JP2013252723A - Carriage device and printing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a carriage device configured to allow a head unit with a printing head to be easily and smoothly mounted on a carriage even when the head unit is installed at various angles not parallel to a floor surface or at a higher position, and to provide an inkjet device.SOLUTION: A carriage device includes: a head unit 83 formed by mounting a printing head 76 in a head plate 94; and a carriage 82 holding the head unit 83. The head unit 83 is detachably mounted on the carriage 82 in a slidable manner.

Description

  The present invention relates to a carriage apparatus and an ink jet apparatus to which a head unit having a plurality of print heads is mounted.

  Conventionally, a large printer requires a large head unit in which a large number of droplet discharge heads are mounted on a single carriage (head plate), and it is necessary to replace the large head unit. In order to efficiently transport and set such a large carriage, a plurality of droplet discharge heads, a carriage on which a plurality of droplet discharge heads are protruded on the back side, a carriage provided on the surface of the carriage, A head unit including a pair of left and right handles for hand-held is known (Patent Document 1). When the head unit is introduced into the set stage (carriage), it is first placed on a temporary table that is somewhat higher than the set stage. The operator holds a pair of left and right handles provided on the surface of the carriage, tilts the tip of the head unit and slides it on the temporary table, lowers the tip against the stopper of the set stage, and then lowers it further to the set stage. I try to load it. Further, since the head unit can be carried in a substantially set posture by gripping the pair of left and right handles, even a large head unit can be attached and detached stably and safely.

JP 2003-127343 A

  However, since the head unit as described above is mounted on the set stage while being slid so that the tip is lowered, the operator holds the handle until the installation of the head unit is completed, and the head unit is tilted. It is necessary to maintain posture. For this reason, a large space for attaching and detaching work is required on the upper side of the set stage, and there is a problem that the apparatus becomes large. Further, when the head unit is installed at various angles not parallel to the floor surface or when installed at a high position, there is a problem that the working posture becomes unstable and the attaching / detaching work becomes complicated.

  The present invention provides a carriage device and an ink jet device that can easily and smoothly attach and detach a head unit on which a print head is mounted to a carriage.

  A carriage device according to the present invention includes a head unit having a print head mounted on a head plate, and a carriage that holds the head unit, and the head unit is slidably attached to the carriage in a detachable manner. And

  According to this configuration, the head unit can be mounted on the carriage by placing the tip of the head unit on the front side of the carriage and pressing the head plate in parallel in the sliding direction. Further, if the head unit is pulled out from the carriage in the sliding direction in the reverse procedure, the head unit can be detached from the carriage. That is, the head unit on which the print head is mounted can be easily and smoothly attached to and detached from the carriage. In this case, since the head unit is slidably attached and detached, a large space for attaching and detaching the head unit is not required on the upper side of the carriage.

  In this case, the carriage has a pair of slide guides for guiding the attachment and detachment of the head unit, a first positioning means for positioning the mounted head unit on one side in the sliding direction, and a second side in the sliding direction. And a second positioning means for positioning the position of the mounted head unit.

  According to these configurations, the head unit can be positioned on the carriage simply by slidingly mounting the head unit on the carriage. In addition, by providing positioning means on the back side (one side) and the near side (the other side) in the sliding direction, it is not necessary to perform the mounting operation while checking the position by looking at the surface of the head unit. Even if it is high, positioning can be performed easily. In this way, it is possible to remarkably reduce the burden on the operator in the operation of attaching and detaching the head unit, and it is possible to improve the work efficiency.

  In this case, it is preferable that the second positioning means has a side pin that contacts the part of the other side of the head plate and positions the head unit.

  According to this configuration, the head unit can be stably and appropriately positioned by providing the side pin only in the direction of receiving the load depending on the installation angle of the head unit and supporting the head unit simultaneously with the positioning. As a result, the head unit can be accurately attached to the recording apparatus at various angles.

  In this case, the head plate has a slide engagement portion that engages with the pair of slide guides, and a positioning engagement portion that is continuous with the slide engagement portion and formed wider than the slide engagement portion. It is preferable that the positioning engagement portion is engaged with the side pin and positioned immediately before the mounting is completed.

  According to this configuration, immediately after the start of the mounting of the head unit, the tip of the slide engagement portion engages with the pair of slide guides and is guided to the carriage while being gently regulated in the width direction. Then, the positioning engaging portion is completely positioned in the width direction by the side pins immediately before the mounting is completed, and the mounting is completed. Thus, by positioning in two stages, the head unit does not slide on the side pin during sliding when attaching and detaching, so that the side pin can be prevented from being damaged and the head unit is completely mounted. At almost the same time, it can be set on the carriage with high accuracy.

  In this case, the print head is mounted on the sub plate in a positioned state, and is mounted on the head plate via the sub plate. Between the head plate and the sub plate, the sub plate with respect to the head plate in the sliding direction is mounted. It is preferable to further include a fine adjustment mechanism for finely adjusting the position, the rotation position of the sub-plate in the predetermined plane, and the elevation angle with respect to the predetermined plane.

  According to this configuration, with the head plate mounted on the carriage, the print head can always be opposed to the recording medium at an appropriate position and angle through the sub plate, and due to the positional deviation before and after the head unit replacement. Printing can be performed with high accuracy without causing defective printing.

