JP2008265207A - Maintenance mechanism and image recording device with the maintenance mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem that an image recording device recording images on both sides of continuous paper requires a large exclusive space due to a maintenance mechanism, the removal of the continuous paper for maintenance purpose takes a lot of time and labor, and a structure to move a recording head requires adjustments such as alignment after the maintenance. <P>SOLUTION: In the image recording device, maintenance is carried out for a fixed recording head by evacuating the rollers from the movement route of a maintenance unit by moving rollers to transfer the continuous paper together with the continuous paper. After the maintenance finishes, the recording head is stored in its original position and the continuous paper is reloaded simply by returning the rollers to their original transfer route, the image forming device resumes image recording on both sides of the continuous paper. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a maintenance mechanism mounted on an image recording apparatus capable of printing on continuous paper and an image recording apparatus mounted with the maintenance mechanism.

  In general, an image recording apparatus that records an image on continuous paper wound in a roll on a drum or the like is known. The wound continuous paper is fed at a predetermined speed, recorded on an image by a recording head, and then wound around another drum or folded and accommodated. Various configurations have been realized or proposed as maintenance units for performing maintenance processing on the recording head.

  For example, in Patent Document 1, a sending motor and a take-up motor are arranged upstream and downstream of a conveyance path, a platen and a head for recording an image are provided between them, and image recording for recording an image on continuous paper is performed. A device has been proposed. This image recording device is equipped with a maintenance mechanism that lowers the continuous paper and platen downward, provides a space between the head and continuous paper, inserts a maintenance unit from the width direction of the continuous paper, and performs maintenance processing. ing.

In addition, there is an image recording apparatus in which a small drum is arranged at the top and bottom, and a head is arranged so as to face the front and back of the sheet between them to perform duplex printing. For example, in Patent Document 2, a sheet conveyed from a sheet feeding cassette is conveyed from top to bottom with both ends sandwiched between a driving belt and a driven belt. A head is disposed at a position facing the front and back of the sheet, and a maintenance unit formed integrally with the head is disposed at a position facing the head.
JP 2003-165205 A JP-A-7-314822

  In Patent Document 1 described above, the platen and continuous paper are lowered during maintenance, and the maintenance unit is inserted from the depth direction of the apparatus. Therefore, at least twice as much space as continuous paper is required. Further, in Patent Document 2, it takes time to take out the recording paper facing the recording head on the transport path once when performing the maintenance process. Furthermore, maintenance is performed by moving the recording head from the recording position to the maintenance position. For this reason, the recording paper is reloaded and the recording head is reinstalled, and the image recording is resumed. Therefore, it takes time to perform the cleaning process and restore it. In particular, since the continuous paper and the recording head are both moved, there is a high possibility that the reset position is different from that before the maintenance. An image is recorded with a deviation from the previously recorded recording position, and there is a possibility that a high quality image cannot be stably obtained.

  Therefore, the present invention, when performing maintenance of a recording head for recording an image on continuous paper, maintains a good image quality by performing a maintenance process while the recording head is fixed at a recording position, and the apparatus itself is large-sized. It is an object of the present invention to provide a maintenance mechanism that can be realized without making it and an image recording apparatus equipped with the maintenance mechanism.

  In order to achieve the above object, an embodiment of the present invention is a maintenance mechanism mounted on an image recording apparatus having two head units for recording images on both sides of a continuous sheet to be transported. A maintenance processing unit that performs maintenance processing on the unit, a maintenance driving unit that moves the maintenance processing unit from the retracted position to a facing position and faces the head unit, and a conveyance path that conveys the continuous paper during image recording are formed. Then, the front and back sides of the continuous paper are passed through the front of the recording unit of the head unit, and during the maintenance process, the continuous paper is retracted from the recording position of the head unit to the outside of the moving path of the maintenance driving unit while being engaged with the continuous paper. A maintenance mechanism is provided.

