JP2009208246A - Platen and image recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a platen 26 which can carry out frame-less image recording to a paper P1 of an unusual size specified by a user without the back surface of a paper P being stained. <P>SOLUTION: A rectangular first ink dumping region ENR where an ink not struck on the paper P1 during image formation to the paper P1 is dumped and which has a length L2 along a conveyance direction of the paper P1, and a second ink dumping region EAR with a length L1 shorter than the length L2 are arranged on the platen 26 to be adjacent to each other in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction and to communicate with each other. A length W2 in the direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction in the first ink dumping region ENR is set to be a length which totally includes side edges extended in the direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction on the paper P1 of the unusual size not larger than a predetermined size and specified by the user among various sizes of papers supportable by the platen 26. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a platen used for image recording in an ink jet recording system and an image recording apparatus equipped with the platen.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a serial type ink jet recording type printer, a carriage capable of reciprocating in a predetermined direction (main scanning direction), a recording head mounted on the carriage and capable of ejecting ink from a nozzle surface (ink ejection surface), It has. A platen is arranged at a position facing the recording head at a predetermined interval, and the recording paper is supported by the platen and is intermittently conveyed in a direction orthogonal to the predetermined direction described above. An image is recorded on the recording paper by ejecting ink droplets from the recording head onto the surface of the recording paper facing the head.

  By the way, so-called borderless image recording, in which an image is recorded on one side of a recording sheet without a margin, is known. When performing borderless image recording, generally, when the leading edge (starting edge) of the recording paper comes within the ink discharge range (recording area) of the recording head, the recording head is an area slightly larger than the size of the recording paper. Eject ink. The same applies to the side edge of the recording paper, and also to the rear end (termination) of the recording paper. Then, ink droplets that do not land on the recording paper land (attach) on the platen. Then, when a recording sheet on which an image is recorded next is supported and conveyed by the platen, the back surface of the sheet (the surface opposite to the surface on which the image is recorded) is soiled with ink adhering to the platen. There was a problem.

  In order to solve this problem, in Patent Document 1, an upstream side wall that stands upright on the upstream side in the recording sheet conveyance direction outside the image recording area by the recording head and a recording sheet that is also outside the image recording area. A downstream side wall standing upright on the downstream side in the transport direction is formed to extend along the main scanning direction. And the platen formed by opening upward between these upstream side walls and downstream side walls is arranged. In addition, a technique has been proposed in which ribs protrude from the upper ends of the upstream side wall and the downstream side wall, and an ink absorber is disposed in the opening of the platen. Here, the opening of the platen is slightly larger than the dimension (length) between the left and right side edges orthogonal to the recording paper conveyance direction. However, in a state where the start end side of the recording paper does not reach the rib on the downstream side wall and a state where the end side does not reach the rib on the upstream side wall, that is, the leading edge or the trailing edge of the paper is located on the upstream side wall or the downstream side wall. When the leading edge and the trailing edge of these recording sheets hang down when supported by a rib in a cantilever manner, the leading edge and the trailing edge of the recording sheet are not touched by the ink absorber in the platen opening. There is a problem that the length of the opening along the recording sheet conveyance direction is limited.

  In order to solve this problem and to enable so-called borderless recording, in Patent Document 2, a first ink discarding area and a second ink discarding that open upward in an image recording area on a flat platen are disclosed. The region is formed so as to communicate with each other. The first ink discarding area is formed at a predetermined interval in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the recording material (recording paper), and the first ink discarding area is connected to the first ink discarding area. Two second ink discarding areas extending along the transport direction are formed. Further, the length along the transport direction in the first ink discard region is set to be longer than the length along the transport direction in each second ink discard region.

According to this configuration, when performing borderless recording on the recording paper, the recording paper transported in one second ink discarding area located upstream in the transport direction in the second ink discarding area. When the start end of the recording head and the nozzle array of the recording head face each other, ink is ejected from a part of the nozzle array, and the ink is ejected to an area slightly larger than the size of the recording paper.
In addition, in one second ink discarding area located downstream in the transport direction, ink is ejected from a part of the nozzle row when the end portion of the recording paper transported faces the nozzle row of the print head. Thus, the ink is limited to be ejected from only a part of the nozzle row, such as ejecting ink to an area slightly larger than the size of the recording paper.

  On the other hand, when performing borderless recording on the recording paper with respect to the side edge in the width direction of the recording paper, the width size of the recording paper with the nozzle row of the recording head facing the side edge in the width direction of the recording paper Ink is ejected to a slightly larger area. In this case, the entire nozzle row can eject ink.

Therefore, the length along the transport direction in the first ink discarding area is set to be large so that the discarding ink from all of the nozzle rows can be received.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-118058 (see FIGS. 3 to 5) JP 2002-86821 A (see FIGS. 1 to 6)

However, according to the structure of Patent Document 2, since the rib for supporting the back surface of the recording paper passing therethrough is provided in the first ink discarding area, the discarded ink is not contained in the rib. It is necessary to prevent the back surface of the recording paper from being adhered to the upper end surface of the recording paper. For this purpose, first, the width size of the recording paper to be conveyed and the arrangement position for conveyance are set in advance so that the recording paper to which the rib is conveyed is hidden, and the start end of the recording paper, The number of nozzles that should eject ink in the nozzle row direction is controlled (restricted) so that borderless recording is performed when the rib is hidden at the end portion or both left and right end portions.
As a result, the recording time for borderless recording becomes longer than that for bordered recording, and it is not possible to achieve high-speed image recording.

