JP2015054745A - Image recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suppress generation of a problem resulting from interference of a recording medium on an upstream side even when recording media are joined and conveyed.SOLUTION: An image recorder comprises: a conveyance part which can convey recording media in a conveyance direction; and a loading platform which has a first groove part and a second groove part, and can load the recording media, in which one end of the first groove part is at a position closest to one end of the loading platform in the first groove part in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction, located in the uppermost stream in the conveyance direction in the first groove part, one end of the second groove part is at a position closest to the other end of the loading platform in the second groove part in the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction, located in the uppermost stream in the conveyance direction in the second groove part, the first groove part is provided in the conveyance direction and a direction inclined to the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction from one end of the first groove part, and the second groove part is provided in the conveyance direction and the direction inclined to the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction from one end of the second groove part.

Description

  The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus capable of recording an image on a recording medium while transporting recording media connected to each other with different widths in the transport direction.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a printing apparatus that prints an image on a continuous sheet while conveying the continuous sheet from a sheet feeding unit in the conveying direction. In particular, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for increasing the length of a continuous sheet by connecting a plurality of sheets.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-064477

  By the way, in an image recording apparatus such as the above-described printing apparatus, it is possible to lengthen the continuous recording medium (continuous paper) by connecting recording media (paper) having different widths. However, if the width of the upstream recording medium is wider than the width of the downstream recording medium in the transport direction, the corners on both sides of the upstream recording medium protrude from the downstream recording medium, so There is a possibility that the corners on both sides of the recording medium may be bent due to interference with peripheral members in the middle of conveyance or may cause a so-called paper jam.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides an image recording apparatus capable of suppressing the occurrence of problems caused by interference of upstream recording media even when the recording media are connected and transported. With the goal.

  In order to achieve the above object, an image recording apparatus according to the present invention includes a transport unit capable of transporting a recording medium in the transport direction, a first groove portion, and a second groove portion provided in a direction different from the first groove portion. And a mounting table on which the recording medium can be mounted, and one end of the first groove is closest to one end of the mounting in the first groove in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction. And positioned at the most upstream in the transport direction in the first groove, and one end of the second groove is the other end of the mounting table in the second groove in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction. The first groove portion is inclined with respect to the conveyance direction and the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction from one end of the first groove portion. The second groove portion is provided from one end of the second groove portion in the transport direction and It is provided in a direction inclined with respect to a direction perpendicular to the feeding direction.

  The invention (image recording apparatus) configured as described above includes a mounting table on which a recording medium is mounted, and the mounting table includes a first groove portion and a second groove portion. Therefore, in a state where the recording medium is placed on the placing table, the operator moves the cutting medium along the first groove portion and the second groove portion while piercing the recording blade into the recording medium. It can cut along two grooves. Moreover, one end portion of the first groove portion is located closest to one end portion of the mounting table in the first groove portion in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction, and is the most in the transport direction among the first groove portions. Located upstream, the first groove is provided in a direction inclined from one end of the first groove with respect to the transport direction and the direction orthogonal to the transport direction. One end of the second groove is located closest to the other end of the mounting table in the second groove in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction, and is the most in the transport direction of the second groove. Located upstream, the second groove is provided in a direction inclined from one end of the second groove with respect to the transport direction and the direction orthogonal to the transport direction. Therefore, the operator moves the cutting blade along these groove portions with one end of the recording medium intersecting the first groove portion and the other end of the recording medium intersecting the second groove portion. Both corners can be removed. As a result, when recording media having different widths are connected, even if both sides of the upstream recording medium protrude from the downstream recording medium in the transport direction, the corners on both sides of the upstream recording medium It is possible to suppress the occurrence of problems due to interference with peripheral members.

  Further, the image recording apparatus may be configured to have a third groove portion that connects the first groove portion and the second groove portion. In such a configuration, since the first, second, and third groove portions are continuously extended, the operator moves the cutting blade along these groove portions so that the recording medium moves from one end to the other end. Can be easily cut.

  Further, the image recording apparatus may be configured such that the third groove portion has a straight line portion provided in parallel with the direction intersecting the transport direction.