  Furthermore, the embodiment according to the present invention includes a head unit that records images on the front and back surfaces of continuous paper that is transported by ejecting ink from nozzles, a transport mechanism that includes a roller that transports the continuous paper, and a movement of the roller. A roller moving mechanism for retracting the continuous paper from the head unit; a maintenance unit for performing maintenance processing on the head unit; and a position facing the head unit during the maintenance processing by rotating the maintenance unit about an axis. A rotating mechanism that moves between retreat positions during image recording, and the roller moving mechanism retracts the continuous paper from the head unit and then makes the maintenance unit face the head unit. A recording device is provided.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to perform double-sided printing on continuous paper without increasing the size of the apparatus itself, and by performing the maintenance process while fixing the position of the recording head without removing the continuous paper from the conveyance path, A maintenance mechanism capable of obtaining stable image quality and an image recording apparatus equipped with the maintenance mechanism can be provided.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
An image recording apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overview of the entire apparatus of this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of the continuous paper conveyance path and the peripheral units. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a continuous paper conveyance path during maintenance. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the configuration of the head unit as viewed obliquely. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the configuration of the maintenance unit as viewed from an oblique direction. FIG. 6 is a front view of the continuous paper slack preventing mechanism. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a continuous paper retracting mechanism.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the image recording apparatus according to the present embodiment is an ink jet printer that records an image by ejecting ink onto continuous paper. In the vicinity of the outside of the apparatus main body 1, a paper supply drum 3 for supplying continuous paper to be wound and a take-up drum 2 for winding up the continuous paper on which an image has been recorded are arranged. Among these, the reverse rotation motor 61 is disposed on the paper supply drum 3, and the winding motor 4 is disposed on the side surface of the winding drum 2. The take-up drum 2 and the paper feed drum 3 can be rotated by a shaft (not shown). Further, a gear mechanism may be interposed between a shaft (not shown) and the motor.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the continuous paper conveyance path from the paper supply drum 3 to the take-up drum 2 is formed by rollers 10 a to 10 h that are installed to be movable and rotatable by a frame (not shown). The rollers 10 a to 10 h are arranged from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the continuous paper 5. The continuous paper 5 may be nipped by a nip roller that is driven so that no slip occurs between the rollers 10 a to 10 h and the continuous paper 5.

  FIG. 2 shows a state in which an image is recorded on the continuous paper 5. The continuous paper 5 transported horizontally from the paper supply drum 3 to the roller 10a is directed to the roller 10b disposed obliquely above approximately 45 degrees, and from there through the roller 10c disposed below the roller 10b, It goes to the roller 10d arranged in the horizontal direction. Next, the continuous paper 5 travels from the roller 10d to the roller 10e disposed obliquely above approximately 45 degrees on the roller 10b side, and from there toward the roller 10f disposed below the roller 10e. Next, the continuous paper 5 is transported to and taken up by the take-up drum 2 via a roller 10f that is disposed horizontally with a roller 10f and is directed upward from 10g.

The roller 10a on the upstream side of the delivery path is provided with an encoder (not shown) that detects the rotational speed. Between the roller 10a and the roller 10b, the 1st head unit 6 is arrange | positioned so as to oppose the 1st surface (front surface) of the continuous paper 5 in parallel.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the first head unit 6 has four color recording heads 22 for a plurality of colors, for example, cyan C, black B, magenta M, and yellow Y, sequentially fixed to the carriage 23 for each color. ing. Of course, the ink colors are not limited to four, and may be further increased or decreased.

  The first head unit 6 has six short recording heads 22 of each color arranged in two rows alternately in a staggered manner in the width direction of the continuous paper, and records one line by timing the ink ejection. It is configured to be able to. The recording head 22 is not limited to the staggered shape as shown in FIG. 4, and may be a single line head.

  In the vicinity of the recording head 22, a plurality of rollers 36 are arranged in a space between the arranged recording heads 22. These rollers 36 are disposed so as to extend, for example, 1 mm with respect to the nozzle surface 22 a of the recording head 22. This distance of 1 mm is a gap between the continuous paper 5 and the nozzle surface 22a. The carriage 23 is fixed to a frame (not shown) by a mounting shaft 24.

  A second head unit 7 is disposed between the roller 10d and the roller 10e so as to face the second surface (back surface) of the continuous paper 5 in parallel. The second head unit 7 has the same configuration as the head unit 6 described above. Between the roller 10g and the roller 10h, the first maintenance unit 8 and the second maintenance unit 9 are arranged so as to sandwich the continuous paper 5. Further, a first maintenance unit 8 and a second maintenance unit 9 are arranged between the first head unit 6 and the second head unit 7.

  The first maintenance unit 8 and the second maintenance unit 9 have the same configuration, and the surfaces on which the caps 27 used for the maintenance process are arranged face outward and are so-called back-to-back. Rollers 12 for feeding the continuous paper 5 are provided on the opposing surfaces. Further, a base 57 provided with a cap 27 is moved above each of the first and second maintenance units 8 and 9 so as to reach the first and second head units 6 and 7. A drive mechanism is provided. Here, the first maintenance unit 8 will be described as a representative.