  In this case, the head plate has a handle portion that protrudes outward from the front side surface of the head plate on one side and a finger hook portion provided on the back side surface of the head plate on the other side. It is preferable.

  According to this configuration, each head plate is transported to the position of the carriage by holding the handle on the back side with one handle and holding the other hand with a finger on the finger holding portion on the front side. To do. At this time, when the front end portion of the head plate in the sliding direction is engaged with the pair of slide guides, the handle can be detached from the rear handle portion and can be slid with only the handle on the front side. As a result, the burden on the operator can be reduced, and the head unit can be attached and detached efficiently.

  The ink jet apparatus according to the present invention faces the recording medium feeding means that sends the recording medium in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum that rotates in one direction, and the recording medium that is sent, and performs printing on the recording medium by the ink jet method. A plurality of carriage devices, and the plurality of carriage devices are arranged in a radial direction of the rotary drum.

  According to this configuration, the head unit can be easily and smoothly mounted on the carriage at various angles in the circumferential direction of the rotating drum. Therefore, the head unit can be exchanged for a plurality of carriage devices in a short time.

It is a front view of the ink jet device concerning an embodiment. It is a back surface perspective view of an apparatus main body. It is sectional drawing around a head unit. It is a perspective view of a print head. It is a perspective view of a head unit. It is an expansion | deployment perspective view of a fine adjustment mechanism. It is a perspective view around a carriage. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram (a) and (b) showing a procedure for mounting the head unit, and a schematic sectional view (c) when the head unit is mounted.

  Hereinafter, an ink jet apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. This inkjet apparatus is a center drum type printing apparatus in which a plurality of inkjet heads are arranged in the circumferential direction, and printing is performed using a UV ink (ultraviolet curable ink) on a long recording medium supplied reel-to-reel. carry out. The recording medium is, for example, a sheet-like material such as a label film or paper, and has various widths and thicknesses to be printed. In the following description, the direction penetrating the paper surface in FIG. 1 is front and rear, the front side is “front”, and the back side is “rear”. Specifically, the extending direction of the rotating shaft (drum shaft 62) of the rotating drum 61 (described later) is the front and rear, the direction from the drum motor 64 (described later) toward the rotating drum 61 is the front direction (front side), and the rotating drum 61 A direction toward the drum motor 64 is a back direction (back side). In the recording medium conveyance path, the medium supply device 6 side described later is referred to as “upstream side”, and the medium recovery device 7 side described later is referred to as “downstream side”.

  As shown in the overall view of FIG. 1, an inkjet apparatus 1 includes a center drum type apparatus main body 2 that performs printing on a recording medium A by an inkjet method, a recording medium A that is supplied with the recording medium A and printed. A reel-to-reel medium supply / recovery device 3 for collecting A and a control device (not shown) for overall control of these components are provided. The medium supply / collection apparatus 3 includes a medium supply apparatus 6 that supplies the recording medium A to the apparatus main body 2 and a medium recovery apparatus 7 that recovers the recording medium A from the apparatus main body 2. On the other hand, the medium feed path L of the recording medium A configured in the apparatus main body 2 and the medium supply / collection apparatus 3 is close to the supply feed path L1 from the medium supply apparatus 6 to the apparatus main body 2 and the circle configured in the apparatus main body 2. An arc-shaped print feed path L2 and a collection feed path L3 from the apparatus main body 2 to the medium collection apparatus 7 are provided.

  The recording medium A supplied from the medium supply device 6 through the supply feed path L1 is fed along the print feed path L2 in the apparatus main body 2, and is used for printing in this portion. In addition, the recording medium A that has been printed is collected by the medium collection device 7 through the collection feeding path L3.

  The medium supply device 6 is disposed on the downstream side of the supply reel 11, a supply reel 11 for supplying the recording medium A wound in a roll shape, a supply motor (not shown) for supplying and rotating the supply reel 11, and a recording medium. A forward tension unit 13 that applies a forward tension to A, and a steering unit 14 that is disposed downstream of the forward tension unit 13 and feeds the recording medium A into the apparatus main body 2 while positioning the recording medium A in the width direction. When the feeding device is driven in synchronism with the apparatus main body 2 by the control device, the medium feeding device 6 feeds the recording medium A from the feeding reel 11 and feeds it along the feeding feed path L1.

  On the other hand, the medium recovery device 7 includes a winding reel 21 that winds the printed recording medium A in a roll shape, a winding motor (not shown) that winds and rotates the winding reel 21, and upstream of the winding reel 21. The back tension unit 23 that is provided on the side and applies back tension to the recording medium A, and the recording medium A that is provided on the upstream side of the back tension unit 23 and is sent out from the apparatus main body 2 is sent in a U-turn. As described above, a return unit 25 that changes the collection feeding path L3 is provided. When the medium recovery device 7 drives the take-up motor in synchronization with the device main body 2 by the control device, the recording medium A is sent from the device main body 2 and sent along the recovery feed path L3.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the apparatus main body 2 has a large-diameter rotary drum 61, a medium feed mechanism 41 that feeds the recording medium A along the print feed path L <b> 2, and a plurality of print heads 76. A plurality of carriage units 42 arranged radially with respect to the rotary drum 61 so as to face the print feed path L2, a plurality of maintenance units 43 corresponding to the plurality of carriage units 42 and arranged on the back side thereof, The main curing UV irradiation unit 44 that cures the UV ink of the recording medium A is provided to face the recovery feeding path L3. The apparatus body 2 is entirely covered with a chamber (not shown). The plurality of carriage units 42 are units for the colors of the UV ink to be supplied, and constitute a printing unit 48 as a whole.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the apparatus frame 46 includes a base frame 51 serving as a machine base, a main frame 52 erected on the rear half of the base frame 51, and a plate-like subframe widely provided on the front surface of the main frame 52. 53, and a chamber frame 54 disposed in the front portion of the main frame 52 via the subframe 53. Walls (not shown) are respectively attached to the surfaces constituting the main frame 52 and the chamber frame 54, and these constitute a chamber that covers the entire apparatus main body 2. That is, the apparatus main body 2 manages the temperature and cleanliness inside the chamber by this chamber. A predetermined gap is provided between the chamber frame 54 and the base frame 51, and the recording medium A is fed and discharged in this gap.

