JP2011225315A - Liquid injection device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid injection device which can suppress warpage of a target when the liquid-injected target is heated to be dried.SOLUTION: An inkjet printer 11 includes a conveyance means for conveying a recording sheet 13 from an upstream side to a downstream side along a conveyance path, and a recording head 19 for injecting ink to the recording sheet 13 conveyed by the conveyance means. The conveyance means includes a plurality of pairs of heating rollers 35 arranged to be brought into contact with the recording sheet 13 on a sheet discharge path 30a and spaced from each other along the conveying direction of the recording sheet 13, and heated by the heater to heat the recording sheet 13 while holding it in-between and convey the sheet to the downstream side.

Description

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

  In general, inkjet printers are widely known as liquid ejecting apparatuses that eject liquid from a liquid ejecting head to a target. Some printers eject ink (liquid) from an inkjet head (liquid ejecting head) onto a sheet (target) and then heat and dry the sheet (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The printer of Patent Document 1 includes a belt conveyance device that conveys a sheet by a conveyance belt, and inks that are arranged opposite to the upper side of the belt conveyance device and that have different colors on the sheet conveyed by the belt conveyance device. And four inkjet heads for discharging the ink.

  The inkjet heads are arranged side by side along the paper conveyance direction, and a pressing mechanism for pressing the paper conveyed by the belt is provided at a position adjacent to the downstream side of each inkjet head in the paper conveyance direction. ing. The pressing mechanism includes a roller (heating rotator) having a halogen lamp (heating means) as a heat source therein, and a roller moving mechanism that rotatably supports the roller and moves it in the vertical direction. The printed paper is dried by pressing each roller heated by a halogen lamp against the paper on which ink is ejected from each ink jet head while being conveyed by a belt by a roller moving mechanism.

JP 2009-154368 A

  By the way, in the printer disclosed in Patent Document 1, paper on which ink is ejected from each inkjet head can be heated and dried only once by a roller corresponding to each inkjet head. That is, in the printer of Patent Document 1, when ink is ejected from only one inkjet head, only the roller corresponding to the one inkjet head is heated. Therefore, since the paper on which the ink has been ejected must be completely dried by a short time of heating with a roller, a high temperature is required for the drying. For this reason, there has been a problem that the paper is greatly warped during drying.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to such problems existing in the prior art. An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid ejecting apparatus capable of suppressing warping of a target when the target onto which the liquid has been ejected is heated and dried.

  In order to achieve the above object, a liquid ejecting apparatus of the present invention includes a transport unit that transports a target from an upstream side to a downstream side along a transport path, and a liquid that ejects liquid onto the target transported by the transport unit An ejection head, and the transport means is in contact with the target and in a transport direction of the target on a downstream side of a region where the target ejects the liquid from the liquid ejection head in the transport path. And a plurality of rotating bodies that are arranged so as to be spaced apart from each other and guide the target to the downstream side, and at least two of the rotating bodies are heated by heating means to heat the target. It is a heating rotator to be applied.

  According to this invention, heat can be applied to the target after the liquid has been ejected in a plurality of times, so the amount of heat applied to the target can be reduced. Therefore, when the target on which the liquid has been jetted is heated and dried, the target can be prevented from warping.

  In the liquid ejecting apparatus according to the aspect of the invention, each of the rotating bodies has a lower contact pressure with respect to the target than the one disposed on the upstream side of the transport path than the one disposed on the downstream side.

  According to the aspect of the invention, the rotating body located nearer to the liquid ejecting head on the downstream side of the liquid ejecting head has a lower contact pressure with respect to the target than the rotating body located far from the liquid ejecting head. The liquid that has been ejected from the nozzle and adhered to the target becomes difficult to adhere to each rotating body. For this reason, it becomes possible to suppress that each rotating body is contaminated with liquid.

  In the liquid ejecting apparatus according to the aspect of the invention, each of the rotating bodies has a larger contact area with the target than the one arranged on the upstream side of the transport path than the one arranged on the downstream side.