  Secondly, it is necessary to set the width size of the recording paper and the arrangement position for transporting in advance so that the pair of side edges of the recording paper to be conveyed pass through the first ink discarding area. . For this purpose, since the installation position of the first ink discarding area is set in advance in order to correspond to a recording paper of a specified size that is frequently used, it is different from the specified size, for example, a specific one specified by the user himself / herself. There was a problem that no borderless recording could be performed with respect to the size.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems, and is capable of recording a borderless image without contaminating the back surface of the recording medium and having a simple configuration and an image recording including the platen. The object is to provide an apparatus.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 has a recording area that is disposed opposite to a recording head that includes nozzles capable of ejecting ink droplets, and on which ink ejected from the nozzles can land, A platen that supports a recording medium that can be transported along a predetermined direction, wherein a plurality of upstream ribs that support the recording medium are provided upstream of the recording area in the transport direction, and the transport direction In the recording area, a downstream support portion for supporting the recording medium is provided on the downstream side of the recording area, and ink that has not landed on the recording medium during image formation on the recording medium is provided in the recording area. A rectangular ink discarding area to be discarded is provided. The ink discarding area includes a first ink discarding area having a first length along the conveyance direction of the recording medium and the first length. A second ink discarding area having a shorter second length is disposed adjacent to and in communication with the direction orthogonal to the transport direction, and the first ink discarding area is disposed in the recording area. The length of the region in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction is a side edge extending in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction in a recording medium of a predetermined size or less among various sizes of recording media that can be supported by the platen. The length is set to include all.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the platen according to the first aspect, the length of the nozzle row along the transport direction in the recording head as compared with the first length in the first ink discarding area. The second length in the second ink discarding region is set shorter than the length of the nozzle row.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the platen according to the first or second aspect, the second ink discarding area is disposed on both end sides of the recording area in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction, and One first ink discarding area is disposed near the center of the recording area in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction with the pair of second ink discarding areas interposed therebetween.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the platen according to the first or second aspect, the first ink discarding area is disposed on one end side in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction in the recording area. The second ink discarding area is arranged on the other end side in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the platen according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, a front end portion of the recording medium in the transport direction is disposed in the first and second ink discarding areas. At least one in-region support rib capable of supporting each of the rear end portions is provided so as to extend along the transport direction, and the height of the in-region support rib is determined by the upper end surface of the upstream rib and the downstream support portion. It is formed lower than the height of the upper end surface.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the platen according to the fifth aspect, the in-region support rib is formed so as to protrude from the surface of the bottom plate of the platen.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the platen according to the sixth aspect, an ink flow path groove extending along the transport direction is formed in the bottom plate between the in-region support ribs. The groove is provided so as to communicate with at least an ink absorber arrangement portion that absorbs excess ink.

  The invention according to claim 8 is mounted on the platen according to any one of claims 1 to 7, a carriage capable of reciprocating along a predetermined direction within the main body, and an ink droplet from the nozzle. A recording head capable of recording an image on a recording medium that can be transported on the platen in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the carriage by selectively discharging, and the nozzle surface of the platen and the recording head Are arranged opposite to each other with a predetermined gap.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the recording head is disposed so as to face a recording head including nozzles capable of ejecting ink droplets, and the ink ejected from the nozzles can be landed and can be transported along a predetermined direction. A platen for supporting a recording medium, wherein a plurality of upstream ribs for supporting the recording medium are provided on the upstream side of the recording area in the transport direction, and on the downstream side of the recording area in the transport direction. Is provided with a downstream support portion for supporting the recording medium, and the recording area has a rectangular ink discarding unit that discards ink that has not landed on the recording medium during image formation on the recording medium. The ink discarding area includes a first ink discarding area having a first length along the conveyance direction of the recording medium and a second length shorter than the first length. Have The two ink discarding areas are arranged adjacent to and in communication with each other in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction, and the length of the recording area in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction in the first ink discard area The length is set to include all the side edges extending in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction in the recording medium of a predetermined size or less among the recording media of various sizes that can be supported by the platen. It is.

  Accordingly, immediately after the start end of the recording medium enters the downstream side beyond the upstream edge of the first ink discarding area in the transport direction, the nozzles arranged in a line in the recording medium transport direction in the recording head By starting to eject ink droplets from the upstream nozzle, it is possible to start borderless recording on the surface of the start end of the recording medium. Then, the number of nozzles to be ejected may be increased as the recording medium is intermittently moved in the transport direction and the start end of the recording medium moves to the downstream side.

  In the middle of the recording medium, in order to perform borderless recording on the pair of side edges extending in the transport direction, ink droplets can be ejected from all the nozzles arranged in a row in the recording head. Finally, immediately after the end portion of the recording medium enters the downstream side beyond the upstream edge in the transport direction of the first ink discarding area, the nozzle from the upstream side among the nozzles arranged in a line in the transport direction in the recording head It is only necessary to end the ejection of ink droplets, and ink droplets can be ejected from all nozzles until the end of the recording medium approaches the downstream edge in the transport direction of the first ink discarding area. . Therefore, if the recording medium has a short side dimension that falls within the range of the first ink discarding area, regardless of the width of the recording medium, it is different from the specified size, and is defined by the user. Ink droplets can be ejected from all nozzles on a specific size paper, and the work speed of borderless recording can be increased. Further, when performing borderless recording on a large recording medium, the upstream edge in the transport direction of the first ink discarding area can be used in addition to the second ink discarding area.

  According to the invention of claim 2, the length of the nozzle row along the transport direction in the recording head is shorter than the first length in the first ink discarding region. In contrast, the second length in the second ink discarding region is set shorter. Accordingly, in the first ink discard region, borderless image recording can be performed using all the nozzles of the recording head. On the other hand, in the second ink discarding area, even if the recording medium is weak, the leading end and the terminal end of the recording medium do not fall into the second ink discarding area having the short second length. In addition, the image can be recorded without ink smear.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, the second ink discarding area is disposed on each side of the recording area in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction, and the first ink discarding area is the first ink discarding area. In addition to the effect of the invention according to claim 1, since one of the recording areas is disposed closer to the center in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction across a pair of second ink discarding areas. Thus, the present invention can be applied to so-called center-aligned recording medium feeding in which the center in the width direction of the recording medium is aligned with the center in the direction orthogonal to the conveying direction.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the platen according to the first or second aspect, the first ink discarding area is disposed on one end side in the direction perpendicular to the transport direction in the recording area. The second ink discarding area is arranged on the other end side in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction. For such a type of platen, it is only necessary to set the side edge (edge extending in the X-axis direction) of the transported paper P as a reference based on the position where the side edge of the paper feed tray is biased.

  According to the invention of claim 5, at least one in-region support rib capable of supporting the front end portion and the rear end portion in the transport direction is provided in the transport direction in the first and second ink discarding regions. The height of the in-region support rib is formed to be lower than the height of the upper end surface of the upstream rib and the upper end surface of the downstream support portion.

  Therefore, when executing edgeless image recording, even if the front end portion (front end edge) and the rear end portion (rear end edge) of the recording medium are supported in a cantilever manner and hang down, the first and second portions are recorded. The front end portion (leading edge) and the rear end portion (rear end edge) of the recording medium can be supported by the in-area support ribs arranged in the ink discarding area, and the back surface of the recording medium is made of excess ink. It can be prevented from being soiled. Further, since the leading edge of the recording medium does not directly touch the bottom plate, there is little resistance during conveyance and no paper jam occurs.