  As described above, the printing unit 48 includes the plurality of carriage units 42 arranged radially with respect to the rotary drum 61 (see FIG. 1). The plurality of carriage units (carriage devices) 42 are units for each ink color, and cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), black (from the start side to the end side of the print feed path L2. Bk) are arranged in the circumferential direction at substantially equal intervals. Although details will be described later, a plurality of print heads 76 are mounted on each carriage unit 42, and the plurality of print heads 76 constitute a head 77 corresponding to the recording medium A having the maximum width. For this reason, the heads 77 of the respective colors sequentially face the recording medium A that is printed and fed along the print feeding path L2, and desired color printing based on the print data is performed on the recording medium A.

  Each carriage unit 42 includes a carriage base 81 fixed to the sub-frame 53 and a box-type frame-type carriage 82 slidably supported by the carriage base 81 in the normal direction of the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 61. A head unit 83 mounted on the carriage 82 and mounted with a plurality of print heads 76; a Z-axis moving mechanism 84 for moving the head unit 83 forward and backward in the normal direction of the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 61 via the carriage 82; And a head control board module (not shown) that applies ejection waveforms to the plurality of print heads 76 (see FIG. 7). Each carriage unit 42 is mounted on the carriage 82 and is supported on the outer surface of the carriage 82 via a pinning unit 86 (see FIG. 3) for temporarily curing the UV ink of the recording medium A and a support fitting. And a sub tank unit (not shown) for supplying UV ink to the print head 76.

  The Z-axis moving mechanism 84 is configured with a motor drive using a lead screw mechanism, for example. The Z-axis moving mechanism 84 adjusts the gap between the print head 76 and the recording medium A with respect to the recording medium A having different thicknesses, and at the time of maintenance of the printing head 76, the head unit 83 is moved away from and in the maintenance unit 43. Move forward and backward. The sub tank units are supported by the support fittings in an upright posture (a posture in which the UV ink discharge port faces downward in the vertical direction).

  The UV ink of the embodiment has a high temperature dependency (viscosity decreases as the temperature increases). Therefore, although not shown in the drawing, the sub tank unit 88, the plurality of print heads 76, and the ink flow paths (main tube, manifold, individual tube) from the sub tank unit 88 to the plurality of print heads 76 are covered with a heater. ing. For example, the UV ink is heated to about 40 ° C. and discharged.

Here, with reference to FIG. 3 to FIG. 8, the head unit 83 and the carriage 82 which are characteristic portions of the present invention will be described in detail. First, the head unit 83 will be described, and then the carriage 82 and the operation of attaching / detaching the head unit 83 to / from the carriage 82 in the carriage unit 42 will be described.
The head unit 83 includes a head plate 94, a pair of left and right sub-plates 95 assembled on the lower surface of the head plate 94 (on the rotating drum 61 side), and a plurality of print heads 76 (7 in the drawing) mounted on each sub-plate 95. And a fine adjustment mechanism 120 for adjusting the position of each sub-plate 95 on the head plate 94. In this case, the pair of left and right sub-plates 95 are arranged in a “C” shape so as to be parallel to the tangent line of the rotating drum 61 (see FIG. 3). Each sub-plate 95 is supported by the head plate 94 so as to be suspended by a fine adjustment mechanism 120 fixed on the head plate 94.

  As shown in FIG. 4, each print head 76 is constituted by a 2-inch inkjet head, and has two nozzle rows 93 composed of a plurality of discharge nozzles 92 parallel to each other on its nozzle surface 91. Yes. In each sub-plate 95, the plurality of print heads 76 are arranged in a staggered manner in the front-rear direction. The plurality of print heads 76 mounted on one sub-plate 95 and the plurality of print heads mounted on the other sub-plate 95. The print head 76 is arranged with a 1/4 nozzle pitch position shifted in the front-rear direction (nozzle row direction) (see FIG. 5). Therefore, the head 77 as a line head extending in the front-rear direction (the width direction of the recording medium A) by all the print heads 76 mounted on the head plate 94, that is, the 1/4 nozzle corresponding to the recording medium A having the maximum width. A pitch head 77 is formed, and high-resolution printing is possible. This arrangement pattern is merely an example, and the number of print heads 76, the number of columns, and the arrangement pattern are arbitrary.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, each sub-plate 95 is for attaching a plurality of held print heads 76 to the head plate 94, and is formed of a thick plate made of rectangular stainless steel or the like. In the center of the sub-plate 95, a plurality of opening portions 96 for mounting the print head 76 are formed in parallel in two rows so that the nozzle row 93 of the print head 76 faces in the front-rear direction. Although details will be described later, each sub plate 95 is fixed to the upper surface of the head plate 94 via the fine adjustment mechanism 120 disposed so as to penetrate the head plate 94. A plurality of screw holes 97 for fixing this to the fine adjustment mechanism 120 are provided.

