JP2010240916A - Recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a recording device capable of accelerating drying of ink at a low cost in a space-saving manner without using an exclusive heat source. <P>SOLUTION: A motor 50 driving a carrier driving roller 40 formed of a metal shaft is arranged at one side shaft end of the carrier driving roller 40. An outer case of the motor 50 is formed of a metallic material, and a heat conductive member 51 is brought into contact with a part of the outer case. The other end of the heat conductive member 51 extends to the carrier driving roller 40 and is brought into resilient contact with the shaft end of the carrier driving roller 40 by the elasticity of the heat conductive member 51. Heat generated at the motor 50 is thereby transmitted to the carrier driving roller 40 through the heat conductive member 51 to heat the carrier driving roller 40, and paper is heated through the outer peripheral surface of the roller to accelerate drying of ink. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a recording apparatus typified by a facsimile or a printer, and more particularly to a recording apparatus in which a roller for conveying a recording sheet is formed of a heat conductive material such as metal.

  In an ink jet printer that performs recording by ejecting ink among recording apparatuses typified by facsimiles and printers, wetting (undried) of ink ejected onto recording paper becomes a problem. That is, when the ink does not dry for a long time, problems such as ink bleeding and contamination due to overlapping of recording sheets on the next page occur.

  In a configuration in which recording can be performed on both the front surface and the back surface, the recording paper on which the recording has been performed on the front surface is again drawn back into the apparatus so that the back surface becomes the top surface. To the reverse path. Therefore, if the ink is undried in the reversing path, the recording surface may be rubbed against the front surface on which the ink has already been ejected, leading to a significant deterioration in recording quality. Therefore, in an ink jet printer, it is preferable to dry the ink ejected on the recording surface in as short a time as possible.

  Therefore, in the conventional ink jet printer, various means for promoting the drying of the ink ejected on the recording surface have been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a drying unit that dries ink that has landed on a sheet by spraying warm air onto the sheet.

  Moreover, a heat roller as shown in Patent Documents 2 and 3 may be used. The heat roller has a built-in heat source such as a ceramic heater. The heat source raises the roller temperature, heats the recording paper through the outer peripheral surface of the roller, and shortens the ink drying time.

JP 2002-292841 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-16341 JP-A-8-290560

  However, the drying means and the heat roller for drying the ink that has landed on the paper by spraying warm air onto the paper require a dedicated heat source, which has led to an increase in the size and cost of the apparatus. In addition, since power is supplied to a dedicated heat source, there is a problem that the power consumption of the entire apparatus increases.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and an object of the present invention is to provide a recording apparatus that can save space and promote ink drying at a low cost without using a dedicated heat source. There is.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, a recording apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a recording head for recording on a recording medium, a roller formed of a thermally conductive material that conveys the recording medium, The heating device inside the device and the roller are connected by a heat conductive member.

  According to this aspect, the recording apparatus has the roller for conveying the recording medium formed of a heat conductive material, and the heating element constituting the apparatus and the roller are connected by the heat conductive member. The temperature of the outer peripheral surface of the roller can be increased without using a dedicated heat source for heating the roller, and the recording medium can be heated via the outer peripheral surface of the roller. As a result, it is possible to save the space and promote the drying of the recording medium at low cost.

  The “heating element that constitutes the apparatus” is not a dedicated heat source for heating the roller, but a component that is essentially necessary for recording in a recording apparatus such as a motor or a power supply unit. That means.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the heating element is a motor. According to this aspect, since the heating element is a motor, a sufficient calorific value can be obtained.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect, the motor is covered with a heat insulating material. According to this aspect, since the motor is covered with the heat insulating material, the heat generated from the motor can be efficiently transmitted to the roller.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to third aspects, the heat conductive member is connected to both ends of the roller in the rotation axis direction. According to this aspect, since the heat conductive member is connected to both ends of the roller in the rotation axis direction, the roller is heated from both ends in the rotation axis direction. Accordingly, temperature variations in the rotation axis direction of the roller can be suppressed, and the recording medium can be heated uniformly over the width direction.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, a driven roller that is driven to rotate while being pressed against the roller is provided, and the recording medium is a nip formed by the roller and the driven roller. It is characterized by being conveyed.

  According to this aspect, since the recording medium is conveyed while being nipped by the heated roller and the driven roller, a so-called “ironing effect” can be expected, and wrinkles formed on the recording medium can be effectively obtained. Can be stretched.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing a paper conveyance path of the printer according to the invention. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing a paper conveyance path of the printer according to the invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a main part of the apparatus main body of the printer according to the invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the printer according to the invention.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Here, FIGS. 1 and 2 are side sectional views showing a sheet conveyance path of an ink jet printer 1 as an example of a recording apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a main part of the main body of the ink jet printer 1, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the printer 1. FIG.