  At this time, the image recording apparatus may be configured such that the width of the third groove portion in the direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction is less than the minimum width of the corresponding recording medium. Such a configuration is preferable because both corners of the recording medium having the minimum width can be surely removed.

  Further, the image recording apparatus may be configured to have a curved fourth groove portion that connects the first groove portion and the third groove portion. By providing the fourth groove portion in this way, the operator can smoothly move the cutting blade along the groove portion, which can contribute to improvement of work efficiency by the operator.

  In addition, the image forming apparatus includes a first guide portion having a first groove portion and a second groove portion, and the width of the first guide portion in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction is equal to or larger than the maximum width of the corresponding recording medium. A recording apparatus may be configured. Such a configuration is preferable because both corners of the recording medium having the maximum width can be surely removed.

  The mounting table includes a first movable member provided with a first groove and movable in a direction intersecting the transport direction, and a second movable member provided with a second groove and movable in a direction intersecting the transport direction. The image recording apparatus may be configured to include: In such a configuration, since the first groove and the second groove can be moved according to the width of the recording medium by appropriately moving the first movable member and the second movable member, the change in the width of the recording medium. Can respond appropriately.

  Further, the image recording apparatus may be configured such that the mounting table includes a second guide portion having a linear shape provided in parallel with a direction intersecting the transport direction. In such a configuration, the first guide groove and the second guide groove can be appropriately used according to the cutting mode of the recording medium. As a specific example, the first guide groove is used when removing the corners on both sides of the recording medium, while it is sufficient to cut the recording medium linearly in the width direction. A guide groove may be used.

1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a device configuration provided in a printer to which the present invention can be applied. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing an electrical configuration for controlling the printer shown in FIG. 1. The figure which shows schematic structure of a splicing table. The figure which shows the positional relationship of a splicing table, a drive roller, and a sheet | seat. The figure which shows typically the procedure of the splicing using a splicing table. The figure which shows the outline | summary of the spliced sheet | seat typically. The figure which shows the modification of a splicing table typically.

  FIG. 1 is a front view schematically showing an example of a device configuration included in a printer to which the present invention can be applied. As shown in FIG. 1, in the printer 1, one sheet S (web) whose both ends are wound around the feeding shaft 20 and the winding shaft 40 in a roll shape is stretched along the conveyance path Pc. The sheet S receives image recording while being conveyed in the conveyance direction Ds from the feeding shaft 20 toward the take-up shaft 40. The type of the sheet S is roughly classified into a paper type and a film type. Specific examples include high-quality paper, cast paper, art paper, coated paper, and the like for paper, and synthetic paper, PET (Polyethylene terephthalate), PP (polypropylene), and the like for film. Schematically, the printer 1 includes a feeding unit 2 (feeding region) that feeds the sheet S from the feeding shaft 20, a process unit 3 (process region) that records an image on the sheet S fed from the feeding unit 2, and a process. A winding unit 4 (winding region) for winding the sheet S on which the image is recorded in the unit 3 around the winding shaft 40 is provided. In the following description, of both surfaces of the sheet S, the surface on which an image is recorded is referred to as the front surface, and the opposite surface is referred to as the back surface.

  The feeding unit 2 includes a feeding shaft 20 around which the end of the sheet S is wound, and a driven roller 21 around which the sheet S drawn from the feeding shaft 20 is wound. The feeding shaft 20 supports the end of the sheet S by winding the end thereof with the surface of the sheet S facing outward. Then, when the feeding shaft 20 rotates clockwise in FIG. 1, the sheet S wound around the feeding shaft 20 is fed to the process unit 3 via the driven roller 21 while being in contact with the driven roller 21. Incidentally, the sheet S is wound around the feeding shaft 20 via a core tube 22 that can be attached to and detached from the feeding shaft 20. Therefore, when the sheet S of the feeding shaft 20 is used up, it is possible to replace the sheet S of the feeding shaft 20 by attaching a new core tube 22 around which the roll-shaped sheet S is wound to the feeding shaft 20. It has become.