  As a drive mechanism, the width of the continuous paper 5 and one end of the “59” -shaped arm 59 are fixed to the upper side of the rectangular base 57, for example, the shape of the “U” -shaped arm 59. The other end of the arm 59 is fixed to the shaft 17. Both ends of the shaft 17 are supported by bearings provided on a frame (not shown) and can be smoothly rotated by a bearing or the like. A pulley 26 is fixed to one end of the shaft 17. A belt 18 is hung on the pulley 26, and a pulley 19 is disposed on one side of the belt 18. The pulley 19 is fixed to the rotating shaft of the motor 20.

  The base 57 has a rectangular shape, and a plurality of caps 27 as members for cleaning the recording head 22 (maintenance processing) are arranged.

  These caps 27 are arranged at positions where they abut against the recording head 22 when the base 57 is addressed to the head unit 6 in the cleaning process. The portion of the cap 27 that contacts the recording head 22 is formed of an elastic member, such as a resin material or a rubber material, and is formed so as to cover the nozzle surface in an airtight manner when contacting.

  Further, suction ports 27 a are opened, and each is connected to the suction tube 28. The suction tube 28 is connected to the suction pump 30 via the tube 29. The ink sucked by the suction pump 30 is discharged to a waste liquid bottle 32 connected via a tube 31. The suction pump 30 and the waste liquid bottle 32 are installed in the apparatus main body 1.

  In addition to the cap 27, a wipe blade for wiping off the ink on the nozzle surface of the recording head 22 may be provided in parallel. The maintenance unit 9 has the same configuration as that of the first maintenance unit 8, and includes a base 56, an arm 58, a shaft 16, a pulley 25, a belt 15, a pulley 14, a motor 13, and the like. In addition, a sensor (not shown) for detecting the recording position and the maintenance position of the first maintenance units 8 and 9 may be installed.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the roller 10 g is pulled downward by the urging portion 45 and applies tension to the continuous paper 5. The urging unit 45 includes a bearing and a holding plate 45a that supports both ends of the roller 10g (tension roller), a linear guide 45b that supports the holding plate 45a so as to be slidable from both sides, and a guide that fixes the linear guide 45b. The base 45c includes a hook 45d provided on the holding plate 45a and a spring 46 hung between a spring receiving portion 45e provided on the guide base 45c.

  A moving mechanism 67 as shown in FIG. 7 is arranged on the roller 10b and the roller 10e shown in FIG. The moving mechanism 67 moves the first head unit 6 and the second head unit 7 to a position where the continuous paper 5 faces and a position where it is retracted. That is, the moving mechanism 67 lowers the roller 10b and the roller 10e at the normal recording position to the position A as shown in FIG. 3, and retracts the continuous paper 5 from the front of the recording heads 6 and 7. In addition, since the moving mechanism 67 provided in each of the roller 10b and the roller 10e has the same configuration, the moving mechanism 67 provided on the roller 10b side will be described as a representative.

  The moving mechanism 67 pivotally supports both ends of the roller 10b by a bearing 44 provided inside the support plate 43. The support plate 43 is fixed to the guide base 40. The guide base 40 is provided with an elevating base 39 in which a screw hole is opened, and is guided by a guide 42 so as to be movable up and down. A ball screw 41 is screwed into the screw hole of the elevating base 39. The ball screw 41 is rotatably supported at both ends by a spacer 38, and the upper end is fastened to the motor 37 via a coupling 60.

  In this configuration, when the ball screw 41 is rotated by the motor 37, the support plate 43 integrated with the lifting base 39 is lifted and lowered. The image recording position of the roller 10b and the roller 10e shown in FIG. 2 is the uppermost position, and the maintenance position (retracted position) shown in FIG. 3 is the lowest position. Whether or not these positions have been reached is detected by the sensors 11a and 11b. As the sensor, an optical sensor, a proximity sensor, or the like can be used. In addition, a locking mechanism is provided for holding the positions so that no rattling or the like occurs when the rollers 10b and 10e move to the image recording position or the maintenance position.

  In addition, the downward movement to the maintenance position is driven and controlled by a control unit (not shown) when a user operation is performed or a maintenance process is instructed at a predetermined timing. In addition, in this embodiment, although it is the raising / lowering mechanism by the ball screw 41 and the raising / lowering base 39, of course, it is not limited to this. For example, the moving mechanism 67 of the rollers 10b and 10e is not limited thereto, and may be moved using a motor and a belt.

