patent Document 2).

An inkjet recording apparatus capable of recording an image on a disk-shaped recording medium that is currently commercially available is not an apparatus dedicated to image recording on a disk-shaped recording medium, but an inkjet recording apparatus having an image recording function on a recording sheet. As an optional function, the apparatus has a function of recording an image on a disk-shaped recording medium. Usually, as a recording sheet conveying means of an ink jet recording apparatus, a recording sheet is nipped and conveyed by two rollers of a conveying roller and a driven rotating roller for urging the recording medium to the conveying roller. Is common. In a recording apparatus having such a configuration, when recording an image on a disk-shaped recording medium, a dedicated roller is used to avoid physical contact of the transport roller with the information recording surface corresponding to the back surface of the image recording surface of the disk-shaped recording medium. In general, a disc-shaped recording medium is placed on the tray and conveyed using the conveying roller.
JP-A-1-38237 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-5332

  The method of rotating the disk-shaped recording medium and recording it in the radial direction, as mentioned above as an example of the prior art, and transporting the disk-shaped recording medium in the direction perpendicular to the scanning direction of the recording head and recording from the leading edge to the trailing edge. In this method, even when the dedicated conveying means for conveying the disk-shaped recording medium is not in use, the recording head is arranged immediately below the recording area of the recording head. When considering compatibility, the conveying means becomes an obstacle when recording on a recording sheet, and the recording apparatus having the means must be an apparatus dedicated to recording on a disk-shaped recording medium, The problem is that it costs a lot.

  In addition, in a method in which a disk-shaped recording medium is placed on a dedicated transport tray and transported and recorded using a transport roller, as in a currently marketed ink jet recording apparatus, the dedicated tray is used when not in use. Has to be stored separately, which is a big burden on the user.

  In order to solve the above problems, in the present invention, when the recording apparatus has two conveying means for conveying a recording sheet and two conveying means for conveying a disc-shaped recording medium, and one conveying means is used, It is an object of the present invention to provide a recording apparatus having a configuration in which the other conveying means is retracted so as not to hinder the recording work.

  In order to achieve the above object, the configuration of the present invention includes: a conveying unit that conveys a recording sheet; a discharging unit that discharges a recorded recording sheet to the outside of the recording apparatus; A rotatable guide member having a rotation center at a position avoided from the conveyance path constituted by the means, a drive device for rotating the guide member, and fixing the disc-shaped recording medium to the tip of the guide member And a recording apparatus having an inkjet recording unit that performs recording by ejecting ink droplets onto a recording medium conveyed by the both conveying units.

  The recording apparatus of the present invention further includes a data processing system that converts image information into a plurality of line information divided by an arbitrary length in the conveyance direction of the recording medium. An image can be formed by recording.

  In the recording operation of the recording apparatus having the above configuration, the disc-shaped recording medium is conveyed along an arc-shaped locus with respect to the linear scanning locus of the recording head. In other words, after a certain width of recording is performed by the recording head, a predetermined amount of the disc-shaped recording medium is transported to print the next area, and the boundary between the recorded area and the unrecorded area becomes the scanning trajectory of the recording head. On the other hand, there arises a problem that the guide member is inclined by the rotation amount angle. Therefore, an appropriate image cannot be formed only by recording the conventional line information obtained by dividing the image information by an arbitrary length in the direction perpendicular to the scanning direction of the recording head.

  As a first configuration for solving the above-described problems, the present invention adds a function of appropriately processing recorded information according to the rotation angle of the guide member that conveys the disk-shaped recording medium in the data processing system. A recording apparatus is provided.

  As a second configuration for solving the above-described problem, in the present invention, the holder that fixes the disc-shaped recording medium attached to the front end of the guide member is reversed in the reverse direction according to the rotation angle of the guide member. And a recording apparatus having a conveying unit that rotates the recording medium and the recording area so that the boundary between the recorded area and the unrecorded area is always parallel to the scanning direction of the recording head.