  According to the present invention, even when each rotating body downstream of the liquid ejecting head is urged with the same urging force with respect to the target, the rotation at a position closer to the liquid ejecting head downstream of the liquid ejecting head. The contact pressure with respect to the target is smaller than that of the rotating body located at a position farther from the liquid ejecting head. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a trace due to contact of the rotating body on the target shortly after the liquid adheres, and to smoothly discharge the target from the transport path.

In the liquid ejecting apparatus according to the aspect of the invention, each of the heating rotators has a higher temperature at the upstream side of the transport path than at the downstream side.
According to this invention, the target after the liquid is ejected from the liquid ejecting head can be effectively heated and dried.

  In the liquid ejecting apparatus according to the aspect of the invention, each of the heating rotators includes a pair of heating rollers that sandwich the target from both sides, and each of the pair of heating rollers ejects the liquid out of both sides of the target. The surface disposed on the surface side of the target has a higher temperature than the surface disposed on the surface side opposite to the surface on which the liquid is ejected out of both surfaces of the target.

According to this invention, the target after the liquid is ejected from the liquid ejecting head can be heated and dried more effectively.
The liquid ejecting apparatus according to the aspect of the invention further includes a moving mechanism that relatively moves one side of each pair of heating rollers in a direction approaching and separating from the other side.

  According to this invention, it is possible to suppress the movement of heat between them by separating the one side and the other side of each pair of heating rollers by the moving mechanism during standby without transporting the target. It becomes. Therefore, it is possible to maintain the temperature difference between one side and the other side of each pair of heating rollers.

FIG. 3 is a simplified cross-sectional view of the ink jet printer according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing each heating roller of the printer. The principal part expanded sectional schematic diagram which shows a state when the driven heating roller exists in a conveyance position in the heating roller unit of the printer. The principal part expanded sectional schematic diagram which shows a state when the driven heating roller exists in a separation position in the heating roller unit of the printer.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the liquid ejecting apparatus of the invention is embodied in an ink jet printer will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the terms “front-rear direction”, “vertical direction”, and “left-right direction” refer to “front-rear direction”, “vertical direction”, and “left-right direction” indicated by arrows in FIG. 1 unless otherwise specified. Direction ".

  As shown in FIG. 1, an ink jet printer 11 as a liquid ejecting apparatus includes a main body case 12 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. On the upper surface of the main body case 12, a paper discharge tray 14 for discharging the recording paper 13 as a printed target is recessed. The depth of the discharge tray 14 is deepest at the left end, and gradually decreases toward the right. That is, the bottom surface 14a of the paper discharge tray 14 is curved so as to bulge upward, and is inclined so as to rise toward the right side.

  A paper feed cassette 15 having a bottomed square box shape containing unprinted recording paper 13 is detachably attached to the main body case 12 at the lower end in the main body case 12. That is, a rectangular bottom plate 16 is disposed on the inner bottom surface 15 a of the paper feed cassette 15, and a plurality of recording papers 13 are stacked on the bottom plate 16.

  Between the bottom plate 16 and the inner bottom surface 15a at the right end portion of the paper feed cassette 15, a coil spring 17 for biasing each recording sheet 13 upward through the bottom plate 16 is interposed. Accordingly, each recording sheet 13 accommodated in the sheet feeding cassette 15 is in a state of being inclined with the right side lifted together with the bottom plate 16 by the biasing force of the coil spring 17.

  A platen 18 is provided above the paper feed cassette 15 and in the center of the main body case 12. Further, a recording head 19 as a liquid ejecting head is fixedly provided on the upper side of the platen 18 so as to face the platen 18, and ink as a liquid is supplied to the recording head 19 from an ink cartridge (not shown). It comes to be supplied.

  Further, in the main body case 12, from the diagonally upper right side of the paper feeding cassette 15 to the right side of the platen 18, paper feeding that forms a paper feeding path 20 a for guiding the recording paper 13 in the paper feeding cassette 15 onto the platen 18. A path forming member 20 is extended. That is, the paper feed path forming member 20 extends while curving so as to swell rightward from a position near the upper right side of the paper feed cassette 15, and its tip reaches a position near the right side of the platen 18.