As shown in FIG. 6, the fine adjustment mechanism 120 extends vertically so as to pass through a mounting opening 142 (described later) formed through the head plate 94, and the position of the sub plate 95 can be adjusted on the lower surface. I support it. The fine adjustment mechanism 120 includes an X adjustment plate 121 that adjusts the position of the sub-plate 95 in the sliding direction (X-axis direction), and a rotational position (Θ-axis direction) with a normal of the plane as the rotation axis in a predetermined plane. A Θ adjustment plate 122 for adjusting the elevation angle, an elevation angle adjustment plate 123 for adjusting the elevation angle with respect to the predetermined plane, and a spacer plate 124 interposed between the elevation angle adjustment plate 123 and the sub plate 95. Yes. The fine adjustment of the feeding direction of the recording medium A is adjusted at the discharge timing of each print head 76.
Here, in the present embodiment, the sliding direction (X-axis direction) of the sub-plate 95 substantially coincides with the extending direction of the rotating shaft (drum shaft 62) of the rotating drum 61, and the predetermined plane is substantially parallel to the X adjustment plate 121. It is a flat surface.

  In this case, the X adjustment plate 121, the Θ adjustment plate 122, the elevation angle adjustment plate 123, and the spacer plate 124 are all formed in a rectangular frame shape, and the X adjustment plate 121 is in the X-axis direction with respect to the head plate 94. The Θ adjustment plate 122 is mounted so as to be adjustable in the Θ direction with respect to the X adjustment plate 121, and the elevation angle adjustment plate 123 is configured to be adjustable in elevation angle relative to the Θ adjustment plate 122. ing. The spacer plate 124 is disposed so as to be contained in the X adjustment plate 121, the Θ adjustment plate 122, and the mounting opening 142, and is fixed to the elevation angle adjustment plate 123 at the upper end, and the sub plate 95 (print head 76) at the lower end. ). That is, the sub plate 95 on which the plurality of print heads 76 are mounted is supported by the elevation angle adjustment plate 123 via the spacer plate 124, and the elevation angle adjustment plate 123 is a head via the Θ adjustment plate 122 and the X adjustment plate 121. Supported by a plate 94.

  The X adjustment plate 121 includes a rectangular frame-shaped X plate main body 125 and a pair of front and rear adjustment blocks 126 in an “L” shape that engage with the X plate main body 125. The pair of adjustment blocks 126 are fixed to the head plate 94 so as to sandwich the X plate main body 125 in the front-rear direction (X-axis direction). Each adjustment block 126 incorporates an X adjustment screw 127 that abuts against an end surface (front end surface or rear end surface) of the X plate main body 125, and the X plate main body 125 is moved in the X axis direction by the X adjustment screw 127. After the position adjustment, the head plate 94 is screwed at both front and rear ends. The head plate 94 is provided with the pair of sliding contact pins 128 slidably in contact with the front end side surface and the rear end side surface of the X plate main body 125. It functions as a guide (lateral positioning means) in position adjustment in the front-rear direction. Further, a circular arc recess 129 that engages the Θ adjustment plate 122 is formed in the upper surface of the rear end portion of the X plate main body 125 so as to be recessed.

  The Θ adjustment plate 122 includes a rectangular frame-like Θ plate body 130, a wedge-shaped block 131 interposed between the front end surface of the Θ plate body 130 and the inner surface of the front end portion of the X plate body 125, and the front end of the X plate body 125. And the two return springs 133 interposed between the rear end portion of the θ adjustment plate 122 and the rear end portion of the X plate main body 125. At the rear end portion of the Θ plate main body 130, an arc convex portion 134 that is engaged with the arc concave portion 129 of the X plate main body 125 and has a shape complementary to the arc concave portion 129 is provided upright. The Θ plate main body 130 is mounted on the X plate main body 125 such that the arc convex portion 134 engages with the arc concave portion 129 of the X plate main body 125. When the Θ adjustment screw 132 is tightened in this state, the arc convex portion 134 of the Θ plate main body 130 is guided by the arc concave portion 129 by the cam action of the cam slope of the wedge-shaped block 131 and the front end surface of the Θ plate main body 130. Thus, Θ is adjusted counterclockwise as shown. Conversely, when the Θ adjustment screw 132 is loosened, the Θ plate main body 130 receives the spring force of the return spring 133 and is Θ adjusted clockwise as shown. After the Θ adjustment is made in this way, the Θ plate body 130 is screwed to the X plate body 125 at both front and rear ends.