  That is, the present invention is an ink jet recording apparatus that records an image on a layer of a disc-shaped recording medium, and includes a rotatable guide member, a drive device that rotates the guide member, and a distal end portion of the guide member. A holder for fixing the disk-shaped recording medium, an inkjet recording means for recording an image on the disk-shaped recording medium conveyed by the guide member, and a data processing system for dividing the image information into appropriate line information in advance. Then, the recording apparatus is characterized in that the information divided into lines is recorded on the disk-shaped recording medium line by line to form an image.

  According to the above configuration, when the recording apparatus has the two conveying means of the paper medium conveying means and the disc-shaped recording medium conveying means, and one of the conveying means is used, the other conveying means is used for the recording work. It is possible to provide a recording apparatus that is evacuated so as not to hinder. That is, when recording a paper medium, the guide member is retracted from the paper conveyance path, and when recording a disk-shaped recording medium, the guide member is rotated on the conveyance path for conveying the paper medium. It can be moved and recorded.

  Needless to say, the disk-shaped recording medium conveying means can be used in a recording apparatus dedicated to image recording on the disk-shaped recording medium.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  Example 1 of the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic internal configuration of an ink jet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, a recording apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a data processing system that divides image information into appropriate line information according to the type of recording medium, a conveyance roller 3 as a recording sheet conveyance mechanism that conveys a recording sheet, A mechanism that includes a paper discharge roller 5 that is a discharge unit that discharges the recording sheet to the outside of the recording apparatus, and a platen 7 that supports the recording sheet between the transport roller 3 and the paper discharge roller 5, and further transports a disk-shaped recording medium A rotatable guide member 13, a rotational drive motor (not shown) for driving the rotational movement of the guide member 13, and a guide member connected to the drive motor and fixed in the axial direction to rotate the guide member. A gear 12 and a holding member 14 positioned at the tip of the guide member and fixing the disc-shaped medium to the guide member 13 are provided.

  Furthermore, the recording apparatus according to the present embodiment is disposed opposite to the platen 7, and supports the recording head 1 that is a recording unit that performs recording by ejecting ink droplets, and the recording head 1 is detachably supported. A carriage 2 that moves in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction.

  A pinch roller 4 is pressed against the conveyance roller 3 by a biasing force of a pinch roller spring (not shown) via a pinch roller holder (not shown), and is rotated by the rotation of the conveyance roller 3 to generate a conveyance force for the recording sheet. Is generated. Also in the paper discharge roller 5, the spur 6 is pressed by a biasing force of a spring shaft (not shown) attached to a spur holder (not shown), and is rotated by the rotation of the paper discharge roller 5 to be conveyed to the recording sheet. Generating power.

  The pinch roller holder and the spur holder can be moved in the vertical direction by a release mechanism drive motor (not shown), and the pinch roller 4 and the spur 6 are brought into contact with the conveying roller 3 and the discharge roller 5, respectively. It can be canceled.

  The carriage 2 is fixed to the endless belt 8. The endless belt 8 is wound around pulleys 9 and 10. A drive shaft of a carriage drive motor (main scanning motor) 11 is connected to the pulley 9. As a result, the carriage 2 is scanned and scanned in the main scanning direction B by the rotational drive of the carriage drive motor 11.

  In the recording head, a plurality of ink ejection openings arranged in parallel in the recording sheet conveyance direction are formed on the surface facing the recording sheet. The recording head is provided with an ink path connected to each of the plurality of ejection openings, and an electrothermal converter that generates thermal energy for ink ejection is provided corresponding to each ink path. . The electrothermal transducer generates heat by applying an electric pulse in accordance with driving data, thereby causing film boiling in the ink, and the ink is ejected from the ejection port as bubbles are generated by the film boiling. Discharge. Each ink path is provided with a common liquid chamber that communicates with them in common, and this common liquid chamber is connected to an ink tank.

  Here, the flow when recording an image on a recording sheet will be described. After the recording sheet is conveyed from a paper feed tray (not shown), it is composed of a pair of roller units composed of an upstream conveying roller 3 and a pinch roller 4, a downstream discharge roller 5 and a spur 6. The sheet is sandwiched between a pair of roller units and is intermittently conveyed in a conveyance direction A orthogonal to the scanning direction of the recording head 1 in a state in which a certain tension is applied and flatness with respect to the recording head is ensured. Recording is performed on the entire recording sheet while alternately repeating a printing operation having a width corresponding to the array width of the ejection ports of the recording head and feeding the recording sheet.