  The feeding shaft 20 and the driven roller 21 are movable in a width direction Dw (a direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 1) perpendicular to the transport direction Ds, and the feeding portion 2 is connected to the feeding shaft 20 and the driven roller 21. A steering mechanism 7 that suppresses meandering of the sheet S by adjusting the position in the width direction Dw (axial direction) is provided. The steering mechanism 7 includes an edge sensor 70 and a width direction driving unit 71. The edge sensor 70 is provided on the downstream side in the transport direction Ds of the driven roller 21 with respect to the end in the width direction Dw of the sheet S, and detects the position of the end of the sheet S in the width direction Dw. The width direction driving unit 71 suppresses the meandering of the sheet S by adjusting the positions of the feeding shaft 20 and the driven roller 21 in the width direction Dw based on the detection result of the edge sensor 70.

  Further, the feeding unit 2 includes a splicing table 8 disposed on the downstream side in the transport direction Ds with respect to the driven roller 21. More specifically, the splicing table 8 is disposed at a position slightly below the transport path Pc and facing the back surface of the sheet S transported along the transport path Pc. The splicing table 8 is used as a work table when the operator joins the sheets S together. Specifically, for example, when the sheet S of the feeding shaft 20 is replaced, it is necessary to connect the new sheet S to the old sheet S set in the printer 1. Therefore, the operator performs an operation (splicing) on the splicing table 8 to connect the upstream end in the transport direction Ds of the old sheet S and the downstream end in the transport direction Ds of the new sheet S with a splicing tape. Further, the edge sensor 70 described above is dislocated upstream of the splicing table 8 in the transport direction Ds, and the operator can perform splicing without being obstructed by the edge sensor 70. Incidentally, the splicing table 8 has not only a function as a work table for splicing but also a function of assisting the operator in cutting the sheet S. Details of this point will be described later.

  The process unit 3 supports the sheet S fed out from the feeding unit 2 with the rotating drum 30, and uses the functional units 51, 52, 61, 62, 63 arranged along the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum 30. The sheet S is appropriately processed to record an image on the sheet S. In the process unit 3, a front driving roller 31 and a rear driving roller 32 are provided on both sides of the rotating drum 30, and the sheet S conveyed from the front driving roller 31 to the rear driving roller 32 is rotated by the rotating drum 30. To receive an image recording.

  The front drive roller 31 has a plurality of minute protrusions formed by thermal spraying on the outer peripheral surface, and winds the sheet S fed from the feeding unit 2 from the back side. The front drive roller 31 rotates in the clockwise direction in FIG. 1 to convey the sheet S fed from the feeding unit 2 to the downstream side of the conveyance path. A nip roller 31n is provided to face the front drive roller 31. The nip roller 31 n is in contact with the surface of the sheet S while being urged toward the front drive roller 31, and sandwiches the sheet S between the front drive roller 31. Thereby, the frictional force between the front drive roller 31 and the sheet S is ensured, and the sheet S can be reliably conveyed by the front drive roller 31.

  The rotating drum 30 is a cylindrical drum having a diameter of, for example, 400 [mm] supported rotatably by a support mechanism (not shown), and is conveyed from the front driving roller 31 to the rear driving roller 32. The sheet S is wound from the back side. The rotating drum 30 supports the sheet S from the back side, receives the frictional force between the sheet S and the sheet S being conveyed, and rotates in accordance with the conveying direction Ds of the sheet S, while rotating the sheet S from the back side. It is something to support. Incidentally, the process section 3 is provided with driven rollers 33 and 34 for folding the sheet S on both sides of the winding section around the rotating drum 30. Among these, the driven roller 33 wraps the surface of the sheet S between the front drive roller 31 and the rotating drum 30 and folds the sheet S. On the other hand, the driven roller 34 wraps the surface of the sheet S between the rotating drum 30 and the rear drive roller 32 and folds the sheet S. In this way, by folding the sheet S on the upstream and downstream sides in the transport direction Ds with respect to the rotating drum 30, a long winding portion of the sheet S around the rotating drum 30 can be secured.