  On the upper side of the right end portion of the paper feed cassette 15 in the main body case 12, a pinch roller 21 is provided on the upper surface of the right end portion of the recording paper 13 positioned at the top of each recording paper 13 lifted by the coil spring 17. It is provided to come into contact. The pinch roller 21 has a rotating shaft 21a extending in the front-rear direction, and the rotating shaft 21a can be driven to rotate by a motor (not shown).

  Therefore, the pinch roller 21 is integrally rotated together with the rotation shaft 21a by driving a motor (not shown). Then, by the rotation of the pinch roller 21, each recording sheet 13 of the sheet feeding cassette 15 is sequentially sent out one by one from the top to the sheet feeding path 20a side.

  At the base end (lower end) of the paper feed path forming member 20, a pair of upper and lower first paper feed rollers 23 that guide the recording paper 13 sent out by the pinch roller 21 to the paper feed path 20 a is provided. The first paper feed roller 23 has a rotation shaft 23a extending in the front-rear direction, and the rotation shaft 23a can be driven to rotate by a motor (not shown).

  Therefore, the first paper feed roller 23 is integrally rotated together with the rotation shaft 23a by driving a motor (not shown). Then, by the rotation of the first paper feed roller 23, the recording paper 13 sent out by the pinch roller 21 is sent out downstream along the paper feed path 20a.

  A pair of left and right second paper feed rollers that guide the recording paper 13 sent out by the first paper feed roller 23 to the downstream side along the paper feed route 20a are provided at the curved portion of the paper feed route forming member 20. 25 is provided. The second paper feed roller 25 has a rotation shaft 25a extending in the front-rear direction, and the rotation shaft 25a can be driven to rotate by a motor (not shown).

  Therefore, the second paper feed roller 25 is integrally rotated together with the rotation shaft 25a by driving a motor (not shown). Then, by the rotation of the second paper feed roller 25, the recording paper 13 sent out by the first paper feed roller 23 is sent out further downstream along the paper feed path 20a.

  In addition, a pair of upper and lower third paper feed rollers 27 that guide the recording paper 13 fed by the second paper feed roller 25 to the platen 18 while sandwiching the recording paper 13 is provided at the front end of the paper feed path forming member 20. The third paper feed roller 27 has a rotation shaft 27a extending in the front-rear direction, and the rotation shaft 27a can be driven to rotate by a motor (not shown).

  Accordingly, the third paper feed roller 27 is integrally rotated together with the rotation shaft 27a by driving of a motor (not shown). Then, by the rotation of the third paper feed roller 27, the recording paper 13 sent out by the second paper feed roller 25 is sent out onto the platen 18.

  Then, ink is ejected from a plurality of nozzles (not shown) of the recording head 19 onto the recording paper 13 conveyed on the platen 18, whereby the recording paper 13 is printed. An area on the platen 18 facing the recording head 19 is a printing area that is an area where ink is ejected onto the recording paper 13.

  Further, from the left side of the platen 18 in the main body case 12 to a position near the upper end of the left surface 14 b of the paper discharge tray 14, a discharge for guiding the recording paper 13 printed in the printing area to the paper discharge tray 14. A paper discharge path forming member 30 that forms the paper path 30a is extended. That is, the sheet discharge path forming member 30 extends from the left side adjacent position with respect to the platen 18 while rising in the left direction, and then curves so as to bulge to the left side and is connected to the left wall of the sheet discharge tray 14 from the left side. Yes. In this case, the downstream end of the paper discharge path 30a opens at a position near the upper end of the left surface 14b of the paper discharge tray 14, and the opened portion is a paper discharge port 30b.

  First to fourth heating roller units 31 to 34 that guide the recording paper 13 printed in the printing area to the paper discharge tray 14 and apply heat to the recording paper 13 are spaced apart from each other on the paper discharge path forming member 30. It is provided to put. In this case, each of the heating roller units 31 to 34 has the first heating roller unit 31, the second heating roller unit 32, and the third heating unit 31 along the conveyance direction of the recording paper 13 from the upstream side to the downstream side of the paper discharge path 30a. The heating roller unit 33 and the fourth heating roller unit 34 are arranged in this order.

