JP2012213876A - Recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To ensure positioning accuracy in engaging a guide pin with a guide hole, while preventing interference between the guide pin and the guide hole.SOLUTION: A printer includes a lower housing that holds a supporting part, an upper housing that holds a recording part through a head moving mechanism, and a controller that controls the head moving mechanism. The upper housing can turn relative to the lower housing through a shaft. The guide pin is formed at the recording part. The guide hole is formed at the supporting part. When the upper casing turns, the controller controls the head moving mechanism to move the recording part to a position where the guide pin is not engaged with the guide hole.

Description

  The present invention relates to a recording apparatus that records an image on a recording medium.

  Patent Document 1 has a positioning mechanism including a guide pin (positioning pin) extending along a predetermined direction and a guide hole (guide portion) that can be engaged with the guide pin. A recording apparatus capable of positioning the relative position of a recording unit (recording unit) and a support unit (conveying device) that supports a recording medium by engagement is described.

JP 2006-231719 A

  In the recording apparatus described in Patent Document 1, in order to secure a space for maintenance work by the user between the recording unit and the support unit, the recording unit is located with respect to the support unit around a predetermined axis. If it is going to employ | adopt the structure which rotates, the following problems will arise. That is, if the recording unit is to be rotated with respect to the support unit while the guide pin and the guide hole are engaged, the guide pin and the wall constituting the guide hole interfere with each other. For this reason, the problem that the guide pin and the guide hole are worn out or the recording unit cannot be rotated with respect to the support unit may occur. If the recording part is rotated with respect to the support part while avoiding interference between the guide pin and the wall forming the guide hole, the guide hole must be enlarged so as to avoid the movement area of the guide pin, and positioning accuracy Problem arises.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a recording apparatus that ensures positioning accuracy by engagement between a guide hole and a guide pin while preventing interference between the guide pin and the wall portion of the guide hole.

  The recording apparatus of the present invention includes a support unit that supports a recording medium, a recording unit that records an image on a recording medium supported by the support unit, a first housing that holds the support unit, and the first housing. Connected to the body via a shaft and rotatable about the shaft with respect to the first housing, and the proximity position close to the first housing by the rotation and the proximity position than the proximity position. A second housing for holding the recording unit so that the support unit and the recording unit face each other at the proximity position, the recording unit and the support unit being separated from the first housing; A guide pin provided integrally with one of the parts and extending in a predetermined direction, and provided relative to the guide pin as the second housing is rotated integrally with the other of the one. A guide hole that moves, wherein the second housing is in the proximity position; A positioning mechanism for positioning a relative position between the recording unit and the support unit by engaging the guide pin and the guide hole at a certain time; and the guide pin when the second housing is positioned at the proximity position; In the case where the first positional relationship with which the guide hole can be engaged and the separation distance between the recording portion and the support portion is larger than the first positional relationship, and the second housing is positioned at the proximity position. At least one of the recording unit and the support unit is moved in the predetermined direction so that the guide pin and the guide hole move relative to each other so that a second positional relationship in which the guide pin and the guide hole are not engaged with each other can be obtained. When the moving mechanism to be moved and the second casing rotate between the proximity position and the separation position, the recording unit and the support unit take the second positional relationship. And a control means for controlling the moving mechanism to.

  According to this, when the second housing rotates between the proximity position and the separation position, the guide pin and the guide hole are not engaged with each other. For this reason, it becomes possible to prevent the interference between the guide pin and the guide hole when the second casing is rotated. In addition, it is possible to ensure positioning accuracy due to the engagement between the guide hole and the guide pin.

  In the present invention, a regulation mechanism that regulates the rotation of the second housing in the proximity position, and an output unit that outputs a regulation release signal indicating that regulation by the regulation mechanism is released are further provided. . And it is preferable that the said control means controls the said moving mechanism so that the said recording part and the said support part may take the said 2nd positional relationship, when the said regulation release signal is output from the said output part. Thereby, when the second housing rotates from the proximity position to the separation position, the guide pin and the guide hole are surely brought into a disengaged state.

  In the present invention, the output unit outputs a regulation start signal indicating that regulation by the regulation mechanism is started, and the control unit is configured to output the regulation start signal from the output unit. It is preferable that the moving mechanism is controlled so that the recording unit and the support unit have the second positional relationship. Thereby, the guide pin and the guide hole are in a non-engaged state until the second housing returns from the separation position to the proximity position. For this reason, it becomes possible to prevent interference between the guide pin and the guide hole more reliably.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that the first positional relationship is a recording positional relationship in which an image is recorded on a recording medium by the recording unit. Thus, the recording unit and the support unit can be separated from each other so that the recording positional relationship and the second positional relationship can be obtained.

  Further, in the present invention, an opposing portion that can face the recording portion, and an annular member disposed around the recording portion so as to surround a recording surface of the recording portion that faces the opposing portion, A capping mechanism that seals the recording surface by abutting the opposing portion and the annular member is further provided. The first positional relationship is preferably a capping positional relationship for sealing the recording unit. As a result, the recording surface can be capped in the first positional relationship, which contributes to downsizing of the apparatus.

  In the present invention, the moving mechanism may further take a third positional relationship in which a separation distance between the recording unit and the support unit is larger than the first positional relationship and smaller than the second positional relationship. Preferably, at least one of the recording unit and the support unit is moved. Accordingly, for example, when each of the first positional relationship and the third positional relationship is a recording positional relationship in which an image is recorded on the recording medium by the recording unit, the recording unit and the support unit are configured according to the thickness of the recording medium. It becomes possible to change between.

  According to the recording apparatus of the present invention, when the second housing rotates between the proximity position and the separation position, the guide pin and the guide hole are not engaged with each other. For this reason, it becomes possible to prevent the interference between the guide pin and the guide hole when the second casing is rotated. In addition, it is possible to ensure positioning accuracy due to the engagement between the guide hole and the guide pin.