Next, operations of the image recording process and the maintenance process by the moving mechanism configured as described above will be described.
FIG. 2 shows a state in which an image is recorded on the continuous paper 5. At the time of image recording, the roller 10 b and the roller 10 e are locked at an image recording position where the continuous paper 5 is opposed to the first head unit 6 and the second head unit 7. At this time, the first maintenance unit 8 and the second maintenance unit 9 are in positions where the rollers 10g and the rollers 10h face each other and the continuous paper 5 is passed by the rollers 12.

  When image recording is instructed, the winding motor 4 is rotated and the winding drum 2 is rotated. At the same time, the continuous paper 5 is sent out from the paper supply drum 3, passes through the roller 10 a, and image recording is performed on the first surface (front surface) of the continuous paper 5 by the first head unit 6.

  The roller 36 shown in FIG. 4 operates so as to stably maintain the gap between the continuous paper 5 and the recording head 22 in the vicinity of the recording head 22. The continuous paper 5 on which the image has been recorded advances along the conveyance path with the rollers 10b, 10c, 10d and 10e, and reaches the second head unit 7. When passing through the second head unit 7, an image is recorded on the second surface (back surface) of the continuous paper 5. The continuous paper 5 on which images are recorded on both sides passes through the rollers 10 f and 10 g and passes between the first maintenance unit 8 and the second maintenance unit 9. Next, the continuous paper 5 is wound around the take-up drum 2 by changing the transport direction by the roller 10 h.

  As described above, the roller 10g is always pulled downward by the urging unit 45, and a preset tension is always applied to the continuous paper 5. Therefore, even if play or slack occurs in the constituent parts of the transport path, it is eliminated, and a shift or jam of the recording position can be prevented. Further, at the time of image recording, the positions of the rollers 10b and 10e (image recording positions) are detected by the sensors 11b and 11d and monitored so that no error occurs.

  Next, the maintenance process for the recording head 22 will be described.

  When an instruction to perform maintenance processing is given by the user or the control unit, the roller 10b and the roller 10e are supported by the motor 37 as the ball screw 41 is rotated by the motor 37 and the lifted base 39 is lowered. 43 descends along the guide 42. Together with the support plate 43, the roller 10b descends in the direction of arrow A in FIG. At the same time, the roller 10e is also lowered.

  When the rollers 10b and 10e are lowered, the length of the conveyance path is shortened, so that the continuous paper 5 is slackened. For this reason, when the rollers 10b and 10e start to descend, the reverse rotation motor 61 is rotated so that the continuous paper 5 is wound around the paper supply drum 3 so that no slack occurs. When the moved rollers 10b and 10e reach the maintenance processing position, the motor 37 is stopped by the detection signals of the sensors 11a and 11c, and the rollers 10b and 10e are also stopped at the maintenance position.

  By this retreating operation, the continuous paper 5 moves from the image recording position facing the first head unit 6 and the second head unit 7 to the maintenance processing position shown in FIG. 3 as shown in FIG. The amount of movement of the continuous paper 5 from the start to the end of the movement of the rollers 10b and 10e is detected by an encoder (not shown) installed on the roller 10a.

  After the continuous paper 5 is retracted, the pulleys 14 and 19 are simultaneously rotated by the motors 13 and 20, respectively, and the pulleys 25 and 26 are rotated via the belts 15 and 18. As the pulleys 25 and 26 rotate, the shafts 16 and 17 rotate, and the first and second maintenance units 8 and 9 rotate so as to open in the direction of the arrow B shown in FIG.

  Further, the rotated first and second maintenance units 8 and 9 face and come into contact with the first head unit 6 and the second head unit 7, respectively. By this contact, the cap 27 provided on the bases 56 and 57 contacts the recording head 22. The abutted cap 27 covers the recording head 22 and operates the suction pump 30 to suck dust such as ink stains and paper dust on the nozzle surface of the recording head 22.

  When the maintenance process is completed, the first maintenance unit 8 and the second maintenance unit 9 are moved to the original image recording position (retracted position) by the motor 37. When the roller 10b and the roller 10e reach the image recording position, they are stopped by the detection signals of the sensors 11b and 11d. At the same time as the rollers 10b and 10e are raised, the reverse rotation motor 61 is set in the reverse or free state, while the continuous paper 5 is tensioned, the continuous paper 5 taken up at the time of maintenance is sent out, and the continuous paper 5 is returned to the original position. At this time, a difference in the feed amount of the continuous paper 5 before the maintenance of the continuous paper 5 is calculated by an encoder (not shown) installed on the roller 10a, the winding motor 4 and the reverse motor 61 are adjusted, and the first head unit 6 is adjusted. And the position in the conveyance direction of the continuous paper 5 with respect to the second head unit 7 is matched with the state before maintenance.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, a maintenance mechanism can be provided without increasing the size of the image recording apparatus itself that performs double-sided image recording on continuous paper. Further, by changing the conveyance path, the continuous paper can be withdrawn and maintenance processing can be performed on the fixed recording head, and stable image quality can be obtained.