  The elevation angle adjustment plate 123 includes a rectangular frame-shaped elevation angle plate main body 135, an elevation angle adjustment screw 137 incorporated in the front end protrusion 136 of the elevation angle plate main body 135, the front end protrusion 136, and the front end of the Θ plate main body 130. And an adjustment spring 138 interposed between the two portions. The elevation angle adjustment screw 137 passes through the front end protrusion 136 of the elevation angle plate main body 135 and is screwed to the front end portion of the Θ plate main body 130, and is wound around the elevation angle adjustment screw 137. An adjustment spring 138 is provided. The rear end portion of the elevation angle plate main body 135 is attached to the side surface of the arc convex portion 134 of the Θ plate main body 130 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction. When the elevation angle adjustment screw 137 is tightened, the elevation angle plate main body 135 When the rear end is lifted and loosened, the rear end of the elevation angle plate main body 135 sinks, and the elevation angle is adjusted. On the other hand, a plurality of through holes 139 project from the pair of frame inner walls on the long side of the elevation angle plate main body 135. The plurality of through holes 139 are aligned with the plurality of screw holes 97 of the sub plate 95, and pass through the elevation angle plate main body 135 and the spacer plate 124 and screw into the screw holes 97 of the sub plate 95. The sub plate 95 is suspended and fixed to the fine adjustment mechanism 120 by screws. In addition, the elevation angle plate main body 135 after the elevation angle adjustment is fixed to the Θ plate main body 130 by a set screw abutted against the side surface of the front end protrusion 136.

  The spacer plate 124 is formed in a rectangular box shape, and its upper portion is formed narrow so as to escape the X adjustment plate 121 and the Θ adjustment plate 122. The height of the spacer plate 124 regulates the height position of the sub-plate 95, and the height of the sub-plate 95 is such that a slight gap is formed between the lower surface of the head plate 94 and the upper surface of the sub-plate 95. The position is regulated. In addition, a plurality of insertion holes 141 corresponding to the plurality of through holes 139 of the elevation angle plate main body 135 (corresponding to the plurality of screw holes 97 of the sub plate 95) are formed in the pair of inner walls on the long side of the spacer plate 124. Is formed. That is, the spacer plate 124 is screwed to the elevation angle adjustment plate 123 while being fastened together with the sub plate 95. A plurality of print heads 76 mounted on the sub-plate 95 are accommodated in the internal space of the spacer plate 124.

Here, the position adjustment of the sub-plate 95 on which the plurality of print heads 76 are mounted by the fine adjustment mechanism 120 will be briefly described. The plurality of print heads 76 are fixed to the sub-plate 95 in a positioning state by another device.
First, after the adjustment block 126 is fixed to the head plate 94, the X adjustment plate 121, the Θ adjustment plate 122, and the elevation angle adjustment plate 123 are temporarily assembled on the head plate 94 in this order. Next, the spacer plate 124 is placed on the sub-plate 95 on which the print head 76 is mounted. In this state, the spacer plate 124 is inserted into the mounting opening 142 of the head plate 94 from below, and the spacer plate 124 is inserted into the elevation angle adjusting plate 123. Hit it. Here, the spacer plate 124 and the sub plate 95 are screwed to the elevation angle adjustment plate 123 from above. Thus, the elevation angle adjusting plate 123, the spacer plate 124, and the sub plate 95 are integrated so as to pass through the head plate 94.

  The operation up to this point is performed using a jig or the like as appropriate before the head unit 83 is mounted on the carriage 82. Of course, you may perform said operation | work in the state upside down. Further, when the head unit 83 is mounted on the carriage 82, the X adjustment plate 121, the Θ adjustment plate 122, and the elevation angle adjustment plate 123 are temporarily assembled so that the components of each head unit 83 do not rattle. It is preferable to keep it fixed. In such a case, in the subsequent adjustment work after mounting the head unit 83 on the carriage 82, the fixing screw is first loosened and then the adjustment work is performed. Although details will be described later, the head unit 83 is mounted on the carriage 82 in a positioned state. Therefore, the subsequent work is the final fine adjustment in the on-machine of the head unit 83.

  When the head unit 83 is mounted on the carriage 82, first the set screw of the elevation angle adjustment plate 123 is loosened, and then the elevation angle adjustment screw 137 is operated to adjust the elevation angle of the elevation angle adjustment plate 123. When the appropriate elevation angle is adjusted, the set screw is tightened to fix the elevation angle adjustment plate 123 to the Θ adjustment plate 122. Subsequently, the fixing screw of the Θ adjustment plate 122 is loosened, the Θ adjustment screw 132 is operated, and the Θ adjustment of the Θ adjustment plate 122 is performed. When the Θ adjustment is performed, the Θ adjustment plate 122 is fixed to the X adjustment plate 121 again. Finally, after loosening the fixing screw of the X adjustment plate 121, the X adjustment screw 127 is operated to adjust the position of the X adjustment plate 121 in the X-axis direction. After the X adjustment, the X adjustment plate 121 is fixed to the head plate 94 again. In fine adjustment of X, Θ, and elevation angle, a dial gauge (not shown) is installed according to the adjustment location, and this is used as a guide for adjustment.