1 is an external perspective view showing an inkjet printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a schematic side view showing the inside of the printer. FIG. It is a front view which shows a locking mechanism. It is a schematic perspective view of the support part shown in FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the raising / lowering state of a recording part. It is the schematic which shows a head and an annular member. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of a printer. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the contents of a purge operation, a wiping operation, and an image recording operation executed by a printer control device. It is an operation | movement condition diagram for demonstrating purge operation | movement and wiping operation | movement. It is a flowchart which shows the control content which a control apparatus performs when rotating the upper housing | casing of a printer. It is explanatory drawing which shows the movement area | region of a guide pin when rotating the upper housing | casing shown in FIG.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  First, an overall configuration of an inkjet printer 1 as an embodiment of a recording apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The printer 1 has an upper casing 1a and a lower casing 1b that are both rectangular parallelepiped shapes and substantially the same size. The upper housing (second housing) 1a has an open bottom surface, and the lower housing (first housing) 1b has an open top surface. The upper housing 1a overlaps the lower housing 1b and seals the opening surfaces of each other, thereby defining the space inside the printer 1 (see FIG. 2). A paper discharge unit 31 is provided on the top plate of the upper housing 1a. In a space defined by the upper and lower housings 1a and 1b, a paper transport path along which the paper P is transported along a thick arrow shown in FIG. Is formed.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the upper housing 1 a is disposed at a substantially vertical center of one end portion (right end portion in the drawing) of the upper housing 1 a via a shaft 1 h extending in the main scanning direction. It is connected to the housing 1b. And the upper housing | casing 1a can be rotated with respect to the lower housing | casing 1b centering on the said axis | shaft 1h. The upper housing 1a is rotated so as to be close to the lower housing 1b (the position shown in FIG. 2) and the separated position (shown in FIG. 1) farther from the lower housing 1b than the close position. Position). In addition, the movement locus | trajectory of the below-mentioned guide pins 4 and 5 which move by rotation of the upper housing | casing 1a is shown in FIG. Returning to FIG. 2, when the upper casing 1a is in the separated position, a part of the sheet transport path formed by the upper casing 1a and the lower casing 1b in the close position is exposed to the outside, and the sheet transport path The user's work space is secured above. When the work space is ensured by positioning the upper housing 1a at the separation position, the user can remove the jammed paper P in the paper transport path or perform maintenance work on the recording unit 9 and the support unit 60. Can do. The maintenance work for the recording unit 9 and the support unit 60 is, for example, a work for removing dirt attached to the ejection surface 10a, the support surface 61a, and the facing surface 62a. The shaft 1h is provided with a spring (not shown) that urges the upper housing 1a in a direction to open the upper housing 1a (from the proximity position toward the separation position). In the present embodiment, the upper housing 1a can be opened to an inclination angle of approximately 35 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane. Further, a sensor 39 (see FIG. 7) that outputs a detection signal to the control device 1p only when the upper housing 1a is in the close position is provided in the vicinity of the shaft 1h. Based on the presence or absence of a detection signal from the sensor 39, the control device 1p determines whether the upper housing 1a is at the separation position or the proximity position.

  On the front surface of the upper housing 1a (the surface on the left front side in FIG. 1), there is provided a lock mechanism 70 that restricts the rotation of the upper housing 1a at the close position. The configuration of the lock mechanism 70 will be described in detail later. On the front surface of the lower housing 1b, an openable / closable lid 1d that covers the front surface of the upper housing 1a is provided. The lock mechanism 70 is exposed by opening the lid 1d.

  The upper housing 1a includes two heads 10 (a precoat head 10 that discharges a pretreatment liquid and an inkjet head 10 that discharges black ink in order from the upstream side in the sheet conveyance direction indicated by a thick arrow in FIG. 2). 10 and the frame 3 that supports the upper roller of the feed roller pair 24, a head lifting mechanism 33 (see FIG. 7) that lifts and lowers the frame 3, two cartridges (not shown) corresponding to the head 10, and each part of the printer 1 The control apparatus 1p (refer FIG. 2) which controls operation | movement of this is accommodated. In the present embodiment, the recording unit 9 that records an image on the paper P is configured by the two heads 10 and the frame 3. The recording unit 9 is held by the upper housing 1 a via the head lifting mechanism 33.

  Further, the upper housing 1a is arranged along the upper roller of the feed roller pair 25, 26, the upper guide of the guide 29 between the roller pair 25, 26, the feed roller pair 27, 28, and the sheet conveying direction. Two sets of guides 29 between the feed roller pairs 26 and 28 are also accommodated. That is, when the upper housing 1a is rotated from the close position to the separated position, all of these housing components move together with the upper housing 1a. In FIG. 2, illustration of some components housed in the upper housing 1a is omitted.

  The lower housing 1b accommodates (holds) the support 60, the wiper unit 67, the two waste liquid trays 65, and the paper feed unit 1c. Further, the lower housing 1b accommodates a sheet sensor 32, feed roller pairs 22, 23, and two sets of guides 29 between the paper feed unit 1c and the feed roller pair 23 along the paper transport direction.

  Each cartridge stores a pretreatment liquid or black ink (hereinafter collectively referred to as “liquid”) supplied to the corresponding head 10. The pretreatment liquid is a liquid having a function of preventing ink bleeding and back-through and a function of improving ink color development and quick drying. Each cartridge is connected to the corresponding head 10 via a tube (not shown) and a pump 34 (see FIG. 7). Each pump 34 is driven by the control device 1p only when liquid is forcibly sent to the corresponding head 10 (that is, when purge operation or initial introduction of liquid is performed). Further, since a negative pressure is generated in the flow path in the head 10 during image recording, the liquid in the cartridge is automatically supplied to the head 10.

  Each head 10 is a line type long in the main scanning direction, and has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outer shape. The two heads 10 are supported by the frame 3 so as to be separated from each other in the sub-scanning direction. In each head 10, a joint to which a tube is attached is provided on the upper surface, a large number of discharge ports are opened on the discharge surface 10 a on the lower surface, and the liquid supplied from the cartridge reaches the discharge port inside. The flow path is formed. The frame 3 is provided with an annular member 40 surrounding the outer periphery of the lower end of each head 10. The configuration of the annular member 40 will be described in detail later.