  The rear driving roller 32 has a plurality of minute protrusions formed by thermal spraying on the outer peripheral surface, and winds the sheet S conveyed from the rotating drum 30 via the driven roller 34 from the back surface side. Then, the rear drive roller 32 conveys the sheet S to the winding unit 4 by rotating clockwise in FIG. A nip roller 32n is provided to face the rear drive roller 32. The nip roller 32 n is in contact with the surface of the sheet S while being urged toward the rear drive roller 32, and sandwiches the sheet S between the rear drive roller 32. Accordingly, a frictional force between the rear drive roller 32 and the sheet S is ensured, and the sheet S can be reliably conveyed by the rear drive roller 32.

  Thus, the sheet S conveyed from the front drive roller 31 to the rear drive roller 32 is supported on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum 30. In the process unit 3, in order to record a color image on the surface of the sheet S supported by the rotating drum 30, a plurality of recording heads 51 corresponding to different colors are provided. Specifically, four recording heads 51 corresponding to yellow, cyan, magenta, and black are arranged in the transport direction Ds in this color order. Each recording head 51 is opposed to the surface of the sheet S wound around the rotating drum 30 with a slight clearance, and ejects the corresponding color ink (colored ink) from the nozzles by an ink jet method. . Then, each recording head 51 ejects ink onto the sheet S conveyed in the conveyance direction Ds, whereby a color image is formed on the surface of the sheet S.

  Incidentally, as the ink, UV (ultraviolet) ink (photo-curable ink) that is cured by irradiating ultraviolet rays (light) is used. Therefore, in the process unit 3, UV irradiators 61 and 62 (light irradiating units) are provided to cure the ink and fix it on the sheet S. The ink curing is performed in two stages, temporary curing and main curing. A temporary curing UV irradiator 61 is disposed between each of the plurality of recording heads 51. That is, the UV irradiator 61 cures (temporarily cures) the ink to such an extent that the method of wetting and spreading the ink is sufficiently slow compared with the case of not irradiating the ultraviolet ray by irradiating the ultraviolet ray having a weak irradiation intensity. It does not cure the ink. On the other hand, a UV irradiator 62 for main curing is provided downstream of the recording heads 51 in the transport direction Ds. In other words, the UV irradiator 62 irradiates ultraviolet rays having a stronger irradiation intensity than the UV irradiator 61, thereby fully curing the ink to such an extent that wetting and spreading of the ink is stopped.

  As described above, the UV irradiator 61 disposed between each of the plurality of recording heads 51 temporarily cures the colored ink discharged onto the sheet S from the recording head 51 on the upstream side in the transport direction Ds. Therefore, the ink ejected from the one recording head 51 onto the sheet S is temporarily cured before reaching the recording head 51 adjacent to the one recording head 51 on the downstream side in the transport direction Ds. As a result, the occurrence of color mixing such as mixing of colored inks of different colors is suppressed. In a state in which the color mixture is suppressed in this way, the plurality of recording heads 51 eject colored inks of different colors to form a color image on the sheet S. Further, a UV irradiator 62 for main curing is provided downstream of the plurality of recording heads 51 in the transport direction Ds. Therefore, the color image formed by the plurality of recording heads 51 is finally cured by the UV irradiator 62 and fixed on the sheet S.

  Furthermore, a recording head 52 is provided downstream of the UV irradiator 62 in the transport direction Ds. The recording head 52 is opposed to the surface of the sheet S wound around the rotating drum 30 with a slight clearance, and discharges transparent UV ink from the nozzles onto the surface of the sheet S by an inkjet method. . That is, the transparent ink is further ejected with respect to the color image formed by the recording heads 51 for four colors. The transparent ink is ejected over the entire surface of the color image, and gives the color image a texture such as a glossy feeling or a matte feeling. Further, a UV irradiator 63 is provided on the downstream side of the recording head 52 in the transport direction Ds. The UV irradiator 63 irradiates strong ultraviolet rays to completely cure (main cure) the transparent ink ejected by the recording head 52. Thereby, the transparent ink can be fixed on the surface of the sheet S.

  As described above, in the process unit 3, ink ejection and curing are appropriately performed on the sheet S wound around the outer peripheral portion of the rotating drum 30, and a color image having a texture added with transparent ink is formed. The Then, the sheet S on which the color image is formed is conveyed to the winding unit 4 by the rear drive roller 32.