  The line information for one scan accompanying the movement of the carriage is prepared in advance by the data processing system. The line information created at this time is line information obtained by dividing the image information by an arbitrary length in the arrow A direction.

  Next, a flow when recording an image on a disk-shaped recording medium will be described. When recording on a disk-shaped recording medium, first, in order to allow the disk-shaped recording medium to pass between the platen 7 and the recording head 1, the pinch roller 4 and the spur 6 are moved by the release mechanism driving motor described above. Release from the conveying roller 3 and the paper discharge roller 5 respectively.

  Next, in order to set the disc-shaped recording medium on the holder 14, the guide member 13 in the retracted state as shown in FIG. 2 is rotated to the disc-shaped recording medium setting position shown in FIG. Move.

  When the disc-shaped recording medium is set on the holder 14 by the user, the guide member 13 is rotated to the recording start position as shown in FIG. 4 to start the recording operation.

  The recording operation is performed by repeating the operation of rotating the guide member 13 and transporting an arbitrary predetermined amount, and then scanning the recording head to perform recording.

  At this time, the recorded line information is line information in consideration of the inclination of the boundary between the recorded area and the non-area generated by the rotation of the guide member. The line information is created in advance by a data processing system.

  When a series of recording operations are completed, the guide member 13 is rotated to the position where the disk-shaped recording medium can be set as shown in FIG. 3, and the recorded disk-shaped recording medium is presented to the user.

  When it is confirmed that the user has taken out the recorded disc-shaped recording medium, the guide member 13 is rotated to the retracted state as shown in FIG. 2, and then the pinch roller 4 and the spur 6 are moved by the aforementioned release mechanism drive motor. Again, the conveying roller 3 and the roller 5 are brought into contact with each other, and the recording operation of the disc-shaped recording medium is completed.

  According to the above configuration, the recording sheet conveying means is normally used and the disk-shaped recording medium can be used only when necessary.

  In the above-described embodiment, the line information is appropriately prepared according to the rotation angle of the guide member to form an image. However, the boundary information between the recorded area and the unrecorded area generated by the rotation of the guide member is used. By adopting a configuration in which the tilt is always canceled, desired image recording can be performed. In this configuration, the disk-shaped recording medium can be transported so that the boundary between the recorded area and the unrecorded area is always parallel to the scanning direction of the recording head, so that the disk described in the first embodiment is used. It is not necessary to have a data processing system dedicated to the recording medium.

  Since the configuration of the recording apparatus of the present embodiment is basically the same as the configuration of the recording apparatus of the first embodiment, only the configuration different from the first embodiment will be described.

  The recording apparatus of the present embodiment does not have the data processing system dedicated to the disk-shaped recording medium that the recording apparatus of the first embodiment has, and the image information has an arbitrary length in the direction orthogonal to the scanning direction of the recording head. The conventional data processing system that creates only the line information divided in (1) is provided.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5 showing a schematic side view, the recording apparatus of the present embodiment is a new disk-shaped recording medium conveying means that is applied to a gear 12 that is connected to a rotation drive motor and rotates a guide member 13. It has a stepped pulley 101 in contact, a pulley 102 positioned at the front end of a guide member, an endless belt 103 wound around the pulleys 101 and 102, and a disk-shaped recording medium holder 104 that rotates following the rotation of the pulley 102.

  According to the above configuration, the stepped pulley 101 rotates by -θ with respect to the arbitrary rotation angle θ of the gear 12 and the guide member 13 connected thereto, and the pulley is connected to the stepped pulley 102 via the endless belt. 102 also rotates at −θ. The pulley 102 is connected to the holder 104, and the disc-shaped recording medium fixed to the holder 104 rotates by -θ. As a result, the recorded area of the disc-shaped recording medium can be conveyed while being always kept parallel to the scanning direction of the recording head.

  As a recording operation of the disk-shaped recording medium having the above-described configuration, the line information is sequentially recorded from the front end to the rear end of the recording medium. The line information created at this time is a line obtained by dividing the image information by an arbitrary length in a direction orthogonal to the operation direction of the recording head.