Next, a second embodiment will be described.
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a continuous paper conveyance path and arrangement of peripheral units in the image recording apparatus according to the second embodiment, and a continuous paper conveyance path during maintenance. Here, a continuous line of solid lines indicates a conveyance path at the time of maintenance, and a part of a combination of a two-dot chain line (a conveyance path moved at the time of maintenance) and a solid line indicates a conveyance path at the time of image recording. In addition, the same referential mark is attached | subjected to the same structural part as 1st Embodiment mentioned above in the structural part of this embodiment, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  This embodiment is an arrangement in which the positions of the take-up drum 2 and the paper feed drum 3 are interchanged and the image is recorded by ejecting ink downward in a horizontal state with the first embodiment described above. The transport path 52 is transported in the opposite direction to the first embodiment, and the transport path 52 is configured by rollers 53a to 53n. A first maintenance unit 8 is installed at a position where the first head unit 6 rotates 90 degrees and comes into contact with the first head unit 6, and a second maintenance unit 9 is installed at a position where the first maintenance unit 8 is aligned with the back face.

The conveyance path 52 will be described.
As for the transport path during image recording, the continuous paper 5 fed from the paper feed drum 3 is transported horizontally between the pair of rollers 53c and 53d via the pair of rollers 53a and 53b. The first head unit 6 is installed in the horizontal conveyance section, and an image is recorded on the first surface (front surface) of the continuous paper 5 from above. Next, the continuous paper 5 moves from the pair of rollers 53c and 53d to the vertically lower roller 53e, and from the roller 53e to the vertically upper side of the roller 53g through a short horizontal section of the roller 53f. Between the roller 53f and the roller 53g, the first maintenance unit 8 and the second maintenance unit 9 are arranged and pass the roller 12 between the back surfaces thereof.

  The continuous paper 5 that has passed through the roller 53g passes through the roller 53n and the roller 53h installed above the second head unit 7, and is bent at a right angle by the roller 53i. Further, the continuous paper 5 is conveyed horizontally between the roller 53i and the pair of rollers 53j and 53k. The second head unit 7 is disposed in this horizontal conveyance section, and an image is recorded on the second surface (back surface) of the continuous paper 5 from above. The continuous paper 5 on which an image has been recorded passes through a pair of rollers 53j and 53k, passes through a lower roller 53m, passes under the first maintenance unit 8 and the second maintenance unit 9, and is wound around the take-up drum 2. Taken.

Next, the conveyance path at the time of maintenance processing will be described.
Among the rollers 53a to 53n at the time of image recording, the roller 53c, 53d pair and the roller 53j, 53k pair respectively move obliquely downward (in the direction of arrow D shown in FIG. 8). At each image recording position, a pair of rollers 53c and 53d and sensors 11b and 11d for detecting the pair of rollers 53j and 53k are arranged. The moving mechanism has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment described above. As the ball screw 41 is rotated by the motor 37 and the screwed lifting base 39 is lowered, the roller 53c, 53d pair and the roller 53j, The support plates 43 that support the 53k pairs respectively descend along the guides 42. The retracted position where the pair of rollers 53c and 53d and the pair of rollers 53j and 53k are lowered is a position during the maintenance process. Sensors 11a and 11c that detect the rollers 53c and 53d and the rollers 53j and 53k are disposed at these positions.

  In the conveyance path at the time of the maintenance process, the continuous paper 5 fed from the paper feed drum 3 goes to the pair of rollers 53c and 53d moved downward through the pair of rollers 53a and 53b. The moving distance of the pair of rollers 53c and 53d is a distance that does not hit the rotating first maintenance unit 8, and the shortest distance is preferable. The continuous paper 5 passes from the pair of rollers 53c and 53d through the roller 53e and the roller 53f to the vertically upper roller 53g and passes through the same conveyance path as that at the time of recording to the rollers 53n, 53h and 53i. The continuous paper 5 descends from the roller 53i, faces the pair of rollers 53j and 53k, passes through the roller 53m, and is wound on the winding drum 2. Heading toward the roller 53j, 53k pair. This moving distance is a distance that does not hit the rotating second maintenance unit 9, and is preferably the shortest distance.