  The head elevating mechanism (moving mechanism) 33 moves the frame 3 up and down along the vertical direction (predetermined direction) when the upper housing 1a is in the close position, and moves the two heads 10 to the recording position (FIGS. 2 and 5). The position is moved between a position shown in (a) and a retracted position (position shown in FIG. 5B). At the recording position, the two heads 10 face the support portion 60 (support surface 61a in a first state described later) at an interval suitable for recording. The recording position includes a first recording position corresponding to a relatively thin paper P such as plain paper, and a second recording position corresponding to the paper P such as a thick paper and farther from the support surface 61a than the first recording position. There is. At the retracted position, as shown in FIG. 5B, the two heads 10 are separated from the support portion 60 (opposing surface 62a in the second state described later) at an interval equal to or greater than the second recording position. The head elevating mechanism 33 elevates and lowers the frame 3 so that the head 10 can selectively take the first recording position, the second recording position, and the retracted position under the control of the control device 1p (see FIG. 9). .

  The positional relationship between the recording unit 9 (head 10) and the support unit 60 when the head 10 is at the first recording position is referred to as a first positional relationship. The positional relationship between the recording unit 9 (head 10) and the support unit 60 when the head 10 is at the second recording position is referred to as a third positional relationship. The positional relationship between the recording unit 9 (head 10) and the support unit 60 when the head 10 is in the retracted position is referred to as a second positional relationship. That is, in the head lifting mechanism 33, the recording unit 9 and the support unit 60 have the first positional relationship and the third positional relationship in which the vertical distance between the head 10 and the support unit 60 is larger than the first recording positional relationship. Then, the recording unit 9 is moved up and down so that the vertical distance between the head 10 and the support unit 60 can be a second positional relationship larger than the third positional relationship. The first and third positional relationships in the present embodiment are recording positional relationships for recording images on the paper P.

  The paper feed unit 1 c includes a paper feed tray 20 and a paper feed roller 21. Among these, the paper feed tray 20 can be attached to and detached from the lower housing 1b in the sub-scanning direction. The paper feed tray 20 is a box that opens upward, and can accommodate a plurality of types of paper P. The paper feed roller 21 is rotated under the control of the control device 1p, and feeds the paper P at the top of the paper feed tray 20. The paper P sent out by the paper feed roller 21 is guided by the guide 29 and sent to the support unit 60 while being sequentially sandwiched by the feed roller pairs 22 and 23.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the support unit 60 is disposed to face the recording unit 9 in the vertical direction. The support unit 60 includes two rotating bodies 63 that face the head 10, two platens 61 and two opposing members (opposing parts) 62 that are fixed to the peripheral surface of the rotating body 63, and two rotating bodies 63. And a frame 11 that is rotatably supported. The rotating body 63 has an axis in the main scanning direction, and rotates around the axis under the control of the control device 1p. The frame 11 also supports the lower feed roller 24 in a rotatable manner.

  The platen 61 and the opposing member 62 both have a size slightly larger than the ejection surface 10a in the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction, and are disposed to face each other in the vertical direction.

  The surface of the platen 61 is a support surface 61a that supports the paper P while facing the ejection surface 10a. The material and processing are devised so that the paper P can be held. For example, by forming a weakly adhesive silicon layer on the support surface 61a or by forming a large number of ribs along the sub-scanning direction, the sheet P placed on the support surface 61a is prevented from floating. The The platen 61 is made of resin.

  The facing member 62 is made of a material that does not or does not easily transmit moisture. The surface of the facing member 62 is smooth and is a facing surface 62a that faces the ejection surface 10a.

  In the first state (see FIGS. 2 and 5A) in which the support surface 61a faces the discharge surface 10a and the facing surface 62a does not face the discharge surface 10a due to the rotation of the rotating body 63, the support surface 61a is the discharge surface. The second state (refer to FIG. 5B, FIG. 6 and FIG. 9) in which the facing surface 62a is opposed to the ejection surface 10a is switched. In the present embodiment, the control device 1p is in the first state when the liquid is discharged from the discharge port toward the paper P to record an image on the paper P, in the purge operation or wiping operation, and in the capping state. The drive of the rotating body 63 is controlled so as to be in the second state.

  Each waste liquid tray 65 is disposed below the rotating body 63 and communicates with a waste liquid tank (not shown). The liquid that has dropped from above during the purge operation or wiping operation is received by the waste liquid tray 65 and discharged to the waste liquid tank.

  The wiper unit 67 includes a wiper 67a and a wiper moving mechanism 68 (see FIG. 7) that reciprocates the wiper 67a in the main scanning direction. The wiper 67a is movable in the main scanning direction by controlling the wiper moving mechanism 68 by the control device 1p with the position on the rear side of the sheet of FIG. 2 as the standby position with respect to the rotating body 63 and the like (see FIG. 1). It is. The wiper 67a is a plate-like member made of an elastic material such as rubber and extending in the sub-scanning direction. When the wiper 67a moves in the main scanning direction when the head 10 is at the wiping position (described later), the wiper 67a is arranged such that the upper end of the wiper 67a contacts the ejection surface 10a and the lower end of the wiper 67a contacts the opposing surface 62a. Is supported by a wiper moving mechanism 68. Thereby, the liquid adhering to the ejection surface 10a and the opposing surface 62a is removed by the wiper 67a (that is, the ejection surface 10a and the opposing surface 62a are cleaned).

  Next, the configuration of the lock mechanism 70 will be described with reference to FIG.