  Since a series of flow in the recording operation is the same as that in the first embodiment, it is omitted here.

Note that the rotation angle φ of the guide member required when image formation is performed by one-pass recording in which only one scan of the recording head is performed is as follows: rsin (φ + α) −rsinα = 1
It can be expressed by the relational expression Here, a recording position A in the figure indicates a position before conveyance, and a recording position B indicates a position after conveyance. Further, r is the length of the guide member, α is an angle formed by the guide member at the recording position A and a straight line passing through the rotation center of the guide member and parallel to the scanning direction of the recording head, and l is an arbitrary recording length. . The angle formed by the guide member at the recording position A and the guide member at the recording position B represents a desired rotation angle φ. The values other than φ in the above formula are known values, and if this is solved according to φ, a desired rotation angle φ can be obtained. Although an image forming method in one pass has been described here, image formation by a plurality of passes can be easily performed by appropriately adjusting the conveyance length represented by the left side of the above equation.

1 is a perspective view showing a schematic internal configuration of an ink jet recording apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic top view showing a state when a transport mechanism for transporting a disk-shaped recording medium is located at a retracted position in the ink jet recording apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic top view showing a state in which a transport mechanism for transporting a disk-shaped recording medium is positioned at a position for setting the disk-shaped recording medium on a holder in the ink jet recording apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is. FIG. 2 is a schematic top view showing a state when a transport mechanism for transporting a disk-shaped recording medium is positioned at a recording start position in the ink jet recording apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is the typical side view which showed the conveyance mechanism which conveys the disk-shaped recording medium of the inkjet recording device which is Example 2 of this invention. In the inkjet recording apparatus which is Example 2 of this invention, it is the schematic diagram showing the relationship between the angle amount which a guide member should rotate for every scan, and other known parameters.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Recording head 2 Carriage 3 Conveyance roller 4 Pinch roller 5 Paper discharge roller 6 Spur 7 Platen 8 Endless belt 9 Pulley 10 Pulley 11 Carriage drive motor 12 Guide member drive gear 13 Guide member 14 Holder 101 Stepped pulley 102 Pulley 103 Endless belt 104 Holder

Claims (6)

An inkjet recording apparatus for recording an image on a layer of a disk-shaped recording medium,
A rotatable guide member;
A driving device for rotating the guide member;
A holder for fixing the disc-shaped recording medium to the tip of the guide member;
Inkjet recording means for recording an image on the disc-shaped recording medium conveyed by the guide member;
A data processing system for dividing image information into appropriate line information in advance,
Record the information divided into lines on the disk-shaped recording medium line by line,
A recording apparatus for forming an image.   In addition to the disk-shaped recording medium conveying means using the guide member, the disk-shaped recording medium conveying means has conveying means for conveying a recording sheet, and the center of rotation of the guide member is not on the conveying path of the paper medium conveying means. The recording apparatus according to claim 1.   In a data processing system for dividing image information into appropriate line information in advance, an angle at which the boundary between the recorded area and the unrecorded area is inclined with respect to the scanning direction of the recording head by the rotation of the guide member is calculated in advance. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording apparatus has a function of converting into appropriate line information so that an image can be formed. An inkjet recording apparatus for recording an image on a layer of a disk-shaped recording medium,
A rotatable guide member;
A driving device for rotating the guide member;
A rotatable holder for fixing the disc-shaped recording medium to the tip of the guide member;
Drive means for rotating the holder;
Inkjet recording means for recording an image on the disc-shaped recording medium conveyed by the guide member;
A data processing system for dividing image information into appropriate line information in advance,
Record the information divided into lines on the disk-shaped recording medium line by line,
A recording apparatus for forming an image.   When the disc-shaped medium is conveyed by the rotation of the guide member, the boundary between the recorded region and the unrecorded region is set to be the same as that of the recording head by rotating the holder in the same direction as the rotation of the guide member. The recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the recording apparatus is always parallel to the scanning direction.   6. The recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the driving device for the guide member and the driving device for the holder are the same driving device.