  Further, in this case, the first heating roller unit 31 is disposed at the base end (lower end) of the paper discharge path forming member 30 and the fourth heating roller unit 34 is disposed at the front end (upper end) of the paper discharge path forming member 30. Has been placed.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, each heating roller unit 31 to 34 guides the recording paper 13 printed in the printing area from both sides while holding (pressing) the recording paper 13 to the downstream side along the paper discharge path 30 a. A heating roller 35 is provided as a pair of heating rotators. Of the heating rollers 35, the heating roller 35 disposed on the printing surface side on which the ink of the recording paper 13 is ejected is set as a driving heating roller 35 </ b> A, whereas the heating roller 35 on the side opposite to the printing surface of the recording paper 13. The heating roller 35 arranged on the non-printing surface side is a driven heating roller 35B.

  Each heating roller 35A, 35B includes a rotating shaft 35a extending in the front-rear direction and a pair of front and rear cylindrical roller portions 35b provided on the rotating shaft 35a, and each of the heating rollers 35A, 35B. The roller portions 35b are in contact with each other. Moreover, the length of each roller part 35b of each heating roller 35A, 35B of each heating roller unit 31-34 is the 1st heating roller unit 31, the 2nd heating roller unit 32, the 3rd heating roller unit 33, The fourth heating roller unit 34 is shortened step by step.

  That is, among the heating roller units 31 to 34, the length in the front-rear direction of the roller portions 35b of the heating rollers 35A and 35B of the first heating roller unit 31 located on the most upstream side is the longest and the most downstream side. The length in the front-rear direction of each roller portion 35b of each heating roller 35A, 35B of the fourth heating roller unit 34 located at the shortest position is the shortest.

  In other words, the contact area of each heating roller 35A, 35B of each heating roller unit 31-34 with respect to the recording paper 13 with respect to the recording paper 13 is the first heating roller unit 31, the second heating roller unit 32, the third heating. The roller unit 33 and the fourth heating roller unit 34 are gradually reduced in order.

  That is, of the heating roller units 31 to 34, the contact area with respect to the recording paper 13 of the roller portions 35b of the heating rollers 35A and 35B of the first heating roller unit 31 located on the most upstream side is the largest and the most downstream. The contact area with respect to the recording paper 13 of each roller part 35b of each heating roller 35A, 35B of the 4th heating roller unit 34 located in the side is the smallest.

  A discharge motor 36 for rotating the driving heating roller 35A is connected to the front end of the rotating shaft 35a of the driving heating roller 35A, while the driving heating roller 35A is connected to the rear end of the rotating shaft 35a. A main heater 37 is connected as a heating means for heating. A sub-heater 38 as a heating means for heating the driven heating roller 35B is connected to the rear end portion of the rotating shaft 35a of the driven heating roller 35B.

  When the paper discharge motor 36 is driven, the driving heating roller 35A is driven to rotate, and the driven heating roller 35B is rotated (driven rotation) as the driving heating roller 35A rotates. . Moreover, the temperature of each heating roller 35A, 35B of each heating roller unit 31-34 is the order of the 1st heating roller unit 31, the 2nd heating roller unit 32, the 3rd heating roller unit 33, and the 4th heating roller unit 34 in order. It is getting lower step by step.

  That is, among the heating roller units 31 to 34, the temperature of each heating roller 35A, 35B of the first heating roller unit 31 located on the most upstream side is the highest, and the fourth heating roller unit 34 located on the most downstream side. The temperature of each heating roller 35A, 35B is the lowest.

  That is, when the temperatures of the driving heating rollers 35A and the driven heating rollers 35B of the heating roller units 31 to 34 are respectively compared, the temperatures of the driving heating roller 35A and the driven heating roller 35B of the first heating roller unit 31 are the same. The temperature of the driving heating roller 35A and the driven heating roller 35B of the fourth heating roller unit 34 is the lowest and the lowest. On the other hand, when the temperatures of the driving heating roller 35A and the driven heating roller 35B are compared for each of the heating roller units 31 to 34, the temperature of the driving heating roller 35A is higher than that of the driven heating roller 35B.