  As shown in FIGS. 3, 5, and 6, the head plate 94 is a thick plate of stainless steel or the like having a substantially rectangular shape with a cross-sectional mountain shape. A pair of mounting openings 142 into which the adjustment mechanism 120 is loosely fitted is formed. Each mounting opening 142 is disposed so as to be covered by the sub-plate 95 from the lower side, and is disposed so that the fine adjustment mechanism 120 is inserted. Further, before and after each mounting opening 142, a plurality of screw holes 143 for fixing the fine adjustment mechanism 120 (X adjustment plate 121) are formed, and the pair of sliding contact pins 128 are provided. . On the other hand, a reverse “U” -shaped handle portion 144 is attached to the rear end portion of the front surface of the head plate 94 so as to protrude outward (in a direction away from the head plate 94) from the front surface. Correspondingly, a finger hook portion 145 as an oval shallow groove is formed on the front end portion of the rear surface of the head plate 94. The operator can hold the handle portion 144 and the finger hook portion 145 so that the head plate 94 can be attached to and detached from the carriage 82 in a natural posture.

  At both ends in the width direction of the head plate 94, a pair of slide engaging portions 146 that engage with slide guides 159 of a carriage 82 described later are formed. The pair of slide engaging portions 146 extend in parallel with each other and in the front-rear direction. On the other hand, on both sides of the front end of the head plate 94, a pair of front positioning portions (positioning engagement portions) 147 that are continuous with the slide engagement portion 146 and formed in a hook shape are formed. Each front positioning portion 147 obliquely connects a “U” -shaped engagement portion 147 a that engages with a side pin 161 of a carriage 82 described later in a positioning state, and each engagement portion 147 a and the front end of the slide engagement portion 146. And an engagement guide portion 147b to be connected. That is, the head plate 94 has a front positioning portion 147 that is wider than the slide engagement portion 146. Each engagement guide portion 147b is an inclined portion that extends obliquely outward toward the front, and when the head plate 94 is slidably mounted on the carriage 82, the side pin 161 is roughly guided. From the slide engaging portion 146, the engaging portion 147a is engaged via the engaging guide portion 147b. As a result, the front portion of the head plate 94 is mounted on the carriage 82 in a positioned state. Reference numeral 167 in the drawing is a through hole 167 for a bolt for fixing the mounted head plate 94 to the carriage 82.

  Similarly, a rear positioning portion 148 is provided at the center of the rear end portion of the head plate 94. Similar to the front positioning portion 147, the rear positioning portion 148 is formed with an engagement portion 148a that is notched in a “U” shape, and is widened toward the rear in connection with the engagement portion 148a to guide the engagement. Engagement guide portion 148b. The rear positioning portion 148 engages with positioning pins 163 of the carriage 82 described later when the head plate 94 is mounted, and positions the head plate 94 in the slide direction and the width direction. Reference numeral 149 in the figure denotes a notch groove 149 for bolts for fixing to the head plate 94 and the carriage 82 after mounting. Each notch groove 149 is engaged with the positioning pin 163 by the rear positioning portion 148. At the same time, it engages with a fixing screw 164 temporarily tightened to the carriage 82 in advance. By the way, although the engaging part 147a of the front positioning part 147 and the engaging part 148a of the rear positioning part 148 in this embodiment are both formed in a “U” shape, they are formed in a “V” shape. May be.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the carriage 82 is disposed on the front surface of the carriage base 81, and has a back side (one side) slide base 151 slidably supported by the carriage base 81, and a slide base. 151, a pair of side plates 152 projecting from the both ends in the width direction to the front side (the other side) like a bracket, and a rectangular frame-shaped support base 153 attached between the lower ends of the pair of side plates 152, I have.

  The slide base 151 includes a rectangular main body plate portion 151 a that is long in the vertical direction, and left and right sliders 154 that are fixed to the back surface of the main body plate portion 151 a, and a pair of guide rails 155 provided on the carriage base 81. It is slidably supported (in the normal direction of the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum 61). That is, the carriage 82 is moved up and down in the normal direction of the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 61 by the Z-axis moving mechanism 84 through the slide base 151. Each of the pair of side plates 152 has a single trapezoidal shape with the upper side as an inclined side that is forwardly lowered, and projects in parallel from the left and right ends of the main body plate portion 151a.

  The support base 153 is fixed to the lower end of each side plate 152, and includes a thick plate base body 153a extending in an inverted “U” shape forward and a connecting beam 156 passed between the front ends of the base body 153a. Have. The connecting beam 156 is attached to the front end portion of the base body 153a from the lower side via a spacer so as to escape the print head 76 of the head unit 83 at the time of mounting. The base body 153a is integrally formed with a pair of left and right side base portions 157 and a connecting plate portion 158 that connects the pair of side base portions 157 at the rear end.

Each side base portion 157 is provided with a slide guide 159 for guiding the mounting of the head unit 83 and a side pin 161 positioned in front of the slide guide 159 for positioning the head unit 83 in the width direction. ing.
The head unit 83 is mounted along the slide guide 159 by sliding in the carriage 82 in the X-axis direction (extending direction of the slide guide 159). A screw hole 162 for fixing the head unit 83 to the carriage 82 is formed in front of the side pin 161. Each slide guide 159 is formed in an inverted “L” shape in cross section and is disposed inward (see FIG. 8C). The head unit 83 is mounted on and removed from the pair of side base portions 157 and guided by a pair of slide guides 159 that face the overhangs. The side pins 161 are provided only in the direction of receiving a load depending on the installation angle of the head unit 83, and support the head unit 83 simultaneously with positioning. However, since the head unit 83 is provided horizontally in the carriage 82 installed at the uppermost position, two side pins 161 are provided on the left and right.