  In the image recording apparatus according to the second embodiment configured as described above, the pair of rollers 53c and 53d and the pair of rollers 53j and 53k are moved down to feed the continuous paper 5 to the first head unit 6 and the second head unit. 7 from the maintenance position and the movement path.

  Therefore, as in the first embodiment described above, a maintenance mechanism can be provided without increasing the size of the image recording apparatus itself that performs double-sided image recording on continuous paper. The maintenance process can be performed on the fixed recording head by retracting, and a stable image quality can be obtained. Further, in addition to this effect, when recording an image, the ink is ejected vertically and reaches the continuous paper 5, so that the positional deviation is further reduced, and high-quality image recording is possible. Further, since the ink in the maintenance process falls on the base portion in the direction of gravity, it is possible to easily prevent contamination of other components due to scattering and ink dripping.

Next, a third embodiment will be described.
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a continuous paper conveyance path, arrangement of peripheral units, and a continuous paper conveyance path during maintenance in the image recording apparatus according to the third embodiment. Here, a continuous line of solid lines indicates a conveyance path at the time of maintenance, and a part of a combination of a two-dot chain line (a conveyance path moved during maintenance) and a solid line indicates a conveyance path at the time of image recording. In addition, the same referential mark is attached | subjected to the same structural part as 1st Embodiment mentioned above in the structural part of this embodiment, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  This embodiment differs from the first embodiment described above in that the positions of the take-up drum 2 and the paper feed drum 3 are interchanged so that the recording head records an image in a vertical state, and the first and second maintenance operations are performed. The units 8 and 9 are configured such that the base portion is retracted horizontally with the ink receiving surface of the cap facing upward at the retracted position. Further, the first and second head units 6 and 7 are disposed between the first and second maintenance units 8 and 9. At the time of maintenance processing, the first and second maintenance units 8 and 9 are rotated and stand up so as to face and contact the first and second head units 6 and 7.

  In the present embodiment, the pair of rollers 55d and 55e and the pair of rollers 55o and 55n are moved obliquely upward during the maintenance process by the moving mechanism. In the present embodiment, the first and second maintenance units 8 and 9 move in the radial direction of rotation at an angle of attack of about 45 degrees. The moving distance between the pair of rollers 55d and 55e and the pair of rollers 55o and 55n is a distance exceeding the radius of rotation of the first and second maintenance units 8 and 9, and the shortest distance is preferable. The moving mechanism is the same as that in the first embodiment.

The conveyance path 54 at the time of image recording will be described.
The positions of the take-up drum 2 and the paper feed drum 3 are opposite to those in the first embodiment, and the transport path 54 is configured by rollers 55a to 55s. The continuous paper 5 fed out from the paper supply drum 3 is conveyed horizontally between the pair of rollers 55a and 55b and the roller 55c, conveyed vertically downward from the roller 55c, and reaches the pair of rollers 55d and 55e. In the vertical conveyance section, the first head unit 6 is disposed, and an image is recorded on the first surface (front surface) of the continuous paper 5.

  The continuous paper 5 passes through the first head unit 6, is bent horizontally by the pair of rollers 55c and 55d, passes over the first maintenance unit 8, and is conveyed horizontally to the roller f. Further, rollers 55g and 55h are arranged so as to surround the first maintenance unit 8. The continuous paper 5 passes through the back surface of the first maintenance unit 8 from the roller 55g, is conveyed horizontally, rises vertically upward by the roller 55h, and is conveyed to the roller 55i. The roller 55i is conveyed to the roller 55m in a U-shape. These rollers are provided to replace the front and back of the continuous paper 5.

  Next, a pair of rollers 55n and 55o is arranged vertically downward from the roller 55m, and the continuous paper 5 is conveyed in the vertical direction. The second head unit 7 is disposed in this vertical conveyance section, and an image is recorded on the second surface (back surface) of the continuous paper 5. Further, the continuous paper 5 passes through the upper portion of the second maintenance unit 9 from the pair of rollers 55n and 55o horizontally and is conveyed to the roller 55p. The continuous paper 5 wraps around the second maintenance unit 9 by a pair of rollers 55p, q and rollers 55s, 55r, passes below, and is taken up by the take-up drum 2.