  In the following, in FIG. 1, in the sheet conveyance path from the intermediate roller 24 to the discharge drive roller 47, the right direction in the figure is referred to as the “downstream side” of the sheet conveyance path, and the left direction in the figure is the “upstream side” in the sheet conveyance path. I will say.

  In FIG. 1, the ink jet printer 1 includes a paper feeding unit 2 at the bottom of the apparatus. The paper P is fed from the paper feeding unit 2 and is bent and reversed by the paper feeding roller unit 3 to be fed toward the recording head 37. It has a configuration for sending and recording. In FIG. 1, a broken line R1 indicates the transport route (passage trajectory) of the paper P at this time.

  The ink jet printer 1 records on the first surface (front surface) of the paper P, then back feeds it, feeds it to the paper feed roller unit 3 and reverses it, with the second surface (back surface) facing up. Thus, it can be conveyed again to the recording head 37 side. That is, both sides recording is possible, and the broken line R2 in FIG. 2 indicates the transport route (passage trajectory) of the paper P at this time.

  Reference numeral 4 denotes a scanner unit provided in the upper part of the printer mechanism unit, and the ink jet printer 1 is configured as a so-called multi-function machine that can print out a document image read by the scanner unit 4 by the lower printer mechanism unit. Has been.

  Hereinafter, the configuration of the sheet conveyance path will be described in detail. The paper feeding unit 2 includes a paper cassette 11 and a feeding roller 18. The paper cassette 11 is provided with an edge guide (not shown), and the edge guide regulates the side end position and the rear end position of the paper P stored in the paper cassette 11.

  A separation slope 12 is provided at a position facing the leading edge of the paper P accommodated in the paper cassette 11, and the leading edge of the paper P sent out by the feeding roller 18 is fed to the downstream side while being in sliding contact with the separation slope 12. By doing so, preliminary separation is performed between the uppermost sheet P to be fed and the next and subsequent sheets P to be double-fed.

  The feed roller 18 is pivotally supported by a swinging member 19 that can swing clockwise and counterclockwise in FIGS. 1 and 2 around a rotation shaft 20, and from a motor 50 (FIG. 4). Is received through a power transmission switching means (not shown) and is driven to rotate. When the paper is fed, the feeding roller 18 rotates in contact with the uppermost paper P stored in the paper cassette 11 to feed the uppermost paper P from the paper cassette 11.

  A friction pad 13 is provided at a position facing the feeding roller 18 on the bottom surface 11a of the sheet cassette 11. When the feeding roller 18 is pressed against the sheet bundle from above, the lowermost sheet P is rubbed. When pressed toward the pad 13, the sheet bundle is held so as not to be sent out.

  The paper P fed upward from the paper cassette 11 enters the paper feed roller unit 3. The paper feed roller unit 3 includes a reverse roller 22, a retard roller 23, an intermediate roller 24, and a guide member 25.

  The reversing roller 22 is a large-diameter roller that forms the inside of the path for reversing the curvature of the paper P. In this embodiment, the reversing roller 22 is centered in the paper width direction (the front and back sides of the paper surface in FIGS. One ink jet printer 1 is disposed at the feeding reference position. The reversing roller 22 receives power from the motor 50 (FIG. 4) via power transmission switching means (not shown) and is driven to rotate, and rotates in the clockwise direction in FIGS. By doing so, the paper P is conveyed downstream.

  The retard roller 23 is provided so as to be capable of being pressed against the reversing roller 22 in a state where a predetermined rotational frictional resistance is applied. The upper sheet P is separated from the next and subsequent sheets P which are to be double fed along with the upper sheet P.

  The intermediate roller 24 is a freely rotatable roller, and assists the paper feeding by the reversing roller 22 by nipping the paper P with the reversing roller 22. The guide member 25 is located between the reversing roller 22 and the conveyance driving roller 40, and forms an upper path and a lower path through which the paper P on which recording has been performed on the first surface is fed back. To do.

  Next, on the downstream side of the intermediate roller 24, a first transport unit configured to include a transport driving roller 40 and a transport driven roller 41 is provided. In this embodiment, the conveyance drive roller 40 is formed by attaching wear-resistant particles to the surface of the metal shaft that is long in the paper width direction, and the power from the motor 50 (FIG. 4) is supplied to the pulleys 52 and 54 shown in FIG. It is received via the endless belt 53 and is driven to rotate. In the present embodiment, the transport driven roller 41 is formed of a resin material, and a plurality of the transport driven rollers 41 are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the transport driving roller 40 with appropriate intervals.