  On the other hand, a positioning pin 163 for positioning the head unit 83 in the sliding direction and the width direction is installed at the center of the connecting plate portion 158, and fixing screws 164 for fixing the head unit 83 to the carriage 82 are provided at both left and right ends. (Screw hole) is provided. The fixing screw 164 extends upward beyond the side plate 152 and can be operated from the upper side of the side plate 152. At the stage of mounting the head unit 83 on the carriage 82, the head unit 83 is temporarily tightened to allow the mounting. The “first positioning means” in the claims refers to the positioning pin 163, and the “second side positioning means” refers to the side pin 161.

Here, with reference to FIG. 8, the mounting / demounting operation of the head unit 83 to / from the carriage 82, that is, the mounting of the head unit 83 to the carriage 82 and the detachment from the carriage 82 will be described.
Prior to mounting, the head unit 83 is in a state where the fine adjustment mechanism 120 and the sub plates 95 on which the plurality of print heads 76 are mounted are temporarily assembled to the head plate 94 as described above, and each print head 76 includes a sub tank. Individual tubes (not shown) reaching the unit (not shown) are connected. The operator first grasps the handle portion 144 and the finger hook portion 145 and carries the head unit 83 to the carriage 82, and places the tip of the head unit 83 (the handle portion 144 side) on the front end portions of the pair of side base portions 157. Include. Here, the head unit 83 is held in parallel with the support base 153, and the tips of the pair of slide engaging portions 146 of the head plate 94 are aligned with the front ends of the pair of slide guides 159. Subsequently, the head unit 83 is pushed in with the other handle while releasing the handle that holds the handle portion 144 (see FIG. 8A).

  When the head unit 83 is guided by the pair of slide guides 159 and slid on the pair of side base portions 157, the rear positioning portion 148 of the head plate 94 is engaged with the positioning pins 163 of the connecting plate portion 158. At the same time, one front positioning portion 147 engages with the side pin 161 so as to abut. The operator feels the weight of the slide when the rear positioning portion 148 starts to engage the positioning pin 163 and the front positioning portion 147 starts to engage the side pin 161, and then feels the abutment, so that the Experience the installation completion. When the mounting of the head unit 83 is completed, the fixing screw 164 at the rear of the carriage 82 is finally tightened, and the front through hole 167 is screwed in accordance with the screw hole 162 of the carriage 82, whereby the head unit 83 is attached to the carriage 82. Fix completely (see FIG. 8B).

  Here, the individual tube connected to the print head 76 is firmly connected to a manifold (not shown) reaching the ink flow path, and a connector of a flat flexible cable (not shown) reaching the head control board module (not shown). Is connected to the print head 76. Next, the fine adjustment mechanism 120 adjusts the position of the sub-plate 95 on which the plurality of print heads 76 are mounted. As described above, in the fine adjustment mechanism 120 temporarily assembled, the elevation angle adjustment, the X adjustment, and the Θ adjustment are sequentially performed from the top, and the final fine adjustment of the print head 76 is performed. Thereby, the mounting of the head unit 83 to the carriage 82 is completed.

  On the other hand, the head unit 83 is removed from the carriage 82 by the reverse procedure of the mounting operation. First, the operator removes the individual tube from the manifold and removes the relay board of the connector reaching the head control board module from the print head 76. Then, loosen the fixing screw 164 that fixed the head unit 83 in the front and rear, put the finger on the finger hooking portion 145 of the head unit 83 with one handle, and pull it out to the front, thereby engaging the carriage 82 with the head unit 83. Remove the match. The head unit 83 is pulled out along the slide guide 159 as it is, and when the head unit 83 is almost detached from the slide guide 159, the handle portion 144 is gripped by the other handle and is completely taken out from the carriage 82. Through this series of operations, the head unit 83 is attached to and detached from the carriage 82.

  According to the above configuration, even the center drum type inkjet apparatus 1 in which the plurality of carriage units 42 are arranged in the circumferential direction is used with respect to the carriage 82 installed at various angles and heights with respect to the rotating drum 61. Thus, the head unit 83 can be easily and smoothly mounted.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 42 ... Carriage unit 61 ... Rotary drum 76 ... Print head 82 ... Carriage 83 ... Head unit 94 ... Head plate 120 ... Fine adjustment mechanism 144 ... Handle part 145 ... Finger hook part 146 ... Slide engagement part 159 ... Slide guide ... 161 ... Side Pin 163 ... Positioning pin A ... Recording medium.

The present invention relates to a carriage apparatus and a printing apparatus to which a head unit equipped with a plurality of print heads is mounted.

The present invention provides a carriage device and a printing apparatus in which a head unit having a print head mounted thereon can be easily and smoothly attached to and detached from a carriage.