  The winding unit 4 includes a driven roller 41 that winds the sheet S from the back side between the winding shaft 40 and the rear drive roller 32 in addition to the winding shaft 40 around which the end of the sheet S is wound. The winding shaft 40 winds and supports the end of the sheet S with the surface of the sheet S facing outward. That is, when the winding shaft 40 rotates clockwise in FIG. 1, the sheet S conveyed from the rear drive roller 32 is wound around the winding shaft 40 via the driven roller 41. Incidentally, the sheet S is wound around the winding shaft 40 via a core tube 42 that can be attached to and detached from the winding shaft 40. Therefore, when the sheet S wound around the winding shaft 40 is full, the sheet S can be removed together with the core tube 42.

  The above is the outline of the device configuration of the printer 1. Subsequently, an electrical configuration for controlling the printer 1 will be described. FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing an electrical configuration for controlling the printer shown in FIG. The operation of the printer 1 described above is controlled by the host computer 10 shown in FIG. The host computer 10 may be provided in the printer 1 or may be provided outside the printer 1 separately from the printer 1. In the host computer 10, a host control unit 100 that supervises control operations is configured by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory. The host computer 10 is provided with a driver 120, and the driver 120 reads the program 124 from the medium 122. Various media such as a CD (Compact Disk), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), and a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory can be used as the medium 122. Then, the host control unit 100 controls each unit of the host computer 10 and controls the operation of the printer 1 based on the program 124 read from the medium 122.

  Further, the host computer 10 is provided with a monitor 130 constituted by a liquid crystal display or the like and an operation unit 140 constituted by a keyboard, a mouse or the like as an interface with an operator. In addition to the image to be printed, a menu screen is displayed on the monitor 130. Accordingly, the operator operates the operation unit 140 while confirming the monitor 130, thereby opening the print setting screen from the menu screen and setting various print conditions such as the type of print medium, the size of the print medium, and the print quality. Can be set. The specific configuration of the interface with the worker can be variously modified. For example, a touch panel display may be used as the monitor 130, and the operation unit 140 may be configured with the touch panel of the monitor 130.

  On the other hand, the printer 1 is provided with a printer control unit 200 that controls each unit of the printer 1 in accordance with a command from the host computer 10. Each unit of the recording head, the UV irradiator, and the sheet conveyance system is controlled by the printer control unit 200. Details of the control of the printer control unit 200 for each part of the apparatus are as follows.

  The printer control unit 200 controls the ink ejection timing of each recording head 51 that forms a color image according to the conveyance of the sheet S. Specifically, the control of the ink ejection timing is executed based on the output (detection value) of the drum encoder E30 that is attached to the rotating shaft of the rotating drum 30 and detects the rotating position of the rotating drum 30. Is done. In other words, since the rotating drum 30 is driven and rotated as the sheet S is conveyed, the conveying position of the sheet S can be grasped by referring to the output of the drum encoder E30 that detects the rotating position of the rotating drum 30. Can do. Therefore, the printer control unit 200 generates a pts (print timing signal) signal from the output of the drum encoder E30, and controls the ink ejection timing of each recording head 51 based on this pts signal, so that each recording head 51 has the same function. The ejected ink is landed on the target position of the conveyed sheet S to form a color image.

  Similarly, the timing at which the recording head 52 discharges the transparent ink is also controlled by the printer control unit 200 based on the output of the drum encoder E30. Thereby, it is possible to accurately eject the transparent ink to the color image formed by the plurality of recording heads 51. Further, the printer controller 200 also controls the timing of turning on / off the UV irradiators 61, 62, and 63 and the amount of irradiation light.

  Further, the printer control unit 200 controls a function of controlling the conveyance of the sheet S described in detail with reference to FIG. That is, motors are connected to the feeding shaft 20, the front drive roller 31, the rear drive roller 32, and the take-up shaft 40 among members constituting the sheet conveyance system. The printer control unit 200 controls the conveyance of the sheet S by controlling the speed and torque of each motor while rotating these motors. Details of the conveyance control of the sheet S are as follows.