  Each of the heating roller units 31-34 supports the driven heating roller 35B in a rotatable manner and moves the driven heating roller 35B in the direction of approaching and separating from the driving heating roller 35A. Each cylinder 39 is provided. That is, the air cylinder 39 includes a rod 39a that can reciprocate, and the tip of the rod 39a is connected between each roller portion 35b of the rotation shaft 35a of the driven heating roller 35B via a bearing (not shown). .

  Then, by reciprocating the rod 39a of the air cylinder 39, a contact position (position shown in FIG. 3) where the driven heating roller 35B contacts the drive heating roller 35A and a separation position (FIG. 4) away from the drive heating roller 35A. The position shown in FIG.

  Each of the heating roller units 31 to 34 includes a compression coil spring 40 that biases the driving heating roller 35A toward the driven heating roller 35B. That is, the fixing member 41 fixed in the main body case 12 is disposed on the opposite side of the driven heating roller 35B across the driving heating roller 35A of each heating roller unit 31-34. One end of the compression coil spring 40 is connected to each fixing member 41, and the other end of the compression coil spring 40 is connected between the roller portions 35b of the rotating shaft 35a of the drive heating roller 35A via a bearing (not shown). It is connected to the.

  Therefore, when the driven heating roller 35B is in the contact position, the recording paper 13 is sandwiched between the driven heating roller 35B and the driving heating roller 35A by the urging force of the compression coil spring 40. In this case, the contact pressure of the driven heating roller 35B and the driving heating roller 35A with respect to the recording paper 13 is inversely proportional to the contact area with respect to the recording paper 13, so the first heating roller unit 31, the second heating roller unit 32, the third heating roller It becomes higher stepwise in the order of the roller unit 33 and the fourth heating roller unit 34.

  That is, among the heating roller units 31 to 34, the contact pressure with respect to the recording paper 13 of each heating roller 35A, 35B of the first heating roller unit 31 located on the most upstream side is the lowest, and the first located on the most downstream side. The contact pressure with respect to the recording paper 13 of each heating roller 35A, 35B of the 4 heating roller unit 34 is the highest.

  In the present embodiment, the rollers 21, 23, 25, 27 and the heating rollers 35 of the heating roller units 31 to 34 constitute a conveying means, and the paper feed path 20 a, the paper discharge path 30 a, and the platen 18. A transport path is constituted by the upper area.

Next, the operation of the ink jet printer 11 will be described.
When printing on the recording paper 13, first, each of the rollers 21, 23, 25, 27 and each of the heating rollers 35 B of each of the heating roller units 31 to 34 is in a contact position. The drive heating rollers 35A of the roller units 31 to 34 are rotated and driven, and the drive heating rollers 35A and the driven heating rollers 35B of the heating roller units 31 to 34 are heated. Then, the recording paper 13 of the paper feed cassette 15 is conveyed downstream along the paper feed path 20a.

  Subsequently, the recording paper 13 is sent out on the platen 18 from the paper feeding path 20a, and printing is performed by ejecting ink from the recording head 19 when passing through the printing area. Subsequently, the printed recording paper 13 is heated while being pinched by the heating rollers 35A and 35B of the first heating roller unit 31, and is conveyed downstream along the paper discharge path 30a.

  Subsequently, as in the case of the first heating roller unit 31, the recording paper 13 is heated while being sandwiched between the heating rollers 35A and 35B of the second heating roller unit 32, and is downstream along the paper discharge path 30a. It is conveyed to. At this time, the contact pressure of the heating rollers 35A and 35B with respect to the recording paper 13 is higher than that of the first heating roller unit 31, and the amount of heat applied from the heating rollers 35A and 35B to the recording paper 13 is the first heating roller. Compared to the case of unit 31, it is less. Further, at this time, the contact area of each of the heating rollers 35 </ b> A and 35 </ b> B with the recording paper 13 is smaller than that of the first heating roller unit 31.