  The transport driven roller 41 is pivotally supported by a paper guide member 30 serving as a roller support so as to be freely rotatable, and is provided so as to be in pressure contact with the transport driving roller 40. Nip.

  The paper guide member 30 that supports the transport driven roller 41 is swingably supported by the frame 33 via the swing shaft 30 a and also exerts a biasing force between the frame 33 and the paper guide member 30. 31, the conveyance driven roller 41 is provided in a state of being urged in a direction in which the conveyance driven roller 41 is pressed against the conveyance driving roller 40. In the present embodiment, a plurality (three in this embodiment) of the paper guide members 30 are arranged along the axial direction of the transport driving roller 41 as shown in FIG.

  On the downstream side of the transport driving roller 40, an ink jet recording head 37 and a paper guide member 45 are arranged to face each other in the vertical direction. The ink jet recording head 37 is provided at the bottom of the carriage 36, and the carriage 36 is guided by the frames 33 and 34 disposed in the front and rear, and receives the power of a driving motor (not shown) to receive the power of the driving motor (not shown). 2 in the direction of the front and back of the paper). The carriage 36 houses a cartridge not shown.

  Ribs 45a, 45b, 45c extending in the paper transport direction are arranged on the surface of the paper guide member 45 facing the ink jet recording head 37 at predetermined intervals in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side in the paper transport direction. A plurality of ribs are provided at appropriate intervals in the main scanning direction (arrangement in the main scanning direction is not shown). The paper P is supported by these ribs, and the distance from the ink jet recording head 37 is defined.

  Next, an auxiliary roller 46 for preventing sheet lifting is provided on the downstream side of the region where the ink jet recording head 37 and the paper guide member 45 face each other, and further on the downstream side, a discharge driving roller 47 and a discharge driven roller 48. Is provided.

  The discharge drive roller 47 is composed of a rubber roller, and a plurality of discharge drive rollers 47 are provided along the axial direction of the discharge drive roller shaft 47a. The power from the motor 50 (FIG. 4) is supplied to the pulley 52 and the endless belt 53 shown in FIG. And is driven to rotate. The discharge driven roller 48 is a spur provided so as to be lightly elastically contacted with the discharge drive roller 47, and nips the paper P with the discharge drive roller 47. The paper P on which recording has been performed by these rollers is discharged toward a stacker (not shown).

  The transport driving roller 40 is configured to be able to rotate forward and backward, that is, reverse to the first direction in which the paper P is transported to the ink jet recording head 37 side (right direction in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2: downstream direction). The sheet P can be transported in both directions in the second direction (left direction: upstream direction in FIGS. 1 and 2) transported to the sheet feed roller unit 3 side having the path. Similarly, the discharge drive roller 47 is configured to be able to rotate forward and reverse, and the paper P can be conveyed in either the first direction or the second direction.

  The above is the configuration of the paper conveyance path of the inkjet printer 1, and the means for heating the conveyance driving roller 40 will be described below with reference to FIGS. In the present embodiment, a motor (DC motor in this embodiment) 50 serving as a driving source for the feed roller 18, the reverse roller 22, the transport driving roller 40, and the discharge driving roller 47 is a shaft that is long in the apparatus width direction. It is arrange | positioned at the one side edge part of the conveyance drive roller 40 which is a body.

  The motor 50 is disposed below the paper guide member 45, and includes a pinion gear (not shown) provided on a rotation shaft (not shown), a pulley 52, and a pulley 54, and an endless belt 53. Is being raped.

  The pulley 52 is provided at the shaft end of the discharge drive roller shaft 47a, and the pulley 54 is provided at the shaft end of the transport drive roller 40, whereby the power of the motor 50 is applied to the discharge drive roller 47 and the transport drive roller 40. It is to be transmitted.

  The outer case of the motor 50 is formed of a metal material, and a heat conducting member 51 that is a member having thermal conductivity is in contact with a part of the outer case. The other end 51a of the heat conducting member 51 extends to the transport driving roller 40, and heat conduction is performed on the shaft end portion 40a of the transport driving roller 40 (outside the formation region of the high friction layer to which the wear-resistant particles are attached). It is elastically contacted by the elasticity of the member 51. That is, the motor 50 and the transport driving roller 40 are connected by the heat conducting member 51.

  It is preferable to use a material having high thermal conductivity for the heat conducting member 51. For example, a metal material such as copper or aluminum can be used, but not limited to metal, any material having high heat conductivity may be used. It does not matter.

  Since the motor 50 and the transport driving roller 40 are connected by the heat conducting member 51, the heat generated by the motor 50 is transmitted to the transport driving roller 40 through the heat conducting member 51. As a result, the transport driving roller 40 is heated, and the sheet is heated via the roller outer peripheral surface.