  The lock mechanism 70 includes a columnar rotary member 71, two interlocking members 73a and 73b, swing members 74a and 74b, springs 76a and 76b, fixing members 75a and 75b, and shaft members 75c and 75d. Including. The rotating member 71, the interlocking members 73a and 73b, the swinging members 74a and 74b, and the springs 76a and 76b are held by the upper casing 1a. The fixing members 75a and 75b and the shaft members 75c and 75d are held by the lower housing 1b. The interlocking members 73a and 73b are connected to the circumferential surface of the rotating member 71 at one end in the longitudinal direction. The swing members 74a and 74b are connected to the other longitudinal ends of the interlocking members 73a and 73b, and have recesses 74c and 74d that can engage with the shaft members 75c and 75d, respectively. The springs 76a and 76b are connected to the upper ends of the swing members 74a and 74b. The fixing members 75a and 75b protrude from the lower housing 1b toward the rotating member 71. The shaft members 75c and 75d extend in the sub-scanning direction, are fixed to the fixing members 75a and 75b, respectively, and can be engaged with the recesses 74c and 74d.

  A rod-shaped knob 72 is fixed to the front surface of the rotating member 71. The knob 72 can be manually rotated by the user, and rotates integrally with the rotating member 71. At the center of rotation of the knob 72, a button 72b that can be pressed by the user is provided. Further, a solenoid 37 (see FIG. 7) that prohibits the rotation of the knob 72 is provided.

  The springs 76a and 76b are biased in the direction in which the upper ends of the swinging members 74a and 74b approach the rotating member 71, respectively. Thereby, in a situation where no external force is applied, each part of the locking mechanism 70 is stationary with the knob 72 extending in the vertical direction as shown in FIG.

  The knob 72 is normally in a rotation-inhibited state in which rotation is prohibited by the solenoid 37, and is switched from the rotation-inhibited state to the rotation-permitted state by drive control of the solenoid 37 by the control device 1p. For example, a restriction release signal indicating that the restriction by the lock mechanism 70 is released when the user depresses the button 72b in order to perform jam processing (operation for clearing jamming of the paper P in the paper conveyance path) or the like. It is output to the control device 1p from the sensor 38 (see FIG. 7) built in 72b. Further, even if the user does not press the button 72b, the control device 1p can detect the occurrence of a jam in the recording mode (the jam of the paper P in the paper transport path), and the restriction is released when the occurrence of the jam is detected. It is determined that a signal has been received (specifically, the occurrence of a jam is detected by the control device 1p based on signals from the paper sensor 32 and the drive motors of the feed roller pairs 22 to 28. The control device 1p is When the occurrence of a jam is detected, the signal output from the paper sensor 32 or the like at that time is regarded as a restriction release signal and processing is performed). In the present embodiment, the sensor 38 and the sheet sensor 32 when detecting the occurrence of a jam constitute an output unit that outputs a restriction release signal to the control device 1p. When receiving the restriction release signal, the control device 1p drives the solenoid 37 to switch the knob 72 from the rotation prohibited state to the rotation permitted state.

  In the lock mechanism 70, the recesses 74c and 74d of the swinging members 74a and 74b are engaged with the shaft members 75c and 75d, respectively, in the state shown in FIG. By this engagement, the movement of the upper housing 1a is restricted so that the upper housing 1a in the close position does not rotate toward the separation position.

  When the user rotates the knob 72 in the rotation-permitted state clockwise against the urging force of the springs 76a and 76b, the interlocking members 73a and 73b move as shown in FIG. When the interlocking members 73a and 73b move, the swinging members 74a and 74b swing so that the recesses 74c and 74d of the swinging members 74a and 74b are detached from the shaft members 75c and 75d. As a result, the engagement is released (that is, the movement restriction of the upper casing 1a in the proximity position is released), and the user can manually move the upper casing 1a from the proximity position to the separation position. At this time, the detection signal from the sensor 39 is not sent to the control device 1p, and the control device 1p determines that the upper housing 1a is at the separation position.

  On the other hand, when the user manually returns the upper housing 1a from the separated position to the close position, the engagement between the recesses 74c and 74d of the swing members 74a and 74b and the shaft members 75c and 75d by the biasing force of the springs 76a and 76b. The event automatically returns. At this time, a detection signal is output from the sensor 39 to the control device 1p. As a result, the control device 1p determines that the upper housing 1a has returned from the separated position to the close position (at this time, the engagement between the recesses 74c and 74d of the swinging members 74a and 74b and the shaft members 75c and 75d is also restored. The solenoid 37 is controlled to switch the knob 72 from the rotation permission state to the rotation inhibition state. Thus, the movement restriction of the upper housing 1a is started. Thus, the detection signal from the sensor 39 is a restriction start signal indicating that movement restriction of the upper housing 1a is started. That is, the sensor 39 in the present embodiment also constitutes an output unit that outputs a restriction start signal to the control device 1p.

  Next, the frame 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 5.

  The frame 3 is formed in an annular shape, and supports the upper rollers of the two heads 10 and the feed roller pair 24. Further, the frame 3 supports the annular member 40 so that the annular member 40 can move up and down. As shown in FIG. 5, the frame 3 has two guide pins 4 and 5. The guide pins 4 and 5 are disposed on the lower surface of the frame 3 so as to face guide holes 12 and 13 described later, and are formed of tapered columnar members. The guide pins 4 and 5 extend from the lower surface of the frame 5 along a direction perpendicular to the ejection surface 10a. More specifically, the guide pins 4 and 5 are arranged in the vertical direction when the upper housing 1a is in the close position and the two heads 10 are in the recording position (position shown in FIGS. 2 and 5A). It extends in (predetermined direction).

  Next, the frame 11 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the frame 11 is formed in an annular shape, and rotatably supports the lower roller of the two rotating bodies 63 and the feed roller pair 24. On the upper surface of the frame 11, two guide holes 12 and 13 that can be engaged with the guide pins 4 and 5 are formed. Guide pins 4 and 5 are inserted into the guide holes 12 and 13 when the head 10 is in the recording position (first and second recording positions) and the upper housing 1a is in the close position. By inserting the guide pins 4 and 5 into the guide holes 12 and 13, the guide pins 4 and 5 are engaged with the guide holes 12 and 13. The guide pins 4 and 5 and the guide holes 12 and 13 engage with each other when the positional relationship between the recording unit 9 and the support unit 60 is the first and third positional relationships. The guide pins 4 and 5 and the guide holes 12 and 13 constitute a positioning mechanism for positioning the recording unit 9 and the support unit 60 in the horizontal direction. As shown in FIG. 5A, the guide pins 4 and 5 can be engaged with the guide holes 12 and 13 when the upper housing 1a is in the close position and the head 10 is in the recording position (guide hole 12). , 13). Further, as shown in FIG. 5 (b), the guide pins 4 and 5 are formed in the guide holes 12, when the upper housing 1a is in the close position and the head 10 is in the retracted position and the wiping position (described later). The length does not engage with 13.