  Subsequently, as in the case of the second heating roller unit 32, the recording paper 13 is heated while being pinched by the respective heating rollers 35A and 35B of the third heating roller unit 33, and is downstream along the paper discharge path 30a. It is conveyed to. At this time, the contact pressure of each of the heating rollers 35A and 35B with respect to the recording paper 13 is higher than that of the second heating roller unit 32, and the amount of heat applied from each of the heating rollers 35A and 35B to the recording paper 13 is the second heating roller. Compared to the case of the unit 32, it is less. Further, at this time, the contact area of the heating rollers 35A and 35B with respect to the recording paper 13 is smaller than that of the second heating roller unit 32.

  Thereafter, the recording paper 13 is heated while being pinched by the respective heating rollers 35A and 35B of the fourth heating roller unit 34 as in the case of the third heating roller unit 33, and is discharged from the paper discharge port 30b to the paper discharge tray 14. The paper is discharged. At this time, the contact pressure of each heating roller 35A, 35B with respect to the recording paper 13 is higher than that in the case of the third heating roller unit 33, and the amount of heat applied from each heating roller 35A, 35B to the recording paper 13 is the third heating roller. Compared to the case of the unit 33, it is less. Further, at this time, the contact area of the heating rollers 35A and 35B with respect to the recording paper 13 is smaller than that of the third heating roller unit 33.

  Note that the recording paper 13 printed in the printing area is reversed in the process of being conveyed through the paper discharge path 30a, so that the paper is discharged from the paper discharge port 30b to the paper discharge tray 14 with the printing surface facing downward. Is done.

  As described above, the recording paper 13 printed in the printing area is heated and dried stepwise by the heating rollers 35A and 35B of the heating roller units 31 to 34 in the process of being conveyed through the paper discharge path 30a. The That is, the heat necessary for drying the recording paper 13 is applied to the recording paper 13 printed in the printing region in four times by the heating rollers 35A and 35B of the heating roller units 31 to 34. For this reason, compared with the case where the recording paper 13 printed in the printing region is dried by one heating, the amount of heat applied to the recording paper 13 is less, so the recording paper 13 warps during heating and drying. (Curling) is suppressed.

  It should be noted that each of the driven heating rollers 35B of each of the heating roller units 31 to 34 is moved to a separation position during the printing standby after the completion of one printing until the next printing is performed. Then, when printing is performed again from waiting for printing, each of the driven heating rollers 35B of each of the heating roller units 31 to 34 is moved again to the contact position.

As described above, according to the embodiment described in detail, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) The recording paper 13 printed in the printing area is heated four times stepwise by the heating rollers 35A and 35B of the heating roller units 31 to 34 in the process of being transported through the paper discharge path 30a. Is done. That is, the heat necessary for drying the recording paper 13 is applied to the recording paper 13 printed in the printing region in four times by the heating rollers 35A and 35B of the heating roller units 31 to 34. For this reason, compared with the case where the recording paper 13 printed in the printing area is dried by one heating, the amount of heat applied to the recording paper 13 can be reduced. The recording paper 13 can be prevented from curling (curling) when heated by the rollers 35A and 35B and dried.

  (2) Each of the heating rollers 35A and 35B of each of the heating roller units 31 to 34 has a lower contact pressure with respect to the recording paper 13 as it is arranged on the upstream side in the paper discharge path 30a. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the ink on the recording paper 13 immediately after printing from adhering to each of the heating rollers 35A and 35B, and the roller portion 35b of each of the heating rollers 35A and 35B from being soiled with the ink, and the heat-dried The recording paper 13 can be reliably discharged to the paper discharge tray 14.

  (3) The heating roller 35A, 35B of each heating roller unit 31-34 has a larger contact area with the recording paper 13 as it is arranged on the upstream side in the paper discharge path 30a. For this reason, even when the recording paper 13 is clamped by the urging force of the same compression coil spring 40 by the heating rollers 35A and 35B of the heating roller units 31 to 34, the heating rollers 35A and 35B are on the upstream side. The contact pressure with respect to the recording paper 13 becomes smaller. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the recording paper 13 immediately after printing from being left with traces (roller marks) due to the pressure between the heating rollers 35A and 35B, and to transfer the recording paper 13 from the paper discharge outlet 30b to the paper discharge tray 14. Paper can be discharged smoothly.

