JP2011161689A - Recording apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a recording apparatus capable of decreasing the penetration of noise diffused toward multi-directions from a source of the noise from the inside of the apparatus to the outside. <P>SOLUTION: A printer 11 includes: the source of the noise generating the noise when recording is applied on recording paper P; a body case 12 storing the source of the noise inside; and an ink absorbing material 23 arranged in a wall-like shape so as to surround the source of the noise in the body case. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a recording apparatus such as an ink jet printer.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, a recording apparatus described in Patent Document 1 is known as one of recording apparatuses that perform a recording process by attaching a liquid to a recording medium. In such a recording apparatus, for example, since a recording paper transport mechanism, a recording mechanism, and the like generate noise during operation, various noise suppression measures are taken.

  That is, in the recording apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, the sound absorbing material is disposed in a space outside the case (a space on the back side of the cover) formed between the main body case and the cover that covers the opening of the main body case. A plurality of communication holes for communicating the space and the internal space of the main body case are formed in the main body case. When noise is generated by a noise source such as a transport mechanism housed in the internal space of the main body case, the noise is guided to the space outside the case through the communication hole and is reduced by the sound absorbing material. The noise was able to be reduced.

JP-A-5-254214

  By the way, in the recording apparatus of Patent Document 1, only noise that goes in one direction from the noise source in the main body case to the space outside the case that is the back side space of the cover is reduced. However, noise generated in the main body case diffuses not only in one direction but also in multiple directions. Therefore, there is a possibility that noise may be transmitted to the outside of the recording apparatus from a place other than the portion covered with the cover in the main body case.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a recording apparatus capable of suppressing transmission of noise diffusing in multiple directions from a noise source inside the apparatus to the outside of the apparatus. It is in.

  In order to achieve the above object, the recording apparatus of the present invention includes a noise source that generates noise when recording is performed on a recording medium, a main body case in which the noise source is housed, and the inside of the main body case. And a sound absorbing material disposed in a wall shape so as to surround the noise source.

  According to this configuration, it is possible to suppress the noise that diffuses in multiple directions from the noise source inside the apparatus from being transmitted to the outside of the apparatus by the sound absorbing material arranged so as to surround the noise source inside the apparatus.

  Further, the recording apparatus of the present invention includes a partition portion that forms a partial space portion that is independent of the storage space portion of the noise source in the main body case so that the partial space portion surrounds the storage space portion. The partial space portion is configured as a resonance space by forming a communicating hole in the partition portion for communicating the accommodating space portion and the partial space portion, and the sound absorbing material is provided inside the partial space portion. Is arranged.

  According to this configuration, noise diffused from the noise source in multiple directions can be effectively reduced by the resonance space formed by the partial space formed so as to surround the noise source. Therefore, noise can be effectively reduced.

  In addition, the recording apparatus of the present invention absorbs the waste liquid collected in the waste liquid collection section, a liquid flow path for discharging the liquid as waste liquid, a waste liquid collection section for collecting the waste liquid discharged from the liquid flow path. A waste liquid absorbing material that can be held; the partial space portion is constituted by the waste liquid collecting portion; and the sound absorbing material is constituted by the waste liquid absorbing material.

  According to this configuration, the sound absorbing material for absorbing the noise and the partial space functioning as the resonance space for insulating the noise can be shared by the existing waste liquid absorbing material and the waste liquid collecting unit, so the number of parts is increased. In addition, it is not necessary to secure a space for further resonance space. Therefore, noise can be reduced while suppressing an increase in size of the apparatus.

  In the recording apparatus according to the aspect of the invention, the partition portion may be a wall portion extending in a vertical direction, and the plurality of communication holes may be formed so as to be shifted in the vertical direction with respect to the wall portion. A communication hole formed at a position closer to the lower side in the vertical direction than the wall portion of the communication hole is provided with a permeation suppression unit that suppresses the permeation of the liquid.

In the recording apparatus of the present invention, the permeation suppression means is an opening / closing member capable of opening and closing the communication hole, or a film member having air permeability and liquid repellency that covers the communication hole.
In the recording apparatus of the present invention, the partition portion is a wall portion extending in the vertical direction, and the communication hole is formed only at an upper position in the vertical direction with respect to the wall portion.