  The two guide holes 12 and 13 are respectively formed at the corners on the front side in FIG. 4 with respect to the main scanning direction of the frame 11 and are arranged side by side along the sub-scanning direction. As shown in FIG. 4, the guide hole 12 has a circular shape in plan view, and has an inner diameter that is substantially the same as or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the guide pin 4. The guide hole 12 extends in the vertical direction as shown in FIG. That is, the guide hole 12 has a cylindrical shape. A mortar-shaped taper portion 12 a is formed in the vicinity of the opening of the guide hole 12. Thereby, the guide pin 4 is easily inserted into the guide hole 12.

  The guide hole 13 is the same as the guide hole 12 and has a circular shape in plan view, and the inner diameter thereof is substantially the same as or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the guide pin 5. The guide hole 13 extends in the vertical direction as shown in FIG. That is, the guide hole 13 has a cylindrical shape. A mortar-shaped taper portion 13 a is formed near the opening of the guide hole 13. Thereby, the guide pin 5 is easily inserted into the guide hole 13.

  In this manner, the guide pins 4 and 5 and the guide holes 12 and 13 are engaged, whereby the relative positions of the frame 3 and the frame 11 in the main scanning direction and the sub scanning direction are positioned. Further, by providing two sets of pairs of the guide pins 4 and 5 and the guide holes 12 and 13, the relative rotation angle along the horizontal plane of the frame 3 and the frame 11 is positioned.

  Next, the configuration of the annular member 40 will be described with reference to FIG.

  The annular member 40 is made of an elastic material such as rubber and has an annular shape surrounding the outer periphery of the discharge surface 10a in plan view. A projecting portion 40 a having an inverted triangular shape in cross section is formed at the lower end of the annular member 40.

  The annular member 40 can be moved up and down by a cap lifting mechanism 41. The cap elevating mechanism 41 has a plurality of gears 41G and a drive motor 41M (see FIG. 7) that drives these gears 41G, and the annular member 40 moves up and down in the vertical direction by driving these gears 41G. By this raising and lowering, the annular member 40 takes a rising position where the protruding portion 40a is located above the discharge surface 10a and a lowered position where the protruding portion 40a is located below the discharge surface 10a and abuts against the opposing surface 62a. obtain. The distance that the annular member 40 can be moved up and down is a distance that allows the annular member 40 to contact the opposing surface 62a regardless of whether the head 10 is disposed at the first or second recording position. Yes. That is, the recording position of the head 10 is also a capping position where the discharge surface 10a can be sealed as described later by moving the annular member 40 to the lowered position. The first and third positional relationships in the present embodiment are capping positional relationships that can seal the ejection surface 10a. As a result, the ejection surface 10a can be capped in the first and third positional relationships. For this reason, it is not necessary to largely move the recording unit 9 or the support unit 60 for capping, and it is not necessary to provide a retreat space at this time in the apparatus, and the printer 1 can be miniaturized.

  The control device 1p controls the cap lifting mechanism 41 (drive motor 41M) so that the annular member 40 takes the lowered position during capping (see FIG. 6), and the annular member 40 takes the raised position at other times. To drive the gear 41G. During capping, as shown in FIG. 6, the discharge surface 10a is sealed by the tip of the protruding portion 40a coming into contact with the opposing surface 62a, that is, the discharge space formed between the discharge surface 10a and the opposing surface 62a. V1 is isolated from the external space V2. Thereby, drying of the liquid near the discharge port of the discharge surface 10a is suppressed. In this way, the annular member 40 and the cap lifting mechanism 41 constitute a capping mechanism.

  Next, the electrical configuration of the printer 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

  In addition to a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101 that is an arithmetic processing unit, the control device 1p includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) 102, a RAM (Random Access Memory: including a nonvolatile RAM) 103, and an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). 104, I / F (Interface) 105, I / O (Input / Output Port) 106, and the like. The ROM 102 stores programs executed by the CPU 101, various fixed data, and the like. The RAM 103 temporarily stores data necessary for program execution. In the ASIC 104, rewriting and rearranging of image data (for example, signal processing and image processing) are performed. The I / F 105 performs data transmission / reception with an external device (such as a PC connected to the printer 1). The I / O 106 inputs / outputs detection signals of various sensors.

  The control device 1p is connected to the motors 21M, 22M to 28M, the paper sensor 32, the head lifting mechanism 33, the wiper moving mechanism 68, the solenoid 37, the sensors 38 and 39, the control board of the head 10, and the like. The control device 1p is further connected to the pump 34, the rotary motor 63M, and the drive motor 41M. The pump 34, the rotation motor 63M, and the drive motor 41M are provided for each head 10, but only those corresponding to one head 10 are shown in FIG.

  Next, the control contents of the purge operation, the wiping operation, and the image recording operation executed by the control device 1p will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the control device 1p first determines whether or not a purge command has been received (step 1: F1). The purge command is received, for example, after a non-ejection that has continued for a predetermined time or more when a paper jam occurs in the transport path.

  When receiving the purge command (F1: YES), the control device 1p determines whether or not it is in the second state (step 2: F2). In step 2, when in the first state, the process proceeds to step 3 (F3), and when in the second state, the process proceeds to step 4 (F4). In step 3, the control device 1p drives the rotary motor 63M to rotate the rotating body 63 to the second state.