  According to the invention of claim 6, since the in-region support rib is formed so as to protrude from the surface of the bottom plate of the platen, the leading end portion and the terminal end portion of the recording medium should be curled. However, only the leading edge and the trailing edge of the recording medium are supported by the in-region support ribs in the first or second ink discarding area and do not directly touch the bottom plate of the platen. The ink stain can be generated only at the edge, and the stain can be prevented from diffusing.

  According to the invention of claim 7, an ink channel groove extending along the transport direction is formed in the bottom plate between the in-region support ribs, and the ink channel groove absorbs at least excess ink. It is provided so that it may communicate with the arrangement | positioning location of an absorber. Accordingly, the ink discarded in the bordered recording area and the borderless recording area is guided to the ink absorber arrangement portion via the ink flow path groove, so that the back surface of the recording medium is prevented from being stained with ink. Increases effectiveness.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, the platen according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, a carriage capable of reciprocating along a predetermined direction within the main body, and a carriage mounted on the carriage, and ejecting ink droplets from the nozzles. A recording head capable of recording an image on a recording medium that can be transported on the platen in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the carriage by selectively discharging, and the nozzle surface of the platen and the recording head Are opposed to each other with a predetermined gap, so that the recording medium on which the image is recorded can be recorded without contamination, and the platen can be configured without borders and has a simple structure. An image recording apparatus can be provided.

  An exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 is a perspective view seen from the front of a multifunction machine applied to the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the recording unit, FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view of the recording unit, and FIG. 4 is a guide member downstream from the recording unit. FIG. 5 is a plan view of a state where the downstream guide member 23 is removed from the recording unit, FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the platen of the first embodiment, and FIG. FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line VIII-VIII in FIG. 7, FIG. 9 is an enlarged perspective view partially cut away of the in-region support rib and the downstream support portion, and FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 7, FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of operation, FIG. 12 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part showing another embodiment of one long region support rib, and FIG. FIG. 14 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part showing a second embodiment of the recording area without recording, and FIG. 15 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part showing a third embodiment in the recording area ENR of the platen, FIG. 16 is an enlarged perspective view of an essential part showing a fourth embodiment in the recording area ENR of the platen, and FIG. FIGS. 18A to 18C are plan views showing another embodiment of the arrangement of the recording area EAR. FIGS. 18A to 18C are explanatory diagrams of the operation of borderless recording in the first ink discarding area.

  An image recording apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a multi-function device (MFD) having a printer function, a copy function, a scanner function, and a facsimile function, but the present invention is an inkjet printer having a simple printer function. You may apply to an apparatus. In this embodiment, paper P such as paper or plastic film is used as the recording medium. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and various recording media can be used.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the inside of the opening 2a on the front side (left side in FIG. 1) of the housing 2 as a recording device body made of synthetic resin in the image recording apparatus 1 is partitioned vertically, and below the opening 2a. On the side, an insertable paper feed cassette 3 for feeding a recording medium (paper P) is arranged. The upper side of the opening 2a functions as a paper discharge port through which the recorded paper P is discharged.

  In the present embodiment, the paper feed cassette 3 is configured such that the short side of the paper P cut into, for example, A4 size, letter size, legal size, etc. as a recording medium has a paper transport direction (sub-scanning direction, X-axis direction). A plurality of sheets are stacked and stored so as to extend in an orthogonal direction (a direction orthogonal to the paper surface in FIG. 1, the main scanning direction, and the Y-axis direction) (see FIG. 3). Note that an auxiliary support member 3a that supports the rear end portion of a long sheet P of a legal size or the like is attached to the front end of the paper feed cassette 3 so as to be movable in the X-axis direction. When using A4 size paper P that does not fit in the paper feed cassette 3 (does not protrude from the opening 2a to the outside of the housing 2), the auxiliary support member 3a is fed to the front of the paper feed cassette 3. It can be stored so as not to obstruct the paper. On the upper surface of the paper feed cassette 3, an auxiliary paper feed cassette unit 30 for accumulating and storing small size paper such as postcard size is mounted so as to be movable in the X-axis direction. A downstream side of the auxiliary paper feeding cassette unit 30 in the paper conveyance direction is a paper discharge tray unit 30a (see FIG. 3).

  In addition, an inclined separation plate 8 for paper separation is disposed on the back side (right side in FIG. 3) of the paper feed cassette 3. In addition, an arm 6a whose upper end is rotatable in the vertical direction is mounted in the housing 2, and a paper feed roller 6 provided at the lower end of the arm 6a and a separation claw 8a in the inclined separation plate 8 The paper P, which is the recording medium, accumulated in the paper feed cassette 3 is separated and conveyed one by one. The separated sheet P is fed to a recording unit 7 provided on the upper side (high position) behind the sheet feeding cassette 3 through a U-turn path (feeding path) 9 facing upward. As will be described in detail later, the recording unit 7 includes a reciprocating carriage 5 on which an ink jet recording type recording head 4 for realizing a printer function and the like is mounted. The paper P recorded by the recording unit 7 is discharged in the direction of arrow A toward the paper discharge tray unit 30a with its recording surface facing upward.

  An image reading device for reading a document in a copy function or a facsimile function is disposed on the housing 2. This image reading device is configured to be capable of opening and closing up and down with respect to one side end of the housing 2 via a pivot portion (not shown), and the rear end of the document cover 13 covering the upper surface of the image reading device is an image reading device. It is attached to the rear end so as to be rotatable up and down around the pivot axis.

  A document that is provided so that the document cover body 13 is opened on the upper side and a document is placed on the placement glass plate, and can be reciprocated in the main scanning direction (Y-axis direction) below the placement glass plate. An image on a manuscript paper is read by a reading image scanner device (CIS: Contact Image Sensor).

  On the upper side of the housing 2, an operation panel unit 14 including various operation buttons and a liquid crystal display unit is provided in front of the document cover body 13. An external memory insertion portion 11 for inserting an external memory is provided on the front surface of the housing 2 and below the operation panel portion 14. The external memory is, for example, CompactFlash (registered trademark), SmartMedia (registered trademark), Memory Stick (registered trademark), SD card (registered trademark), xD (registered trademark), or the like.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the recording unit 7 is supported by a pair of left and right side plates 21a and 21b in a main frame 21 made of a metal plate or the like, and extends in the Y-axis direction (main scanning direction). 22, 23, a carriage 5 that is slidably supported (mounted) across both guide members 22, 23 and configured to be reciprocally movable, and a carriage 5 on which the recording head 4 is mounted are reciprocated. In order to achieve this, a timing belt 25 arranged in parallel with the upper surface of the guide member 23 arranged on the downstream side in the paper transport direction (arrow A direction), and a CR (cage) motor 24 (which drives the timing belt 25) In the embodiment, although it is a DC motor, other motors such as a stepping motor may be used.) And a substantially flat plate-like plastic that supports the paper P conveyed on the lower surface side of the recording head 4. It includes a down 26, a tape scale or the like for detecting the Y-axis direction (main scanning direction) position in the main scanning direction (Y axis direction) are arranged so as to extend along the carriage 5. However, in FIG.4 and FIG.5, the state which removed the guide member 23 of the conveyance direction downstream is shown.