  According to these configurations, even when waste liquid larger than the amount of waste liquid that can be absorbed and retained by the waste liquid absorbent is stored in the waste liquid recovery section, the waste liquid flows out from the waste liquid recovery section into the accommodation space section through the communication hole (leakage). Can be suppressed.

1 is a schematic perspective view of a printer according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of a printer. FIG.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the present invention is embodied in an ink jet printer (hereinafter abbreviated as “printer”) which is a kind of recording apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. In the following description, the terms “front-rear direction”, “left-right direction”, and “up-down direction” refer to directions indicated by arrows in the drawings.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 11 of the present embodiment includes a main body case 12 that defines the outer shape of the printer 11. A discharge port 13 for discharging a recording sheet P as a recording medium from the inside of the main body case 12 to the outside of the main body case 12 is opened in the front wall portion 12a on the front side of the main body case 12. A paper cassette 14 in which recording paper P is stacked and stored is inserted in the lower half of the paper discharge port 13. A plurality of operation buttons 15 are provided on the upper wall portion 12 b on the upper surface side of the main body case 12.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a partition wall 16 is provided in the main body case 12 as a wall portion having a substantially U shape in plan view that blocks the internal space of the main body case 12 along the vertical direction. The partition wall 16 includes a pair of left and right side walls 16a and 16b extending in the front-rear direction in parallel with the left and right side wall portions 12c and 12d from the front wall portion 12a of the main body case 12, and the rear ends of the left and right side walls 16a and 16b. It has a rear side wall 16c extending in the left-right direction in parallel with the rear wall portion 12e of the main body case 12 in a state where they are connected to each other. Then, the partition wall 16 has a central space portion 17 having a rectangular shape in a plan view and a front view that surrounds the left and right side surfaces and the rear surface side of the central space portion 17 in the main body case 12. An independent partial space portion 18 having a U shape (a U shape in plan view) is formed. In this respect, the partition wall 16 surrounds the partial space 18 that is independent of the central space 17 serving as a noise source accommodating space inside the main body case 12, and the partial space 18 surrounds the central space 17. It functions as a partition part for partitioning.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, in the central space portion 17 of the main body case 12, a platen 19 that supports the recording paper P conveyed from below by a conveyance mechanism (not shown) for recording from the paper cassette 14. Is disposed on the inner bottom surface 12 f of the main body case 12. Above the platen 19, a guide shaft 20 extending in the left-right direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the recording paper P is installed between the left and right side walls 16 a, 16 b of the partition wall 16. A carriage 21 is supported on the guide shaft 20 so as to be capable of reciprocating along the axial direction of the guide shaft 20. The carriage 21 is reciprocated along the axial direction of the guide shaft 20 by a driving mechanism (not shown) constituted by, for example, a driving motor and a driving belt. A recording head 22 that ejects ink toward the recording paper P is provided on the lower surface of the carriage 21 to form a recording mechanism. As described above, the central space portion 17 in the main body case 12 is a noise source including a recording mechanism such as the recording head 22 that performs printing (recording) on the recording paper P and a transport mechanism such as the platen 19 that transports and supports the recording paper P. It is a housing space part.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, an ink absorbent 23 having a rectangular cross section made of a porous material that absorbs ink is provided in the partial space 18 of the main body case 12. The ink absorbing material 23 is in contact with the inner surface of each of the rear wall portion 12e and the pair of side wall portions 12c and 12d in the main body case 12 so as to be along the inner surface of the rear wall portion 12e and each of the side wall portions 12c and 12d. It is arranged in the shape of a wall. Further, the length of the ink absorbing material 23 in the vertical (vertical) direction is shorter than the length of the inner surface of the main body case 12 in the vertical (vertical) direction (see FIG. 3). The lower end portion of the ink absorbing material 23 arranged in a wall shape is in contact with the inner bottom surface 12f of the main body case 12, while the upper end portion of the ink absorbing material 23 is separated from the inner surface of the upper wall portion 12b of the main body case 12. It is arranged to be located.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, in each of the side walls 16a, 16b and 16c (the right side wall 16b is shown in FIG. 3) of the partition wall 16, an insertion hole 24 with a sealing function is provided above the side wall 16b in the vertical direction. It is formed at a close position. A flexible waste ink tube 25 for discharging the ink forcedly sucked from the recording head 22 by a cleaning mechanism (not shown) provided in the central space 17 as waste ink (waste liquid) passes through the insertion hole 24. It is inserted in the partial space part 18 via.