  In step 4, the control device 1p drives each pump 34 and, as shown in FIG. 9A, discharges a predetermined amount of liquid from all the discharge ports onto the facing surface 62a (purge operation). Thereafter, the control device 1p controls the head lifting mechanism 33 to move the head 10 from the recording position to the wiping position as shown in FIG. 9B (step 5: F5). The wiping position is a position between the retracted position and the second recording position, where the guide pins 4 and 5 are not just engaged with the guide holes 12 and 13 (position where the guide pins 4 and 5 are removed from the guide holes 12 and 13). The tip of the guide pins 4 and 5 is a position close to the guide holes 12 and 13). When the wiper 67 a is moved in the main scanning direction, the upper end of the wiper 67 a and the discharge surface 10 a come into contact with each other. Further, when the wiper 67a moves in the main scanning direction at the wiping position, the lower end of the wiper 67a and the facing surface 62a come into contact with each other. When the head 10 is in the retracted position, even if the wiper 67a moves in the main scanning direction and passes through a position facing the ejection surface 10a, the wiper 67a and the ejection surface 10a are not in contact with each other.

  After step 5, the control device 1p controls the wiper moving mechanism 68 to move the wiper 67a from the standby position along the main scanning direction to wipe the discharge surface 10a and the opposing surface 62a (wiping operation: step 6). (F6)). In this way, the liquid adhering to the ejection surface 10a and the opposing surface 62a can be removed.

  After step 6, the control device 1p controls the head lifting mechanism 33 to move the head 10 from the wiping position to the retracted position (step 7: F7). Then, the control device 1p controls the wiper moving mechanism 68 to return the wiper 67a to the standby position (Step 8: F8). At this time, only the facing surface 62a is wiped again with the wiper 67a. After step 8, the control device 1p controls the head lifting mechanism 33 to move the head 10 from the retracted position to the recording position as shown in FIG. 9C (step 9: F9). At this time, normally, the head 10 is moved to the first recording position, but until the head 10 is moved to the first recording position, a recording command is received, and in the recording command, the setting of the paper P is thick paper. In this case, the head 10 is arranged at the second recording position.

  Thereafter, the control device 1p determines whether or not a recording command has been received before a predetermined time has elapsed. At this time, when the recording command is not received before the predetermined time elapses, the capping operation is performed. That is, the control device 1p drives the drive motor 41M to move the annular member 40 from the raised position to the lowered position. As a result, the capping state in which the discharge space V1 is isolated from the external space V2 (a state in which drying of the liquid near the discharge port of the discharge surface 10a is suppressed) is achieved. The control device 1p maintains the capping state until the next recording command or purge command is received.

  On the other hand, when the recording command is received before the predetermined time elapses, the control device 1p determines whether or not it is in the first state. In the second state, the control device 1p drives the rotary motor 63M to rotate the rotating body 63 to the first state. On the other hand, it remains as it is in the first state. The control device 1p performs an image recording operation based on the received recording command.

  In the image recording operation, the control device 1p controls the head lifting mechanism 33 so as to place the head 10 at an appropriate recording position (first or second recording position) based on a recording command received from an external device. The sheet feed motor 21M for the sheet feed roller 21 (see FIG. 7), the feed motors 22M to 28M (see FIG. 7) for the feed roller pairs 22 to 28, and the like are driven. The paper P sent out from the paper feed tray 20 is sent to the support unit 60 through the guide 29. The paper P sent to the support unit 60 is conveyed while being sandwiched between the pair of feed rollers 23, 24, and 25 supported by the support surface 61a and rotating. When the paper P sequentially passes directly under the two heads 10, each head 10 is driven under the control of the control device 1p, and liquid is ejected from the ejection port of each ejection surface 10a toward the surface of the paper P. Thus, an image is formed on the paper P. The liquid discharge operation from the discharge port is performed under the control of the control device 1p based on the detection signal from the paper sensor 32. The sheet P is then guided upward by the guide 29 and conveyed upward while being sandwiched by the pair of feed rollers 26, 27, 28, and is discharged from the opening 30 formed in the upper portion of the upper housing 1a to the paper discharge unit 31.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 10, the control content of the control apparatus 1p when rotating the upper housing | casing 1a between a proximity position and a separation position is demonstrated.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the control device 1p first determines whether or not a restriction release signal has been received (step 1: K1). The restriction release signal is a signal output from the sensor 38 when the user presses the button 72b, and a signal output from the paper sensor 32 or the like when a jam occurs, and the control device 1p receives the signal. To do.

  When receiving the restriction release signal (K1: YES), the control device 1p drives the solenoid 37 to switch the knob 72 from the rotation prohibited state to the rotation permitted state, and controls the head lifting mechanism 33 to retract the head 10. (Step 2: K2). Thereby, the recording part 9 and the support part 60 are in the second positional relationship, and the engagement between the guide pins 4 and 5 and the guide holes 12 and 13 is released. For this reason, even if the user rotates the knob 72 and moves the upper housing 1a from the close position to the separated position, the guide pins 4 and 5 and the guide holes 12 and 13 constituting the positioning mechanism do not interfere with each other.

  After step 2, the control device 1p determines whether or not the upper housing 1a has moved from the proximity position to the separation position based on the detection signal from the sensor 39 (step 3: K3). That is, when the detection signal is not output from the sensor 39 to the control device 1p, it is determined that the upper housing 1a has moved from the close position to the separated position.

  When the upper housing 1a moves to the separation position (K3: YES), the control device 1p then determines whether or not the upper housing 1a has returned from the separation position to the proximity position based on the detection signal of the sensor 39. (Step 4: K4). That is, when the control device 1p receives the detection signal (regulation start signal) from the sensor 39, it is determined that the upper housing 1a has returned from the separation position to the proximity position.

  Between the time when the upper housing 1a moves to the separation position and the time when the user returns to the proximity position, the user performs, for example, a jam processing operation in the work space formed between the upper and lower housings 1a and 1b. be able to. A user returns the upper housing | casing 1a from a separation position to a proximity position after completion | finish of work.