  In addition, a pair of registration rollers 27 is arranged on the upstream side of the conveyance with the platen 26 interposed therebetween, and the paper P is fed to the lower surface of the recording head 4. On the downstream side of the platen 26, a pair of paper discharge rollers 28 including a spur 28a that contacts the image forming surface (front surface) of the paper P and a paper discharge driving roller 28b on the back side is disposed, and the recorded paper P is discharged. It is conveyed to the tray part 30a.

  Further, outside the width of the conveyed paper P (short side of the paper P), an ink receiving portion 29 is provided on one end side thereof (in the embodiment, a portion close to the left side plate 21a in FIG. 3), and the other end. Maintenance units 35 are arranged on the sides (portions close to the right side plate 21a in FIG. 2). The maintenance unit 35 is attached to the pair of guide members 22 and 23. As a result, the recording head 4 periodically discharges ink for preventing clogging of the nozzles 4 b during the recording operation at the flushing position provided in the ink receiving portion 29, and receives ink at the ink receiving portion 29. In the maintenance unit 35, the carriage 5 is in a standby position, cleans the nozzle surface 4a of the recording head 4, selectively sucks ink for each color, or in a buffer tank (not shown) on the recording head 4. A recovery process for removing bubbles is performed.

  An ink reservoir 15 is disposed on one side of the front part in the housing 2 (right side in FIG. 2). The ink storage unit 15 is opened toward the upper side of the housing 2, and each of four colors (black (BK), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y)) of ink for full-color recording is used. The stored rectangular ink cartridges 19 having a small area in plan view and a high height can be stored in a line, and each ink cartridge 19 can be detached from the front by opening the lid 2b on the front surface of the housing 2. It is comprised so that.

  Ink is supplied from each ink cartridge 19 to the ink jet recording head 4 via a plurality (four in the embodiment) of ink supply pipes (ink tubes) 20.

  Next, the configuration of the platen 26 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

  The image recording apparatus 1 according to the present invention has a mode capable of image recording (edgeless image recording) from the leading edge to the trailing edge of the paper P conveyed in the arrow A direction. In borderless image recording, the left and right side edges (both side edges in the Y-axis direction) of the paper P are also recorded. The user can selectively execute the borderless image recording mode and the bordered image recording mode by a selection command.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the platen 26 in the present embodiment is a box-shaped synthetic resin molded product having a substantially rectangular shape in plan view. The platen 26 is configured by integrally forming a shelf plate 40 (refer to FIG. 8: corresponding to the bottom plate in the claims), a concave plate 42 and a stepped shelf plate 43. The shelf board 40 has such a length that a short side width of a large size (for example, A4 size) paper among the sizes of the recording paper usable in the image recording apparatus 1 can pass. It is an opposing flat plate. The concave plate 42 is provided on the upstream side in the transport direction with respect to the shelf plate 40, and has a U-shaped cross section that is open upward. The step-down shelf plate 43 is provided at a downstream end portion in the transport direction with respect to the shelf plate 40, and is provided at a position lower than the shelf plate 40 by an appropriate size. The downstream end of the shelf board 40 and the step-down shelf board 43 are connected by a long groove 41 (see FIG. 8) along the Y-axis direction.

  On the upper surface of the shelf plate 40, the first ink discarding area ENR and the second ink discarding area EAR are formed adjacent to each other so as to be rectangular in plan view and communicate with each other in the Y-axis direction. Has been. The width dimension W1 of the second ink discarding area EAR is slightly larger than the width dimension of the short side of the large size paper (for example, A4 size). On the other hand, the first ink discarding area ENR is located at the center of the flat shelf 40 in the Y-axis direction (see FIGS. 5 and 6). In the image recording apparatus of the present embodiment, even when a sheet such as a postcard or a photograph of L size is printed, the center line of each sheet in the Y-axis direction is the first ink disposal area ENR in the Y-axis direction. A so-called center cash register configuration that almost passes through the center line is adopted. Therefore, the dimension W2 in the Y-axis direction in the first ink discarding area ENR is slightly smaller than the width dimension of the short side of a predetermined small size paper such as L size of a postcard or photograph (for example, left and right). This corresponds to a value obtained by adding about 10 mm in total. With this configuration, each of the dimensions W1 and W2 includes a region through which a pair of side edges extending in a direction orthogonal to the paper transport direction passes, and the size of the paper when performing borderless recording on the side edges. When ink droplets are ejected from the nozzles 4b of the recording head 4 to a slightly larger area than the ink droplets, ink droplets that do not land on the paper can land (attach) to the ink channel grooves 54 for discarding the ink below. Yes. Note that “landing” means that the ink droplets ejected from the nozzles 4 b of the recording head 4 adhere to the ink channel groove 54 for discarding the ink on the surface of the paper or where the paper P does not exist. .

  The dimension L2 in the X-axis direction in the first ink discard area ENR is longer than the dimension L1 in the X-axis direction in the second ink discard area EAR. In the borderless image recording performed using only the first ink discarding area ENR, ink droplets can be ejected from all the nozzles 4b arranged in a line in the X-axis direction in the recording head 4. Therefore, the dimension L2 in the X-axis direction of the first ink discarding area ENR is set slightly longer than the length of the ink ejection area from all the nozzles 4b arranged in a line in the X-axis direction in the recording head 4. . In image recording with a border on a sheet having a large sheet width, image recording is performed by ejecting ink from only a part of the nozzles 4b arranged in the X-axis direction. Therefore, the dimension L1 in the X-axis direction in the second ink discarding area EAR is set short.

  A plurality of pipes extending in the X-axis direction so as to extend from the second ink discarding area EAR and the first ink discarding area ENR to the upstream part in the transport direction of the shelf plate 40 in the upstream part. Upstream ribs 44 are arranged at appropriate intervals in the Y-axis direction. The sheet P can be supported by the upper end surface of the upstream rib 44.