  Further, in the partial space 18, the tip that is the downstream end of the waste ink tube 25 is disposed so as to contact the upper surface of the ink absorbing material 23 disposed in the partial space 18. The waste ink discharged by the cleaning mechanism is discharged into the partial space 18 through the waste ink tube 25 and is absorbed and held by the ink absorbing material 23. In this respect, the ink absorbing material 23 functions as a waste liquid absorbing material. The partial space portion 18 functions as a waste liquid recovery portion that can recover waste ink.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the partition wall 16 (side walls 16a to 16c) has a plurality of communication holes (three are shown in FIG. 3) having a circular cross section that allow the central space portion 17 and the partial space portion 18 to communicate with each other. 26 are regularly formed at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction. These communication holes 26 have a function of reducing noise in the vicinity of a specific frequency by a resonance phenomenon in which the partial space portion 18 is a resonance space by guiding noise generated in the central space portion 17 to the partial space portion 18 side. Have

  That is, in the present embodiment, the carriage 21 that generates a sliding sound when reciprocating along the guide shaft 20 or the sliding contact sound (paper feeding sound) by sliding the recording paper P to be conveyed to the support surface. The platen 19 or the like that generates) is a noise source. The communication hole 26 and the partial space portion 18 form a resonator having the partial space portion 18 as a back air layer, and noise near a specific frequency generated in the central space portion 17 is reduced. ing. The opening diameters of the plurality of communication holes 26 formed in almost the entire area of the partition wall 16 are all equal, and the shape of the communication holes 26 is calculated by the following formula based on the specific frequency of the noise to be reduced. Is done.

f = (c / 2π) √S / V · L
Here, f is the frequency of the noise to be reduced, c is the speed of sound, S is the opening cross-sectional area of the communication hole 26, V is the volume of the air layer (partial space 18) behind the communication hole 26, and L is the partition wall 16. Is the thickness.

  Further, among the communication holes 26 arranged vertically, the opening on the partial space portion 18 side of the communication hole 26 (for example, the lowermost communication hole 26 in the present embodiment) arranged closer to the lower side in the vertical direction is The film 27 is covered with a film 27 as a film member having air permeability and ink repellency (liquid repellency). Even if the waste ink exceeding the absorption limit of the ink absorbing material 23 is discharged (stored) by the film 27 into the partial space portion 18 that functions as a waste ink tank, the waste ink passes through the communication hole 26 and passes through the partial space. Backflow from the portion 18 side to the central space portion 17 side prevents leakage. In this respect, the film 27 functions as a permeation suppression unit that suppresses permeation of ink (liquid).

Next, the operation of the printer 11 configured as described above, particularly the operation when suppressing noise generated inside the printer 11, will be described with reference to FIG.
For example, when printing on the recording paper P is started inside the main body case 12, the recording paper P fed from the paper cassette 14 is placed on the platen 19 in accordance with the rotation of a transport roller (not shown) of the transport mechanism. It is conveyed to the printing position. At this time, in the central space portion 17, noise such as a driving sound of a paper feed motor (not shown) or a sliding contact sound due to the recording sheet P slidingly contacting the support surface of the platen 19 is generated. Next, printing is performed on the recording paper P conveyed to the printing position on the platen 19 by ejecting ink while the carriage 21 reciprocates along the guide shaft 20. At this time, noises such as a driving sound of the carriage motor, a sliding contact sound between the recording paper P and the platen 19 and a sliding sound accompanying the movement of the carriage 21 are generated. When printing on the recording paper P is completed, the recording paper P is conveyed to the paper discharge port 13 and discharged from the paper discharge port 13 to the outside of the printer 11. At this time, in the central space portion 17, noise such as driving sound of a paper feed motor (not shown) and sliding sound of the recording paper P against the platen 19 is generated.

  As described above, when printing processing is performed in the printer 11, various noises are generated in the central space portion 17 (particularly, a region below the central space portion 17 where the platen 19, the guide shaft 20, and the carriage 21 are arranged). Will occur. The noise generated in the central space portion 17 during the printing process propagates and diffuses in the central space portion 17 in multiple directions.