  In addition, as the heating rollers 35A and 35B of the heating roller units 31 to 34 are arranged on the upstream side in the paper discharge path 30a, the contact area with respect to the recording paper 13 is increased, so that printing is performed in the printing region. Since heat can be applied over a wide range to the recording sheet 13 immediately after, the recording sheet 13 can be efficiently heated and dried.

  (4) Each of the heating rollers 35A and 35B of each of the heating roller units 31 to 34 has a higher temperature as it is arranged on the upstream side in the paper discharge path 30a. It can be heated and dried effectively.

  (5) In each heating roller unit 31 to 34, each driving heating roller 35A has a temperature higher than each driven heating roller 35B, and therefore heats the recording sheet 13 from both sides centering on the printing surface side of the recording sheet 13. can do. For this reason, the recording paper 13 printed in the printing area can be quickly and effectively heated and dried.

(6) In each of the heating roller units 31 to 34, each driven heating roller 35B is configured to be movable between the contact position and the separation position by the air cylinder 39. For this reason, it can suppress that a heat | fever moves between each driven heating roller 35B and each drive heating roller 35A by moving each driven heating roller 35B to a separation position during printing standby. Therefore, a predetermined temperature difference between each driven heating roller 35B and each driving heating roller 35A can be maintained.
(Example of change)
In addition, you may change the said embodiment as follows.

-The air cylinder 39 may be omitted.
Instead of the air cylinder 39, a gear mechanism such as a rack and pinion, a screw mechanism such as a ball screw and nut, or a cam mechanism such as a cam and follower may be used as the moving mechanism.

  The driven heating roller 35B may be fixed, and the driving heating roller 35A may move in the direction of approaching and separating from the fixed driven heating roller 35B. Or you may comprise so that both the driven heating roller 35B and the drive heating roller 35A may move to the direction which mutually adjoins and spaces apart.

The temperature of the driven heating roller 35B may be higher than the temperature of the driving heating roller 35A, or may be the same as the temperature of the driving heating roller 35A.
The heating roller 35 may be configured by only one of the driving heating roller 35A and the driven heating roller 35B. In this case, the recording paper 13 is heated and conveyed while being sandwiched between one of the driving heating roller 35 </ b> A and the driven heating roller 35 </ b> B and the inner surface of the paper discharge path forming member 30.

-It is not necessary to heat any one of the driving heating roller 35A and the driven heating roller 35B.
-You may make it not heat each heating roller 35A, 35B in one or two of each heating roller units 31-34.

  The temperature of the heating rollers 35A and 35B of the heating roller units 31 to 34 may be higher as they are arranged on the downstream side in the paper discharge path 30a. Or you may make it each heating roller 35A, 35B of each heating roller unit 31-34 become the respectively same temperature. Moreover, you may change arbitrarily the height of the temperature of each heating roller 35A, 35B of each heating roller unit 31-34 irrespective of the temperature of each other heating roller 35A, 35B.

  The heating roller 35A, 35B of each heating roller unit 31-34 may have a larger contact area with the recording paper 13 as it is arranged on the downstream side in the paper discharge path 30a. Or you may make all the contact areas with respect to the recording paper 13 of each heating roller 35A, 35B of each heating roller unit 31-34 the same. Further, the contact areas of the heating rollers 35A and 35B of the heating roller units 31 to 34 with respect to the recording paper 13 may be arbitrarily changed regardless of the contact areas of the other heating rollers 35A and 35B with respect to the recording paper 13. .

  The heating rollers 35A and 35B of the heating roller units 31 to 34 may be arranged such that the contact pressure with respect to the recording paper 13 decreases as the heating rollers 35A and 35B are arranged on the downstream side in the paper discharge path 30a. Or you may make all the contact pressures with respect to the recording paper 13 of each heating roller 35A, 35B of each heating roller unit 31-34 the same. Further, the contact pressures of the heating rollers 35A and 35B of the heating roller units 31 to 34 with respect to the recording paper 13 may be arbitrarily changed regardless of the contact pressures of the other heating rollers 35A and 35B with respect to the recording paper 13. .