Next, the conveyance path at the time of maintenance processing will be described.
The pair of rollers 55d and 55e and the pair of rollers 55o and 55n are moved from the normal image recording position to a position at the time of maintenance processing obliquely above by a moving mechanism. In the present embodiment, the pair of rollers 55d and 55e and the pair of rollers 55o and 55n are detected at the image recording position by the sensors 11a and 11c, and are detected at the maintenance position by the sensors 11b and 11d.

  Due to the movement of the pair of rollers 55d and 55e and the pair of rollers 55o and 55n, the continuous paper 5 nipped is retracted. At this time, as described above, the continuous paper 5 is wound around the paper supply drum 3 so that no slack occurs. When the continuous paper 5 is retracted, the first and second maintenance units 8 and 9 rotate upward to face and contact the first and second head units 6 and 7, respectively. By this contact, the cap 27 provided on the bases 56 and 57 contacts the recording head 22, and cleaning by suction is performed to remove dust such as ink stains and paper dust on the nozzle surface 22a of the recording head 22. Is done.

  After the maintenance process is completed, the first and second maintenance units 8 and 9 rotate downward to return to the original retracted position, and the pair of rollers 55d and 55e and the pair of rollers 55o and 55n are moved. Return to the image recording position. At this time, similarly to the first embodiment described above, the continuous paper 5 is adjusted by the paper feed drum 3 and the take-up drum 2 based on the feed amount during the maintenance process of the continuous paper 5, and the position of the continuous paper 5 is in the state before the maintenance. It becomes.

  According to the present embodiment described above, the operational effects of the first embodiment described above can be obtained. Further, since the first and second maintenance units 8 and 9 are held in the horizontal direction when retracted, the ink and dust removed during the maintenance process do not fall downward. In addition, parts replacement and cleaning processing of the first and second maintenance units 8 and 9 are easy.

Next, a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
This embodiment is another configuration example of the drive mechanism of the first and second maintenance units 8 and 9 in the first embodiment described above. In this embodiment, the transmission of driving force is an example in which a belt is used instead of a belt. Note that the base 57, the cap 27, and ink suction for performing the maintenance process are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  This drive mechanism is fixed by fitting a gear 64 at the end of the shaft 17. The rotation shaft of the motor 63 is directly connected to the shaft 17. The gear 64 meshes with a gear 65 fitted to the shaft 16.

In this configuration, when the motor 63 rotates, the gear 64 is rotated, and the gear 65 is also rotated at the same time. As both gears rotate simultaneously, the first maintenance unit 8 and the second maintenance unit 9 move simultaneously.
According to the present embodiment, a desired operation can be performed on the two maintenance units with a configuration of one motor and two gears, and low cost and simplified structure can be realized.

  Next, a modification of the fourth embodiment will be described.

FIG. 11 is a modification of the fourth embodiment.
It is a modification of the drive mechanism of the 1st, 2nd maintenance unit 8 and 9 in 4th Embodiment. This modified example is a configuration example using a rack and pinion mechanism instead of the motor 63. A rack 71 is engaged with a gear 64 fitted to the shaft 17, and a cylinder 70 is connected to the lower portion of the rack 71. In this configuration, when the cylinder 70 operates in the H direction in the figure, the rack 71 is raised and lowered, the gears 64 and 65 are rotated, and the first maintenance unit 8 and the second maintenance unit 9 move.

  Further, teeth may be provided on both sides of the rack 71, and the rack 71 may be provided between the gear 64 and the gear 65 to engage with each other. Further, the rack 71 may be moved up and down using an electromagnetic solenoid instead of the cylinder 70.

  As described above, according to each embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to perform double-side recording on continuous paper without increasing the size of the image recording apparatus itself, and it is necessary to remove the continuous paper by simply retracting it from the conveyance path. In addition, the maintenance process can be performed with the recording head fixed. Therefore, stable image quality can be obtained without adjusting the positional deviation or alignment of the recording head after the maintenance process.

  The image recording apparatus also moves a roller for transporting continuous paper together with the continuous paper, retracts it from the movement path of the maintenance unit, rotates the maintenance unit, and faces and fixes the recording head. Maintenance processing is performed on the head. After the processing is completed, the paper is stored in the original position, and the continuous paper is reloaded by simply returning the roller to the original transport path position, and image recording on both sides of the continuous paper is resumed. can do. In each embodiment, the example in which the continuous paper is conveyed in one direction has been described. However, in each configuration example, the positions of the winding drum and the paper feeding drum are switched, and the continuous paper is conveyed in the opposite direction. It is also possible to record an image.