A carriage device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a head plate, an adjustment unit, a sub plate attached to the head plate via the adjustment unit, and attached to the head plate via the sub plate. A print head; and a carriage on which the head plate, the sub plate, the print head, and the adjustment unit can be mounted. The adjustment unit has a position in a predetermined direction of the sub plate with respect to the head plate and the head plate. The rotation position of the sub-plate relative to the head in a predetermined plane and the elevation angle of the sub-plate relative to the head plate relative to the predetermined plane can be adjusted.
In the carriage device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the adjustment unit may include a first direction adjustment plate that can adjust a position of the sub plate with respect to the head plate in the predetermined direction, and the predetermined plane. A rotation position adjustment plate capable of adjusting a rotation position of the sub-plate relative to the head plate with a normal line of the predetermined plane as a rotation axis; and an elevation angle adjustment plate capable of adjusting an elevation angle with respect to the predetermined plane. It is characterized by having.
A carriage device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a head plate, a sub plate, a print head attached to the head plate via the sub plate, and the sub plate with respect to the head plate in the first direction. A first direction adjustment plate capable of adjusting the position, and a rotation position adjustment plate capable of adjusting a rotation position of the sub-plate relative to the head plate with respect to a normal line of the predetermined plane as a rotation axis in a predetermined plane; An elevation angle adjustment plate capable of adjusting an elevation angle of the sub plate with respect to the head plate with respect to the predetermined plane, the head plate, the sub plate, the print head, the first direction adjustment plate, and the rotational position adjustment plate. And a carriage on which the elevation angle adjustment plate can be mounted. And wherein the door.
In the carriage device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the elevation angle adjustment plate includes an elevation angle adjustment plate body rotatably attached to the rotation position adjustment plate, and a protrusion of the elevation angle adjustment plate body. An elevation angle adjustment screw that penetrates the elevation angle adjustment plate main body and is screwed into the first direction adjustment plate, and the projecting portion and an end of the rotational position adjustment plate. An adjustment spring wound around the elevation angle adjustment screw, and adjusting the elevation angle adjustment screw to adjust the elevation angle of the sub-plate relative to the head plate with respect to the predetermined plane. It can be adjusted.
In the carriage device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the first direction adjustment plate is engaged with the first direction adjustment plate main body so as to sandwich the first direction adjustment plate main body and the first direction adjustment plate main body. A pair of adjustment blocks to be combined, and a first direction adjustment screw incorporated in each of the pair of adjustment blocks and abutted against an end surface of the first direction adjustment plate body, and adjusting the first direction adjustment screw Thus, the position of the sub-plate with respect to the head plate can be adjusted in the first direction.
In the carriage device according to the embodiment of the invention, the rotational position adjustment plate includes a rotational position adjustment plate body, a first end of the rotational position adjustment plate body, and a first end of the first direction adjustment plate body. A wedge-shaped block disposed between the first position adjusting plate main body, a return spring disposed between the second end of the rotational position adjusting plate main body and the second end of the first direction adjusting plate main body; A rotational position adjusting screw incorporated in a first end of the direction adjusting plate main body, and an arc recess is formed in the second end of the first direction adjusting plate main body, and the rotational position adjusting plate An arc convex portion is formed at the second end of the main body, and the rotational position adjusting plate main body is mounted on the first direction adjusting plate main body so as to engage the arc convex portion with the arc concave portion. And By adjusting the rotational position adjusting screw, the rotational position of the sub-plate with respect to the head plate in the predetermined plane can be adjusted with the normal line of the predetermined plane as a rotation axis. To do.
A printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a recording medium feeding unit capable of conveying a recording medium,
The carriage device described above, which faces the recording medium and is capable of printing on the recording medium by an ink jet method.
A carriage device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a head unit having a print head mounted on a head plate, and a carriage that holds the head unit, and the head unit is slidably attached to the carriage in a detachable manner. It is characterized by.

An inkjet apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a recording medium feeding unit that sends a recording medium in close contact with an outer peripheral surface of a rotating drum that rotates in one direction, and a recording medium that is sent to the recording medium. And a plurality of the above-mentioned carriage devices that perform printing, and the plurality of carriage devices are arranged in the radial direction of the rotary drum.

Claims (7)

A head unit with a print head mounted on the head plate;
A carriage for holding the head unit,
A carriage device, wherein the head unit is slidably attached to the carriage in a detachable manner. The carriage is
A pair of slide guides for guiding the attachment and detachment of the head unit;
First positioning means for positioning the position of the head unit in the mounted state on one side in the sliding direction;
2. The carriage device according to claim 1, further comprising a second positioning unit that positions a position of the mounted head unit on the other side in the sliding direction.   3. The carriage device according to claim 2, wherein the second positioning unit includes a side pin that positions the head unit in contact with a part of the other side of the head plate. The head plate includes a slide engagement portion that engages with the pair of slide guides, and a positioning engagement portion that is continuous with the slide engagement portion and formed wider than the slide engagement portion,
4. The carriage device according to claim 3, wherein the head unit is positioned by engaging a positioning engagement portion with the side pin immediately before completion of mounting. The print head is mounted on the sub plate in a positioning state, and is mounted on the head plate via the sub plate,
Between the head plate and the sub plate, the position of the sub plate relative to the head plate in the sliding direction, the rotational position of the sub plate in a predetermined plane, and the elevation angle with respect to the predetermined plane are finely adjusted. 5. The carriage device according to claim 1, further comprising a fine adjustment mechanism. The head plate is
On the one side, a handle portion protruding outward from the surface on the front side of the head plate,
6. The carriage device according to claim 1, further comprising: a finger hook provided on a back surface of the head plate on the other side. A recording medium feeding means for sending the recording medium in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of a rotating drum that rotates in one direction;
A plurality of carriage devices according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the carriage device faces the recording medium being sent and prints on the recording medium by an ink jet method.
An ink jet apparatus, wherein the plurality of carriage devices are arranged in a radial direction of the rotating drum.

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