  When the paper is heated via the transport driving roller 40, the ink is ejected from the inkjet recording head 37 in this state, so that the drying of the ink is promoted, and the ink bleeds or is damaged due to the ink being wet (undried). Etc. can be avoided.

  In addition, since the heat of the motor 50 is transmitted to the transport driving roller 40 via the heat conducting member 51, the transport driving roller 40 is used as a heat radiating unit of the motor 50, and the heat of the motor 50 is more effective. Released.

  In addition, a so-called “ironing effect” can be expected. That is, the conveyance driven roller 41 is in pressure contact with the conveyance driving roller 40, and the sheet is conveyed downstream while being pinched by both rollers. Therefore, even if the conveyance driving roller 40 is not heated, it is constant. Expected to have a “stretching effect”. In such a configuration, since the transport driving roller 40 is further heated, the ironing effect can be further obtained.

  In addition, although alumina etc. can be used as abrasion-resistant particle | grains adhering to the outer peripheral surface of the conveyance drive roller 40, by using a material with much higher heat conductivity, such as iron powder, outer periphery of the conveyance drive roller 40 Heat conduction from the surface to the paper can be performed with higher efficiency. In addition, when the roller peripheral surface (metal shaft peripheral surface) is formed of an elastic material such as rubber, the coefficient of friction of the rubber surface is improved by heating, and there is an effect that the paper can be conveyed stably. can get.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, since the conveyance drive roller 40 is formed not by a solid shaft but by a hollow shaft, the heat capacity of the shaft can be reduced, and the temperature of the roller outer peripheral surface can be further increased.

  Since the above effect can be realized without providing a dedicated heat source for heating the transport driving roller 40, it is possible to save space and promote ink drying at a low cost. Moreover, since a dedicated heat source is not used, power consumption can be suppressed.

  In the above embodiment, the heat conducting member 51 is connected to the one end 40a of the transport driving roller 40. For example, the heat conducting member 51 is also connected to the other end 40b and heated at both ends of the roller. If so, the temperature variation of the roller can be suppressed. In this case, a motor provided at the other end portion of the transport driving roller 40, for example, a motor for driving the carriage 36 may be used.

  Moreover, as a heat generating body, not only a motor but also a component that is a component of the ink jet printer 1 and generates heat can be used. For example, a power supply circuit or the like can be used. Furthermore, by using a conductive member for the heat conducting member 51, the heat conducting member 51 can be used as a grounding means for the motor 50.

  Some motors are covered with a flux yoke in order to suppress leakage magnetic flux from the side of the frame. The flux yoke is configured to extend to the transport driving roller 40, that is, the heat conducting member 51 can also be used as the flux yoke.

  In addition, by covering the motor surface with a heat insulating material, direct heat radiation from the motor surface can be prevented as much as possible, and heat generated from the motor can be efficiently transmitted to the transport driving roller 40.

  In addition, it cannot be overemphasized that it is not restricted to embodiment described above and various embodiment is employable. For example, in the present embodiment, the heat conducting member 51 is formed in a leaf spring shape, but may be formed in a bar spring shape or a coil spring shape, that is, from the heating element to the transport drive roller 40. Any structure may be used as long as heat is transferred to the heat source.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Inkjet printer, 2 Paper feed part, 3 Paper feed roller unit, 4 Scanner unit, 11 Paper cassette, 12 Separation slope, 18 Feed roller, 19 Oscillating member, 20 Rotating shaft, 22 Reverse roller, 23 Retard roller, 24 Intermediate roller, 25 guide member, 30 paper guide member, 31 tension spring, 33, 34 frame, 36 carriage, 37 ink jet recording head, 40 transport drive roller, 41 transport driven roller, 45 paper guide member, 45a-45b rib, 46 Auxiliary roller, 47 discharge drive roller, 47a discharge drive roller shaft, 48 discharge driven roller, 50 motor, 51 heat conducting member, 52 pulley, 53 endless belt, 54 pulley, P recording paper

Claims (5)

A recording head for recording on a recording medium;
A recording apparatus comprising: a roller formed of a thermally conductive material that conveys a recording medium;
The heating element constituting the device and the roller are connected by a heat conductive member,
A recording apparatus.   The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heating element is a motor.   3. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the motor is covered with a heat insulating material. The recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the heat conductive member is connected to both ends of the roller in the rotation axis direction.
A recording apparatus.   5. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a driven roller that is driven to rotate while being pressed against the roller, and the recording medium is conveyed while being nipped by the roller and the driven roller. A recording apparatus.

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