  In the second ink discard area EAR and the first ink discard area ENR, an upward open shape such as a V-shaped cross section is provided on the shelf plate 40 between the plurality of in-region support ribs 50 and 51. Are formed (see FIGS. 5 to 8). The height of the ink channel groove 54 is set to be considerably lower than the height of the in-region support rib 50 (51). Therefore, the ink flow path groove 54 extends toward the downstream side in the transport direction, and is formed to be inclined slightly downward toward the downstream side, and is connected to the concave groove 41. Further, the concave groove 41 communicates with a storage portion 46 in which the ink absorber 45 is stored. An ink absorber 45 that absorbs surplus ink is disposed on almost the entire surface of the housing portion 46. The ink absorber 45 is made of a porous material such as polyurethane foam. The height of the ink absorber 45 is set so as not to contact the lower surface of the downstream support portion 47. Therefore, of the ink ejected from the nozzle 4 b of the recording head 4, the waste ink that has not been received by the paper P is absorbed by the ink absorber 45 in the housing portion 46 from the ink flow channel groove 54 through the concave groove 41. Be captured.

  A downstream support portion 47 extending in the Y-axis direction is detachably attached to the upper side of the stepped shelf plate 43 so as to cover the upper side of the storage portion 46 that can store the ink absorber 45. A top 48 is integrally formed at the downstream end portion in the transport direction of the downstream support portion 47. The top 48 is formed so as to extend in a direction along the surface of the platen 26 and in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction. In the embodiment, the top portion (also referred to as a protruding portion) 48 is formed in a substantially triangular shape when the platen 26 is viewed from the side surface (see FIG. 6).

  In the second ink discarding area EAR and the first ink discarding area ENR, a plurality of in-area support ribs 50 and 51 are respectively arranged on the shelf board 40 at appropriate intervals in the Y-axis direction and in the X-axis direction. It is provided so that it may extend along. Accordingly, the length of the in-region support rib 50 in the second ink discard region EAR (referred to as the length in the X-axis direction, hereinafter the same) is larger than the length of the in-region support rib 51 in the first ink discard region ENR. It is set short. The in-region support ribs 50 and 51 are formed so as to protrude upward from the surface (upper surface) of the shelf board 40 over the entire length thereof. The heights of the upper end surfaces (guide surfaces of the paper P) of all the in-region support ribs 50 and 51 are set to be lower than the upper end of the top portion 48.

  In addition, a center line in the width direction (hereinafter also referred to as the width direction) orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the paper P is a predetermined position in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the platen 26 (for example, half the length of the platen 26 in the Y-axis direction). When the paper P is conveyed so as to pass through the position, the center position in the width direction, the one in-region support rib 51a corresponds to the predetermined position (for example, the center position in the width direction of the platen 26). Is provided. “Equivalent here” means that the extension line of the center line extending in the X-axis direction of the one in-region support rib 51a passes through the center position in the width direction of the platen 26 in plan view of the platen 26. Or an extension of the center line is arranged so as to pass with a slight displacement with respect to the center position of the platen 26 in the width direction.

  In other words, “corresponding here” means that a pair of side edges extending in parallel with the transport direction in the paper P is a predetermined position in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction in the platen 26 (for example, the center position in the width direction). When configured so as to pass through substantially symmetrical positions, it means that one in-region support rib 51a is also provided at a position corresponding to a predetermined position (for example, the center position in the width direction). .

  Of the plurality of intra-region support ribs 51 in the first ink discarding region ENR, at least one intra-region support rib 51a is formed longer than the other intra-region support ribs 51 and is upstream of the conveyance in the downstream support portion 47. It extends close to the top 48 which is the side. In that case, a longitudinally long groove 52 that opens toward the upstream side of the top portion 48 is formed on the upstream side of the conveyance. The width dimension W4 of the vertically long groove 52 is larger than the plate thickness W5 of the corresponding one in-region support rib 51a (see FIGS. 9 and 11). In the plan view of the platen 26, the transport downstream end 51aa of the at least one in-region support rib 51a enters the width dimension W4 of the vertically long groove 52. As a result, the transport downstream end 51aa of the at least one in-region support rib 51a fits into the longitudinal groove 52 when the platen 26 is projected from the side and overlaps with a part of the downstream support 47. (See FIGS. 7 to 10). Moreover, the transport downstream end 51aa is discontinuous (not connected) with the upstream vertical wall of the top 48 of the downstream support portion 47.

  In addition, the downstream end portion of the in-region support rib 51 other than the at least one in-region support rib 51a and the in-region support rib 50 in the second ink discarding region EAR is also upstream of the top portion 48 of the downstream support portion 47. It is discontinuous (not connected) with the side vertical wall.

  In the first embodiment, at least one long in-region support rib 51a of the plurality of in-region support ribs 51 has the same height H1 with respect to the nozzle surface (lower surface) 4a of the recording head 4. (Refer to FIG. 8 and FIG. 10). The length L3 in the X-axis direction in the row of nozzles 4b (nozzle row) is shown in FIGS. The one intra-region support rib 51a is set to be higher than the heights of the other plural intra-region support ribs 51 in the first ink discarding region ENR.

  With this configuration, when the small-size paper P for borderless recording is supported and transported across the upstream rib 44 and the top 48 on the downstream side of the transport, the back surface of the paper P is the entire area. It does not contact the upper end surface (guide surface) of the inner support rib 51. However, in the state where the leading end of the paper P does not reach the top 48 (the state where the paper P is only supported by the upstream rib 44 only), the edgeless image recording causes the ink to get wet. The leading edge of the paper P may curl downward (see FIGS. 10 and 12). At that time, the leading edge of the paper P moves downstream while contacting the upper end surface (guide surface) of at least one long in-region support rib 51a that is taller than the other in-region support ribs. For example, the paper P is transported such that the center line in the width direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the paper P passes through a predetermined position in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the platen 26 (for example, the central portion in the longitudinal direction of the platen 26). In this case, the height of one in-region support rib 51a arranged at a position corresponding to a predetermined position among the plurality of in-region support ribs 51 arranged at appropriate intervals in the direction orthogonal to the conveying direction in the platen 26. However, if the height is set to be higher than the height of the support ribs 51 in the other areas, the central portion in the width direction of the small-size paper P first moves to the top portion 48. The ink channel groove 54 that is the ink discarding portion is not touched.