  When the upper housing 1a returns to the close position (K4: YES), that is, when the control device 1p receives a restriction start signal, the control device 1p drives the solenoid 37 to prohibit the knob 72 from rotating. In addition to switching to the state, the head lifting mechanism 33 is controlled to move the head 10 to the recording position (step 5: K5). As a result, the rotation of the knob 72 can be prohibited in a state where the recesses 74c and 74d of the swinging members 74a and 74b are engaged with the shaft members 75c and 75d, and the movement restriction of the upper housing 1a is started. Further, at this time, the recording portion 9 and the support portion 60 are in the first positional relationship, and the guide pins 4 and 5 are engaged with the guide holes 12 and 13. That is, the recording unit 9 and the support unit 60 are positioned. Thus, the control at the time of rotating the upper housing 1a is completed.

  On the other hand, when the control signal is continuously output from the sensor 39 to the control device 1p even though the control device 1p receives the restriction release signal, the upper housing 1a is moved from the proximity position to the separation position. Judge that it is not moving. That is, when the predetermined time has elapsed after step K2 (K6: YES) without the upper housing 1a moving to the separation position (K3: NO), the control device 1p advances the process to step K5, and Control during rotation of the body 1a is completed.

  As described above, when the head 10 is in the capping state, since the head 10 is in the capping position, the guide pins 4 and 5 and the guide holes 12 and 13 are engaged. When the paper P is transported based on the recording command, and when the paper P is jammed while the paper P is transported based on the recording command, the head 10 is at the recording position, so that the guide The pins 4 and 5 and the guide holes 12 and 13 are engaged. At these times, when the user tries to move the upper housing 1a from the proximity position to the separation position (when the control device 1p receives the restriction release signal), the head 10 moves to the retracted position. That is, the guide pins 4 and 5 and the guide holes 12 and 13 are not engaged with each other. For this reason, it is possible to prevent interference between the guide pins 4 and 5 and the guide holes 12 and 13 when the upper casing 1a is rotated. When the upper housing 1a is in the close position and the head 10 is in the recording position, the recording portion 9 and the support portion 60 are positioned by the engagement between the guide pins 4 and 5 and the guide holes 12 and 13. ing. For this reason, it becomes possible to ensure positioning accuracy.

  Since the positioning mechanism is constituted by the guide pins 4 and 5 and the guide holes 12 and 13, the relative positions of the recording unit 9 and the support unit 60 in the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction, and the recording unit 9 and the support unit. It is possible to position relative rotational angles along 60 horizontal planes. Here, as shown in FIG. 11, the upper housing 1a is rotatably supported by the shaft 1h at a position substantially at the center in the vertical direction of the right end portion in the drawing of the upper housing 1a. For this reason, when the upper housing 1a is rotated from the proximity position to the separation position, the guide pins 4 and 5 move so that the movement locus thereof is an arc shape. That is, the movement region of the guide pin 4 is a region between the arcs L3a and L4a indicated by the two-dot chain line in the drawing, and the movement region of the guide pin 5 is a region between the arcs L1a and L2a indicated by the two-dot chain line in the drawing. is there. If the upper housing 1a is rotated from the proximity position to the separation position in a state where the guide pins 4 and 5 and the guide holes 12 and 13 are engaged, the movement area of the guide pins 4 and 5 and the guide hole When the wall portions 12 and 13 overlap, the guide pins 4 and 5 and the guide holes 12 and 13 interfere with each other. Further, if the upper housing 1a is rotated to the separation position, the guide holes 12 and 13 are elongated holes in the sub-scanning direction so that the guide pins 4 and 5 and the guide holes 12 and 13 do not interfere with each other. With this configuration, the relative positions of the recording unit 9 and the support unit 60 in the sub-scanning direction cannot be determined. Thus, if the relative position in the sub-scanning direction cannot be determined, the recording unit 9 and the support unit 60 are displaced, and the head 10 and the facing surface 62a are shifted in the sub-scanning direction. Then, there is a possibility that the image is displaced with respect to the paper P, or that the capping cannot be performed when the head 10 is capped with the annular member 40. Alternatively, it is necessary to enlarge the facing surface 62a so that capping is possible even if a positional deviation occurs in the relative position in the sub-scanning direction. In this case, the printer itself becomes large. However, in the present invention, when the upper housing 1a rotates between the proximity position and the separation position, the guide pins 4 and 5 and the guide holes 12 and 13 are not engaged with each other. The above problems do not occur.

  Since the control device 1p receives the restriction release signal and moves the head 10 to the retracted position, the guide pins 4 and 5 and the guide pins 4 and 5 are guided when the upper housing 1a rotates from the close position to the separated position. The holes 12 and 13 are surely disengaged.

  Further, since the control device 1p receives the restriction start signal and moves the head 10 to the recording position, the guide pins 4 and 5 and the guide hole 12 until the upper housing 1a returns from the separation position to the proximity position. , 13 are disengaged. For this reason, it becomes possible to prevent interference between the guide pins 4 and 5 and the guide holes 12 and 13 more reliably.

  Further, since the head lifting mechanism 33 can move the head 10 to the first and second recording positions, the position of the head 10 can be changed according to the thickness of the paper P.