  Each of the heating roller units 31 to 34 may be configured such that the spring load (biasing force) of the compression coil spring 40 increases as it is arranged on the downstream side in the paper discharge path 30a.

-The shape of the roller part 35b of each heating roller 35A, 35B of each heating roller unit 31-34 may be spherical or elliptical.
A transport roller that only transports the recording paper 13 without applying heat to the recording paper 13 may be provided in the paper discharge path forming member 30 as a rotating body.

  -Any one or two of the heating roller units 31 to 34 may be omitted. That is, the number of heating roller units provided in the paper discharge path forming member 30 may be any number (for example, three, five, six, etc.) as long as it is two or more.

-Instead of the recording paper 13, a cloth, or a flexible plastic film or metal foil may be used as a target.
In the above embodiment, the liquid ejecting apparatus is embodied in the ink jet printer 11, but a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects or discharges liquid other than ink may be employed. The present invention can be used for various liquid ejecting apparatuses including a liquid ejecting head that ejects a minute amount of liquid droplets. In addition, a droplet means the state of the liquid discharged from the said liquid ejecting apparatus, and shall also include what pulls a tail in granular shape, tear shape, and thread shape. The liquid here may be any material that can be ejected by the liquid ejecting 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 a specific example of the liquid ejecting apparatus, for example, a liquid containing a material such as 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 in a dispersed or dissolved form. It may be a liquid ejecting apparatus for ejecting, a liquid ejecting apparatus for ejecting a bio-organic material used for biochip manufacturing, a liquid ejecting apparatus for ejecting a liquid as a sample used as a precision pipette, a printing apparatus, a microdispenser, or the like. In addition, transparent resin liquids such as UV curable resin to form liquid injection devices that pinpoint lubricant oil onto precision machines such as watches and cameras, and micro hemispherical lenses (optical lenses) used in optical communication elements. A liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects a liquid onto the substrate or a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects an etching solution such as an acid or an alkali to etch the substrate may be employed. The present invention can be applied to any one of these liquid ejecting apparatuses.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Inkjet-type printer as a liquid ejecting apparatus, 13 ... Recording paper as a target, 19 ... Recording head as a liquid ejecting head, 20a ... Paper feeding path constituting a conveying path, 21 ... Pinch roller constituting a conveying means, 23... First feeding roller constituting the conveying means, 25. Second feeding roller constituting the conveying means, 27. Third feeding roller constituting the conveying means, 30 a. 35... Heating roller as a heating rotator (rotating body) constituting the conveying means, 37... Main heater as heating means, 38 .sub.heater as heating means, 39 .. air cylinder as moving mechanism.

Claims (6)

A transport unit that transports the target from the upstream side to the downstream side along the transport path, and a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid onto the target transported by the transport unit,
The transport means is spaced from each other along the transport direction of the target, in the transport path, on the downstream side of a region where the target ejects the liquid from the liquid ejecting head so as to contact the target. Having a plurality of rotating bodies arranged to guide the target to the downstream side,
At least two of the rotating bodies are heating rotating bodies that are heated by a heating unit to apply heat to the target. 2. The contact pressure with respect to the target of each of the rotating bodies is lower in the one arranged on the upstream side of the transport path than in the one arranged on the downstream side. Liquid ejector. 2. The contact area with respect to the target of each of the rotating bodies is larger in the one arranged on the upstream side of the transport path than in the one arranged on the downstream side. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to 2. Each of the heating rotators has a higher temperature at the upstream side of the transport path than at the downstream side. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to any one of the above. Each of the heating rotators includes a pair of heating rollers that sandwich the target from both sides,
Each of the pair of heating rollers is arranged on the surface side opposite to the surface on which the liquid is ejected on both surfaces of the target, on the surface side on which the liquid is ejected on both surfaces of the target. 5. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the temperature of the liquid ejecting apparatus is higher than that of the liquid ejecting apparatus. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a moving mechanism that relatively moves one side of each pair of heating rollers in a direction approaching and separating from the other side.

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