  When the platen 26 is viewed from the side, the downstream end 51aa of the at least one long region support rib 51a is formed so as to overlap with a part of the downstream support 47. When the leading edge of the sheet P exceeds the downstream end 51aa of the transport, it can immediately transfer to the top 48 on the downstream side of the transport. Accordingly, since the central portion in the width direction of the small-sized paper P first moves to the top portion 48, the left and right side edges of the paper P do not touch the ink flow path groove 54 which is an ink discarding portion described later.

  Even in the case of recording with a border, since the downstream end of the conveyance in all of the in-region support ribs 50 and 51 is not continuous with the upstream vertical wall of the top portion 48, the ejected ink is supported in the region. Even if the ink adhering to the upper end surface (guide surface) of the rib 50 (51) diffuses to the downstream end of the conveyance due to capillary action, the ink does not diffuse to the top 48 side. It is not stained with ink.

  A concave portion 53 that is opened upward is formed at a position corresponding to the in-region support ribs 50 and 51 in the transport direction in the top portion 48 (see FIGS. 6 to 11). This corresponds to the fact that the in-region support ribs 50 or 51 are positioned within the width dimension W3 of the concave portion 53 in the y-axis direction in the plan view of the platen 26 (or the in-region support ribs in the plan view of the platen 26. 50 (51) means that the extension of the center line extending in the X-axis direction passes through the width dimension W3 of the recess 53 (see FIGS. 9 and 11). With this configuration, the leading end (leading edge) of the paper P to be transported rubs against the upper end surface (guide surface) of the in-region support rib 50 (51), and ink is applied to the leading end of the paper P. Even if the ink adheres, the ink adhering portion passes through the width dimension W3 of the concave portion 53. In other words, the top 48 extending in the Y-axis direction does not contact the ink adhering portion. It is possible to prevent the ink adhering portion from spreading in the Y-axis direction. Further, since the ink does not transfer from the ink adhering portion at the leading end portion (leading edge) of the preceding paper P to the top portion 48, even if the back surface of the succeeding paper P contacts (scratches) the top portion 48. It is possible to reliably prevent the back surface of the subsequent paper P from being stained with ink.

  FIG. 12 shows another embodiment of at least one long in-region support rib 51a in the first ink discard region ENR. In this embodiment, when the in-region support rib 51a is viewed from the side of the platen 26, the height of the in-region support rib 51a is low at the midway portion 60 in the transport direction in the recording region, and in the transport direction. The downstream inclined surface 61 and the upstream inclined surface 62 are provided so that the height at the downstream end and the upstream end is increased. The downstream inclined surface 61 and the upstream inclined surface 62 are connected to a midway portion 60 having a horizontal plane higher than the surface of the shelf board 40. In this configuration, when the length of the recording head 4 along the transport direction is long, that is, when the recording area is long in the direction of the transport direction, the leading edge or the trailing edge of the paper P contacts the surface of the shelf board 40. This is particularly effective. The height of the midway portion 60 is approximately the same as the height of the other plurality of in-region support ribs 51.

  With this configuration, when the paper P is transported in a state where it is only supported by the upstream rib 44, the center of the paper width of the leading edge (tip edge) of the paper P faces the downstream side. Since it is guided in the direction of the top 48 while sliding on the downstream inclined surface 61 of the upward slope, it is easy to transfer to the top 48 first. Further, the in-region support rib 51a has a low height at the midway portion 60 in the transport direction in the recording region and a high height at the downstream end and the upstream end in the transport direction. Since the side inclined surface 61 and the upstream inclined surface 62 are provided, when the length of the recording head 4 along the conveyance direction is long (when the nozzle row is long), that is, the recording area is in the direction along the conveyance direction. When it is long, the leading edge and the trailing edge of the paper P do not come into contact with the surface of the shelf board 40, which is particularly effective. The height of the midway portion 60 is approximately the same as the height of the other plurality of in-region support ribs 51.

  On the other hand, when the front half of the sheet P to be transported is one-side supported by the downstream support portion 47 and the rear end of the sheet P is disengaged from the downstream end of the upstream rib 44 in the transport direction, If the height of the upstream end is low, the trailing edge of the paper P will drop significantly. As a result, the posture of the rear end side of the paper P changes greatly in the print area L3, so that the image recording quality deteriorates. As in the present embodiment, on the upstream inclined surface 62 that is inclined upward toward the upstream side, the difference in height (drop) at the downstream end in the transport direction of the upstream rib 44 is reduced. The edge is not greatly depressed, and the image recording quality is maintained.

  In the embodiment, the one long in-region support rib 51a and the upstream rib 44 of any one of the shapes in the first ink discarding region ENR are so positioned that the central axis extending in the X-axis direction is substantially on the same line. Is arranged. Further, the upstream end of the in-region support rib 51 a is connected to the downstream end of the upstream rib 44. Further, the height of the upstream end of the in-region support rib 51a and the height of the downstream end of the upstream rib 44 are set to be substantially the same (see FIG. 12). With this configuration, the trailing edge of the paper P does not drop significantly, and the image recording quality is maintained.

  In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, the upstream end 51ab in the transport direction of the other plurality of in-region support ribs 51 in the first ink discard region ENR is in the first ink discard region ENR. It is connected so as to abut against the boundary wall 55 on the upstream side. The downstream end of the upstream rib 44 in the transport direction extends beyond the boundary wall 55 by a dimension L4 on the downstream side. Therefore, when the platen 26 is viewed from the side, the upstream end 51ab in the transport direction and the downstream end of the upstream rib 44 in the transport direction are overlapped by a dimension L4 (FIG. 13). And FIG. 14).

  In that case, the plurality of in-region support ribs 51 are arranged at positions that are appropriately deviated by distances W6 to W7 in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction (Y-axis direction) with respect to the upstream ribs 44 (see FIG. 13). . Further, the height H2 of the upstream end 51ab of each of the plurality of in-region support ribs 51 is set to be lower than the height H3 of the downstream end of the upstream rib 44 (see FIG. 14). That is, the downstream end of the upstream rib 44 is formed so as to climb over the boundary wall 55.

  With this configuration, when the borderless image is recorded on the small size paper P by the recording head 4 in the first ink discarding area ENR, the ink ejected to the position protruding from the rear edge of the paper P is within the area. Most of the ink adheres to the upper end surface (guide surface) of the support rib 51 and falls into the ink flow channel groove 54, but a small amount of ink travels along the upper end surface (guide surface) of the in-region support rib 51, and within each region. The support rib 51 can be set so as to collect at the intersection between the upstream end 51ab and the boundary wall 55.