1 is a diagram illustrating an overall overview of an image recording apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a continuous paper conveyance path and arrangement of peripheral units of the image recording apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a continuous paper conveyance path during maintenance of the image recording apparatus according to the first embodiment. It is the perspective view which looked at the structure of the head unit of the image recording device which concerns on 1st Embodiment from diagonally. It is the perspective view which looked at the structure of the maintenance unit of the image recording device which concerns on 1st Embodiment from diagonally. It is the figure which looked at the continuous paper slack prevention mechanism of the image recording device concerning a 1st embodiment from the front. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a continuous sheet retracting mechanism of the image recording apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a continuous paper conveyance path, arrangement of peripheral units, and a continuous paper conveyance path during maintenance in the image recording apparatus of the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a continuous paper conveyance path, arrangement of peripheral units, and a continuous paper conveyance path during maintenance in an image recording apparatus according to a third embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the drive mechanism of a 1st, 2nd maintenance unit as 4th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the modification of 4th Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Apparatus main body, 2 ... Winding drum, 3 ... Paper feed drum, 4 ... Winding motor, 5 ... Continuous paper, 6 ... 1st head unit, 7 ... 2nd head unit, 8 ... 1st maintenance Unit: 9 ... second maintenance unit, 10a to 10i ... roller, 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d ... sensor, 12 ... roller, 13, 20 ... motor, 14, 19, 25, 26 ... pulley, 15, 18 ... Belt, 16, 17 ... shaft, 22 ... recording head, 23 ... carriage, 25 ... pulley, 27 ... cap, 56, 57 ... base, 58 ... arm, 61 ... reverse rotation motor.

Claims (8)

A maintenance mechanism mounted on an image recording apparatus having two head units for recording images on both sides of a continuous paper to be conveyed,
A maintenance processing unit for performing maintenance processing on the head unit;
A maintenance driving unit that moves the maintenance processing unit from a retracted position to an opposing position and opposes the head unit;
During image recording, a transport path for transporting the continuous paper is formed, the front and back sides of the continuous paper are passed in front of the recording unit of the head unit, and the head unit is engaged with the continuous paper during maintenance processing. A roller moving mechanism for retreating from the recording position to the outside of the moving path of the maintenance driving unit,
A maintenance mechanism comprising:   In the transport path, the roller moving mechanism is configured to move out of the travel path of the maintenance drive unit with one of the transport rollers feeding or sending the recording unit of the two head units engaged with the continuous paper. The maintenance mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the maintenance mechanism is retracted. In the maintenance processing section, a cleaning member that performs maintenance processing on the two head units is provided on each first surface, and a passage member that allows the continuous paper to pass is provided on the second surface on the back surface side. A first maintenance processing unit and a second maintenance processing unit;
Each of the first maintenance processing unit and the second maintenance processing unit is provided with a rotation driving unit at one end thereof, and the opposed position of the two head units during the maintenance processing from the retracted position during image recording. The maintenance mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the maintenance mechanism is moved by rotation. The rotation drive unit includes an arm unit provided in the first maintenance processing unit and the second maintenance processing unit,
A driving force transmitting portion for transmitting a driving force for rotating the arm portion;
The maintenance mechanism according to claim 3, comprising: a driving source that applies a driving force to the driving force transmission unit.   The roller moving mechanism includes a plurality of fixed rollers that guide the continuous paper, a plurality of moving rollers that move while engaged with the continuous paper, and a tension roller that applies tension to the continuous paper. The maintenance mechanism according to claim 1, wherein: A head unit for recording images on the front and back surfaces of continuous paper conveyed by ejecting ink from the nozzles;
A transport mechanism having a roller for transporting the continuous paper;
A roller moving mechanism for retracting the continuous paper from the head unit by moving the roller;
A maintenance unit for performing maintenance on the head unit;
A rotation mechanism that rotates the maintenance unit around an axis to move between a position facing the head unit during the maintenance process and a retracted position during image recording;
An image recording apparatus, wherein the continuous sheet is retracted from the head unit by the roller moving mechanism, and then the maintenance unit is opposed to the head unit. The head unit is composed of a first head unit that records an image on the front surface of the continuous paper, and a second head unit that records an image on the back surface of the continuous paper,
The said maintenance unit is comprised by the 1st maintenance unit and the 2nd maintenance unit which respectively perform a maintenance process of the said 1st head unit and the said 2nd head unit. Image recording device. In the image recording apparatus,
At the start of the maintenance process, there is provided a position correcting mechanism so as to prevent the continuous paper from being loosened by the roller moving mechanism and to return the continuous paper to the starting position at the end of the maintenance process. The image recording apparatus according to claim 6.

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