  When the noise diffused in the central space portion 17 reaches the partition wall 16 surrounding the central space portion 17, the noise enters the communication hole 26 from the opening on the central space portion 17 side of the partition wall 16. In the communication hole 26, sound resonates inside the communication hole 26 and friction is generated, so that air in the communication hole 26 vibrates violently. In the communication hole 26, noise near a specific frequency is converted into heat energy and reduced.

Next, noise having a frequency other than the vicinity of the specific frequency that has not been reduced by the communication hole 26 passes through the communication hole 26 and then enters the partial space 18 as a waste ink tank.
Here, the ink absorbing material 23 that does not absorb and hold waste ink functions as a sound absorbing material. Therefore, when the ink absorbing material 23 accommodated in the partial space 18 hardly absorbs and retains waste ink, noise that diffuses in the partial space 18 and reaches the ink absorbing material 23 Sound is absorbed by the absorber 23.

  When the waste ink is discharged into the partial space portion 18, the discharged waste ink is absorbed into the ink absorbing material 23, and the upper end of the absorption holding region is sequentially moved from the lower part to the upper part of the ink absorbing material 23. Hold to rise. The area where the waste ink of the ink absorbing material 23 is absorbed and held is improved in surface density, so that the sound insulation is increased. For this reason, the ink absorbing material 23 in the region not absorbing and holding waste ink functions as a sound absorbing material, while the ink absorbing material 23 in the region absorbing and holding waste ink functions as a sound insulating material. Therefore, when the waste ink begins to be absorbed by the ink absorbing material 23, the noise that has diffused through the partial space 18 and reached the region where the waste ink of the ink absorbing material 23 is not absorbed and retained becomes the ink absorbing material. While the sound is absorbed by 23, the noise that reaches the area where the waste ink is absorbed and held is reflected by the ink absorbing material 23 toward the inside of the main body case 12, that is, toward the central space portion 17.

  Further, when the waste ink is absorbed and held in almost the entire area of the ink absorbing material 23, the ink absorbing material 23 functions as a sound insulating material, so that it diffuses in the partial space 18 and reaches the ink absorbing material 23. The generated noise is reflected by the ink absorbing material 23.

According to the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) In the printer 11 according to the present embodiment, the central space portion 17 is surrounded by the fact that noise that is generated in the central space portion 17 of the main body case 12 and diffuses in multiple directions is transmitted to the outside of the main body case 12. As described above, the sound absorbing action and the sound insulating action of the ink absorbing material 23 arranged in a wall shape in the main body case 12 can be suppressed.

  (2) In the printer 11 of the present embodiment, the partial space portion 18 formed so as to surround the central space portion 17 with noise that is generated in the central space portion 17 of the main body case 12 and diffused in multiple directions. Can be effectively reduced by the sound-reducing action of the resonance space formed by the communication hole 26 formed in the partition wall 16 disposed in the main body case 12.

  (3) In the printer 11 of the present embodiment, the existing ink absorbing material 23 and the waste ink tank are used together with the sound insulating material for absorbing noise and the partial space portion 18 that functions as a resonance space for insulating noise. it can. Therefore, it is not necessary to increase the number of parts of the printer 11 or to secure a space for further resonance space. Therefore, noise can be reduced while suppressing an increase in size of the apparatus.

  (4) In the printer 11 of the present embodiment, the ink absorbing material 23 disposed in the partial space portion 18 absorbs and holds ink sequentially from the lower portion toward the upper portion, so that the ink absorbing material 23 is sound-insulated from the lower portion. Increases nature. Therefore, in the main body case 12, it is possible to improve the sound insulation from the area below the vertical direction that becomes a noise generation source during printing.

  (5) In the printer 11 of this embodiment, waste ink that exceeds the absorption limit of the ink absorbing material 23 is discharged (stored) into the partial space 18 by the film 27 that covers the opening of the communication hole 26 on the partial space 18 side. ), It is possible to suppress waste ink from flowing out (leaking) from the partial space 18 side to the central space 17 side through the communication hole 26.

In addition, you may change the said embodiment as follows.
-You may form and form the communicating hole 26 of a different hole diameter. In this case, in the subspace portion 18 serving as a resonance space, noise in a multi-frequency region can be reduced without being biased toward sound near a specific frequency.