  The front half of the sheet P on which the borderless image is recorded and conveyed is one-side supported by the downstream support portion 47, and the rear edge of the sheet P rests on the downstream end in the conveyance direction of the upstream rib 44. In some cases, the height of the portion is high, and the downstream end of the upstream rib 44 in the transport direction and the upstream end 51ab of the in-region support rib 51 are appropriately displaced in the Y-axis direction by a distance W6 to W7. Therefore, the ink accumulated at the intersection of the upstream end 51ab and the boundary wall 55 does not touch the rear edge of the paper P. Further, even when the rear edge of the paper P is transferred to the in-region support rib 51 side, it is already positioned on the downstream side in the transport direction from the intersection between the upstream end 51ab and the boundary wall 55. The ink collected at the intersection does not touch the rear edge of the paper P, and does not stain the rear edge of the paper P, and the ink is downstream of the upper end surface (guide surface) of the in-region support rib 51. It does not spread and the subsequent paper P is not soiled.

  Further, the downstream end of the upstream rib 44 in the transport direction extends beyond the boundary wall 55 into the first ink discarding area ENR, so that the trailing edge of the sheet P is transported in the upstream rib 44. When transported away from the downstream end, it is supported by the upper end surfaces (guide surfaces) of the plurality of in-region support ribs 51, so that the rear end edge of the paper P does not fall down greatly and image recording is performed. Quality is maintained.

  If the leading edge of the paper P that is moved downstream in the transport direction while being supported by the top portion 48 in the downstream support portion 47 is lifted, a paper jam occurs before reaching the downstream discharge roller 28b and spur 28a. Therefore, by providing a separate spur roller 56 on the upstream side (see FIG. 8 and FIG. 10), it is possible to prevent the paper P from being lifted especially on the front side.

  Further, the sheet discharge roller 28b (corresponding to the roller body in the claims) provided on the downstream side in the transport direction with respect to the downstream support portion 47 starts from the position corresponding to the in-region support rib 51 (50) in the transport direction. If it is arranged so as to be appropriately displaced in the direction along the surface of the substrate and in the direction perpendicular to the transport direction (Y-axis direction), the upper end surface (guide surface) of the in-region support rib 51 (50) Since the back surface portion of the paper P to which the ink is rubbed does not directly touch the paper discharge roller 28b, the ink stain does not diffuse and the back surface of the subsequent paper P does not get dirty.

  Furthermore, a third embodiment of the in-region support rib 51 is shown in FIG. The one or more in-region support ribs 51 are arranged at positions appropriately deviated by distances W6 to W7 in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction (Y-axis direction) with respect to the upstream ribs 44, and transport the upstream ribs 44. The downstream end in the direction extends beyond the boundary wall 55 by an appropriate dimension into the first ink discarding area ENR (downstream side). Further, the downstream end of the in-region support rib 51 is fitted in the longitudinal groove 52 in the downstream support 47. Therefore, in the side view of the platen 26, the upstream end portion of the in-region support rib 51 overlaps with the downstream end portion of the upstream rib 44, and the downstream end portion of the in-region support rib 51 is the downstream support portion 47. It is comprised so that it may overlap with the upstream edge part.

  According to this configuration, when the rear end edge of the paper P is transported so as to be separated from the downstream end of the upstream rib 44 in the transport direction, it is supported by the upper end surfaces (guide surfaces) of the plurality of in-region support ribs 51. As a result, the trailing edge of the paper P does not drop significantly downward, and the image recording quality is maintained. Further, the ink accumulated at the intersection between the upstream end and the boundary wall 55 does not touch the trailing edge of the paper P. Further, even when the rear edge of the paper P is transferred to the in-region support rib 51 side, the paper P is already positioned on the downstream side in the transport direction from the intersection of the upstream end and the boundary wall 55. The ink collected at the intersection does not touch the rear edge of the paper P, does not stain the rear edge of the paper P, and the ink spreads downstream of the upper end surface (guide surface) of the in-region support rib 51. And subsequent paper P is not soiled. On the other hand, since the downstream end of the in-region support rib 51 overlaps with the upstream end of the downstream support 47, when the leading end of the sheet P exceeds the transport downstream end, the transport downstream side immediately You can transfer to the top 48. Accordingly, since the central portion in the width direction of the small size paper P first moves to the top portion 48, the left and right side edges of the paper P do not touch the ink flow path groove 54 that is the ink discarding portion.

  FIG. 16 shows a fourth embodiment of one tall intra-region support rib 51a. In the fourth embodiment, the arrangement position of one in-region support rib 51a is arranged at a position that is appropriately deviated by a distance W8 in a direction (Y-axis direction) perpendicular to the conveyance direction with respect to the upstream upstream rib 44. Further, the downstream end of the upstream rib 44 in the transport direction extends beyond the boundary wall 55 by an appropriate dimension into the first ink discarding area ENR (downstream side). Further, the downstream end of the in-region support rib 51 is fitted in the longitudinal groove 52 in the downstream support 47. Even if comprised in this way, there can exist an effect similar to the said 3rd Embodiment.

  18A to 18C show small-sized paper P1 that is frequently used, for example, a postcard, a postcard, and an L-size paper P1 for a photograph within the first ink discarding area ENR. FIG. 10 is an operation explanatory diagram in the case where borderless recording is performed on the starting end portion of the paper P1 when being conveyed in the direction. As shown in FIG. 18A, immediately after the leading end of the paper P1 enters the downstream side beyond the upstream edge Up in the transport direction of the first ink discarding area ENR, the recording head 4 is arranged in the X-axis direction. The ink droplets start to be ejected from the upstream nozzle 4b among the nozzles 4b arranged in a line, and the marginless recording can be started on the surface of the starting end portion of the paper P1. Then, as the paper P1 is intermittently moved in the X-axis direction and the start end of the paper P1 moves to the downstream side, the number of nozzles 4b to be ejected may be increased.

  As shown in FIG. 18B, in the middle portion of the paper P1, all the nozzles 4b arranged in a row in the X-axis direction in the recording head 4 in order to perform borderless recording on a pair of side edges extending in the X-axis direction. Ink droplet ejection can be executed. Finally, as shown in FIG. 18C, the X axis of the recording head 4 immediately after the end portion of the paper P1 enters the downstream side beyond the upstream edge Up in the transport direction of the first ink discarding area ENR. The ejection of ink droplets from the upstream nozzle 4b among the nozzles 4b arranged in a row in the direction may be terminated, and the end of the paper P1 is the downstream edge Do in the transport direction of the first ink discarding area ENR. The ink droplets can be ejected from all the nozzles 4b until approaching. Accordingly, if the size of the short side of the paper P1 is within the range of W2 (see FIGS. 5 and 6) of the first ink discarding area ENR, the specified size is not limited regardless of the paper width. Different from the above, it is possible to eject ink droplets from all the nozzles 4b on a specific size paper defined by the user, and the work speed of borderless recording can be increased. When performing borderless recording on a large size sheet, the first ink discarding area ENR can be used in addition to the second ink discarding area EAR.