  As a modified example, in step K2, the control device 1p may move the head 10 to the wiping position. The second positional relationship may be a positional relationship between the recording unit 9 and the support unit 60 when the head 10 is at the wiping position. That is, the control device 1p controls the head lifting mechanism 33 so that the vertical distance between the head 10 and the support 60 is greater than the positional relationship when the head 10 is disposed at the recording position. The recording unit 9 is moved up and down so that the positional relationship when it is arranged at the position becomes larger. Also in this case, since the engagement between the guide pins 4 and 5 and the guide holes 12 and 13 is released, the same effect as described above can be obtained. As another modified example, in step K5, the control device 1p may control the head lifting mechanism 33 to move the head 10 to the second recording position. As another modified example, an output unit is provided that outputs a restriction start signal to the control device 1p after the solenoid 37 disables the knob 72 and the rotation restriction of the upper housing 1a by the lock mechanism 70 is started. Also good. As another modification, the lock mechanism 70 may not include the solenoid 37 that prohibits the rotation of the knob 72. In this case, a sensor for detecting the rotation state of the knob 72 is provided. Then, from a state in which the knob 72 extends in the vertical direction (that is, a state in which the rotation of the upper casing 1a is restricted), a state in which the knob 72 is inclined with respect to the vertical direction (that is, the rotation of the upper casing 1a). When the knob 72 moves to a state in which movement is permitted, the sensor outputs a restriction release signal. Further, when the knob 72 moves from a state where the knob 72 is inclined with respect to the vertical direction to a state where the knob 72 extends in the vertical direction, the sensor outputs a restriction start signal. As another modification, the locking mechanism 70 may not have the knob 72 that can be operated by the user. In this case, the control device 1p sets the lock mechanism 70 so that the lock mechanism 70 can take a state in which the rotation of the upper housing 1a is restricted and a state in which the rotation of the upper housing 1a is allowed. Control. In this case, a sensor for detecting the state of the lock mechanism 70 is provided. When the state of the lock mechanism 70 changes from a state where the rotation of the upper housing 1a is restricted to a state where the rotation of the upper housing 1a is allowed, the sensor outputs a restriction release signal. Further, when the state of the lock mechanism 70 changes from a state in which the rotation of the upper housing 1a is permitted to a state in which the rotation of the upper housing 1a is restricted, the sensor outputs a restriction start signal. Even in this case, the same effect as described above can be obtained.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made as long as they are described in the claims. For example, only one set of guide pin and guide hole constituting the positioning mechanism may be provided. Two pairs of guide pins 4 and 5 and guide holes 12 and 13 may be arranged side by side in a direction intersecting the sub-scanning direction and the main scanning direction, and the distance from the shaft 1h may be mutually different. The positions may be the same and may be arranged side by side in the main scanning direction. Three or more pairs of guide pins and guide holes may be provided. Further, when the upper housing 1a is in the close position, the guide pin may have a length that engages with the guide hole even when the head 10 is in the wiping position. Further, the guide holes 12 and 13 may be provided in the recording unit 9, and the guide pins 4 and 5 may be provided in the support unit 60. Moreover, the guide holes 12 and 13 may penetrate. Further, the recording unit 9 may be composed of only the head 10. In this case, the guide pin or the guide hole is formed directly on the head 10.

  Further, the head elevating mechanism 33 may elevate and lower the support unit 60, and may elevate both the recording unit 9 and the support unit 60. Further, the recording position may be only the first recording position. Further, the capping mechanism may seal the discharge surface 10a by bringing the annular member 40 into contact with the support surface 61a. Further, the capping mechanism may not be provided.

  The present invention can be applied to both a line type and a serial type, and is not limited to a printer, and can also be applied to a facsimile machine, a copier, and the like. Further, recording is performed by discharging a liquid other than ink. The present invention can also be applied to a recording apparatus that performs. The present invention is not limited to the ink jet type, and can be applied to, for example, a laser type or thermal type recording apparatus. The recording medium is not limited to the paper P, and may be various recording media.

1 Inkjet printer (recording device)
1a Upper housing (second housing)
1b Lower housing (first housing)
1h axis 1p control device (control means)
3 frames (part of recording part)
4,5 Guide pin 10 Head (part of recording part)
12, 13 Guide hole 32 Paper sensor (part of output)
33 Head lifting mechanism (moving mechanism)
38,39 Sensor (part of output)
40 annular member 60 support part 62 opposing member (opposing part)
70 Locking mechanism (regulatory mechanism)

Claims (6)

A support for supporting the recording medium;
A recording unit for recording an image on a recording medium supported by the support unit;
A first housing that holds the support;
The first housing is connected to the first housing via a shaft, and is rotatable with respect to the first housing around the shaft. A second housing for holding the recording unit so that the support unit and the recording unit face each other at a position close to the first housing.
A guide pin provided integrally with one of the recording part and the support part and extending in a predetermined direction, and provided integrally with the other of the one with the rotation of the second casing A guide hole that moves relative to the guide pin; and the guide pin and the guide hole engage with each other when the second housing is in the close position. A positioning mechanism for positioning
When the second housing is located at the close position, the first positional relationship that allows the guide pin and the guide hole to engage with each other, and the separation distance between the recording unit and the support unit are based on the first positional relationship. The guide pin and the guide hole move relative to each other so that the second housing can be in a second positional relationship where the guide pin and the guide hole are not engaged when the second housing is located at the close position. A moving mechanism for moving at least one of the recording unit and the support unit in the predetermined direction;
Control means for controlling the moving mechanism so that the recording section and the support section take the second positional relationship when the second casing rotates between the proximity position and the separation position; A recording apparatus comprising: A restricting mechanism for restricting rotation of the second housing in the proximity position;
An output unit that outputs a restriction release signal indicating that the restriction by the restriction mechanism is released;
The said control means controls the said moving mechanism so that the said recording part and the said support part may take the said 2nd positional relationship, when the said regulation release signal is output from the said output part. Item 2. The recording device according to Item 1. The output unit outputs a regulation start signal indicating that regulation by the regulation mechanism is started,
The control unit controls the moving mechanism so that the recording unit and the support unit take the second positional relationship until the regulation start signal is output from the output unit. The recording apparatus according to claim 2.   The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first positional relationship is a recording positional relationship in which an image is recorded on a recording medium by the recording unit. A facing portion capable of facing the recording portion;
The recording unit has an annular member disposed around the recording unit so as to surround the recording surface opposite to the opposing unit, and the opposing unit and the annular member are in contact with each other to seal the recording surface And a capping mechanism for
The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first positional relationship is a capping positional relationship that seals the recording unit.   The moving mechanism may further include a third positional relationship in which a separation distance between the recording unit and the support unit is larger than the first positional relationship and smaller than the second positional relationship. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the support portions is moved.

Images