Although the communication holes 26 are regularly provided in the partition wall 16 at a predetermined interval in the vertical direction, the communication holes 26 may be provided only at positions closer to the upper part in the vertical direction than the partition wall 16.
The film 27 may be disposed in the opening on the central space 17 side of the communication hole 26. In addition, an openable / closable door may be provided at the opening of the communication hole 26. Further, the communication hole 26 may not be provided with a liquid leakage suppressing means.

  The sound absorbing material and the resonator may be provided in the main body case 12 without using the ink absorbing material 23 and the partial space 18 as the space behind the sound absorbing material that absorbs the noise and the resonator that reduces the noise.

-The resonator which reduces noise in the main body case 12 may not be provided.
In the above embodiment, the recording apparatus is embodied in the ink jet printer 11, but a recording apparatus that ejects or discharges liquid other than ink may be employed. The present invention can be used for various recording apparatuses including a liquid jet head that discharges a minute amount of liquid droplets. The droplet means a state of the liquid ejected from the recording apparatus, and includes a liquid having a granular shape, a tear shape, or a thread shape. The liquid here may be any material that can be ejected by the recording apparatus. For example, it may be in a state in which the substance is in a liquid phase, such as a liquid with high or low viscosity, sol, gel water, other inorganic solvents, organic solvents, solutions, liquid resins, liquid metals (metal melts ) And a liquid as one state of a substance, as well as a material in which particles of a functional material made of a solid such as a pigment or metal particles are dissolved, dispersed or mixed in a solvent. Further, representative examples of the liquid include ink and liquid crystal as described in the above embodiment. Here, the ink includes general water-based inks and oil-based inks, and various liquid compositions such as gel inks and hot melt inks. As specific examples of the recording apparatus, for example, a liquid containing an electrode material or a color material used for manufacturing a liquid crystal display, an EL (electroluminescence) display, a surface emitting display, or a color filter is dispersed or dissolved. It may be a recording device that injects a bio-organic matter used in biochip manufacture, a recording device that is used as a precision pipette and injects a liquid as a sample, a textile printing device, a microdispenser, or the like. In addition, a transparent resin liquid such as ultraviolet curable resin is used to form a recording device that injects lubricating oil pinpointed into precision machines such as watches and cameras, and micro hemispherical lenses (optical lenses) used in optical communication elements. You may employ | adopt the recording apparatus which injects etching liquid, such as a recording device sprayed on a board | substrate, and an acid, an alkali, etc. in order to etch a board | substrate. The present invention can be applied to any one of these recording apparatuses.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Printer as recording apparatus, 12 ... Main body case, 16 ... Partition wall as partition part, 17 ... Central space part as accommodation space part, 18 ... Partial space part as waste ink tank, 23 ... As waste liquid absorber 25 ... Waste ink tube, 26 ... Communication hole, 27 ... Film.

Claims (6)

A noise source that generates noise when recording on a recording medium;
A body case containing the noise source therein;
A sound-absorbing material arranged in a wall shape so as to surround the noise source inside the main body case;
A recording apparatus comprising: A partition part that forms a partial space part that is independent of the storage space part of the noise source inside the main body case so that the partial space part surrounds the storage space part;
The partial space portion is configured as a resonance space by forming a communication hole for communicating the accommodating space portion and the partial space portion in the partition portion, and the sound absorbing material is disposed inside the partial space portion. The recording apparatus according to claim 1. A liquid flow path for discharging the liquid as waste liquid, a waste liquid recovery section for recovering the waste liquid discharged from the liquid flow path, and a waste liquid absorbent material capable of absorbing and holding the waste liquid recovered in the waste liquid recovery section. In addition,
The recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the partial space portion is configured by the waste liquid recovery unit, and the sound absorbing material is configured by the waste liquid absorbing material. The partition portion is a wall portion along a vertical direction, and the plurality of communication holes are formed so as to be shifted in the vertical direction with respect to the wall portion, and the wall portion of the plurality of communication holes is formed with respect to the wall portion. The recording apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a permeation suppression unit configured to suppress permeation of the liquid in the communication hole formed at a position closer to the lower side in the vertical direction. The recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the permeation suppression unit is an opening / closing member capable of opening and closing the communication hole or a film member having air permeability and liquid repellency that covers the communication hole. The recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the partition portion is a wall portion along a vertical direction, and the communication hole is formed only at a position closer to the upper side in the vertical direction than the wall portion.

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