  In the present invention, when the paper width is small and the paper has high rigidity, the leading edge and the trailing edge of the paper P1 are difficult to curl in the first ink discarding area ENR. Therefore, it is easy to properly maintain the gap from the nozzle surface 4a to the paper P1, and the image quality can be kept constant. Further, since the leading edge and the trailing edge of the paper P1 are difficult to curl, it is difficult to touch the ink channel groove 54 and the back surface of the paper P1 is difficult to be stained with ink.

  In the first ink discarding area ENR according to the present invention, at least one in-area support rib 51 capable of supporting the front end and the rear end in the transport direction of the paper P1 is provided to extend along the transport direction. In this case, the height of the in-region support rib 51 is lower than the height of the upper end surface of the upstream rib 44 and the upper end surface of the downstream support portion 47. Even if the portion is curled, only the leading edge and the trailing edge of the paper P1 are supported by the in-region support ribs 51 in the first ink discarding area ENR and do not directly touch the ink flow channel groove 54, and the paper P1 An ink stain can be generated only at the leading edge and the trailing edge, and the effect of preventing the dirt from diffusing can be achieved.

  As shown in FIG. 17, the first ink discarding area ENR, which has a long dimension L2 in the X-axis direction, is biased to either the left or right side in the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) of the platen 26. Alternatively, the second ink discarding area EAR having a short dimension L1 in the X-axis direction may be disposed on the other side. For such a type of platen, it is only necessary to set the side edge (edge extending in the X-axis direction) of the transported paper P as a reference based on the position where the side edge of the paper feed tray is biased.

1 is a perspective view of an image recording apparatus of the present invention. It is a top view of a recording part. It is a schematic sectional drawing of a recording part. It is a perspective view in the state where the downstream guide member 23 was removed from the recording part. It is a top view of the state which removed the downstream guide member 23 from the recording part. It is a perspective view of the platen of a 1st embodiment. It is a principal part expansion perspective view which shows the 1st ink discard area | region ENR of a platen. FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 7. It is a partially cutaway enlarged perspective view of an in-region support rib and a downstream support portion. FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 7. It is an operation explanatory view. It is a principal part expanded sectional view which shows other embodiment of one long in-region support rib. It is a principal part expansion perspective view which shows 2nd Embodiment in the 1st ink discard area | region ENR of a platen. FIG. 14 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line XIV-XIV in FIG. 13. It is a principal part expansion perspective view which shows 3rd Embodiment in the 1st ink discard area | region ENR of a platen. It is a principal part expansion perspective view which shows 4th Embodiment in the 1st ink discard area | region ENR of a platen. It is a top view which shows another embodiment of arrangement | positioning of the 1st ink discard area | region ENR and the 2nd ink discard area | region EAR. (A)-(C) are operation | movement explanatory drawings at the time of borderless recording in the 1st ink discard area | region ENR.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image recording apparatus 2 Housing 4 Recording head 5 Carriage 7 Recording part 26 Platen 40 Shelf board 41 as a baseplate Recessed groove 42 Recessed plate 43 Stepped shelf board 44 Upstream rib 45 Ink absorber 46 Storage part 47 Downstream side support part 48 Top 50, 51 Intra-region support rib 51a One long in-region support rib 51aa Downstream end 51ab Upstream end 52 Vertically long groove 53 Recess 54 Ink channel groove 55 Boundary wall 56 Spur roller

Claims (8)

A platen that is opposed to a recording head having nozzles capable of ejecting ink droplets, has a recording area in which ink ejected from the nozzles can land, and supports a recording medium that can be transported along a predetermined direction. And
On the upstream side of the recording area in the transport direction, a plurality of upstream ribs for supporting the recording medium are provided,
On the downstream side of the recording area in the transport direction, a downstream support portion for supporting the recording medium is provided,
The recording area is provided with a rectangular ink discarding area in which ink that has not landed on the recording medium during image formation on the recording medium is disposed. This ink discarding area is used to convey the recording medium. A first ink discard region having a first length along the direction and a second ink discard region having a second length shorter than the first length are perpendicular to the transport direction. Arranged adjacent and in communication with each other,
The length in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction in the first ink discarding area is orthogonal to the transport direction in a recording medium of a predetermined size or less among various sizes of recording media that can be supported by the platen. A platen characterized in that it is set to a length that includes all side edges that extend in the direction of movement.   The length of the nozzle row along the transport direction in the recording head is shorter than the first length in the first ink discarding area, and the second ink is shorter than the length of the nozzle row. The platen according to claim 1, wherein the second length in the discard region is set to be short.   The second ink discarding areas are respectively disposed on both ends of the recording area in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction, and the first ink discarding areas are the pair of second ink discarding areas. 3. The platen according to claim 1, wherein one platen is disposed closer to a center in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction in the recording area across the recording medium.   The first ink discarding area is disposed on one end side of the recording area in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction, and the second ink discard area is the other in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction. The platen according to claim 1, wherein the platen is disposed on an end side of the platen.   In the first and second ink discarding regions, at least one in-region support rib capable of supporting the front end portion and the rear end portion of the recording medium in the transport direction extends along the transport direction. The height of the in-region support rib is formed lower than the upper end surface of the upstream rib and the upper end surface of the downstream support portion. The platen according to any one of the above.   The platen according to claim 5, wherein the in-region support rib is formed so as to protrude from a surface of a bottom plate of the platen.   An ink flow path groove extending along the transport direction is formed in the bottom plate between the support ribs in the region, and the ink flow path groove communicates with an arrangement position of an ink absorber that absorbs at least excess ink. The platen according to claim 6, wherein the platen is provided on the platen.   The platen according to any one of claims 1 to 7, a carriage that can reciprocate in a predetermined direction within a main body, and a carriage that is mounted on the carriage and selectively ejects ink droplets from nozzles, thereby A recording head capable of recording an image on a recording medium that can be transported on the platen in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the carriage, and the platen and the nozzle surface of the recording head face each other with a predetermined gap. An image recording apparatus characterized by being arranged.

Images