  The printer control unit 200 rotates the feeding motor M <b> 20 that drives the feeding shaft 20, and supplies the sheet S from the feeding shaft 20 to the front drive roller 31. At this time, the printer control unit 200 controls the torque of the feeding motor M20 to adjust the tension of the sheet S from the feeding shaft 20 to the front drive roller 31 (feeding tension Ta). That is, a tension sensor S21 for detecting the feeding tension Ta is attached to the driven roller 21 disposed between the feeding shaft 20 and the front drive roller 31. The tension sensor S21 can be constituted by, for example, a load cell that detects a force received from the sheet S. The printer control unit 200 adjusts the feeding tension Ta of the sheet S by feedback controlling the torque of the feeding motor M20 based on the detection result of the tension sensor S21.

  In addition, the printer control unit 200 rotates the front drive motor M31 that drives the front drive roller 31 and the rear drive motor M32 that drives the rear drive roller 32. As a result, the sheet S fed from the feeding unit 2 passes through the process unit 3. At this time, speed control is executed for the front drive motor M31, while torque control is executed for the rear drive motor M32. That is, the printer control unit 200 adjusts the rotation speed of the front drive motor M31 to be constant based on the encoder output of the front drive motor M31. As a result, the sheet S is conveyed at a constant speed by the front drive roller 31.

  On the other hand, the printer control unit 200 controls the torque of the rear drive motor M32 to adjust the tension (process tension Tb) of the sheet S from the front drive roller 31 to the rear drive roller 32. That is, a tension sensor S34 for detecting the process tension Tb is attached to the driven roller 34 disposed between the rotating drum 30 and the rear drive roller 32. The tension sensor S34 can be constituted by a load cell that detects a force received from the sheet S, for example. The printer controller 200 adjusts the process tension Tb of the sheet S by feedback controlling the torque of the rear drive motor M32 based on the detection result of the tension sensor S34.

  In addition, the printer control unit 200 rotates the winding motor M40 that drives the winding shaft 40 to wind the sheet S conveyed by the rear driving roller 32 around the winding shaft 40. At this time, the printer control unit 200 controls the torque of the winding motor M40 to adjust the tension (winding tension Tc) of the sheet S from the rear drive roller 32 to the winding shaft 40. That is, the tension sensor S41 for detecting the winding tension Tc is attached to the driven roller 41 disposed between the rear drive roller 32 and the winding shaft 40. The tension sensor S41 can be constituted by a load cell that detects a force received from the sheet S, for example. The printer control unit 200 adjusts the winding tension Tc of the sheet S by feedback controlling the torque of the winding motor M40 based on the detection result of the tension sensor S41.

  Furthermore, the printer control unit 200 has a control function in the above-described steering mechanism 7 provided in the feeding unit 2, and performs feedback control of the width direction driving unit 71 based on the detection result of the edge sensor 70, thereby The position of the edge of the sheet S is adjusted to the target position in the direction Dw. The target position is set so that the position of the center line of the drive rollers 31 and 32 matches the center line of the sheet S in the width direction Dw. Accordingly, the sheet S is transported in the transport direction Ds so that the center line of the sheet S passes through the center lines of the drive rollers 31 and 32. As a result, the load received by the sheet S from the nip formed by the drive rollers 31 and 32 is made uniform in the width direction Dw, so that the sheet S is prevented from being biased in the width direction Dw and the sheet S is conveyed in the transport direction Ds. Can be conveyed.

  The above is the outline of the electrical configuration for controlling the printer 1. Next, details of the splicing table 8 provided in the printer 1 will be described. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the splicing table 8. The splicing table 8 has a configuration in which both end portions in the transport direction Ds of a stainless steel flat plate having a thickness of 2 [mm] are bent, and has a shape that is long in the width direction Dw and short in the transport direction Ds. . The front surface (upper surface) of the splicing table 8 is disposed horizontally and faces the back surface of the sheet S conveyed along the conveyance path Pc. In the state where the sheet S is conveyed along the conveyance path Pc, a slight clearance is provided between the front surface of the splicing table 8 and the rear surface of the sheet S.

  Then, two guide portions 81 and 82 each having a width of 1 [mm] are dug on the surface of the splicing table 8. Each guide part 81 and 82 is a groove provided to guide the movement of a cutting blade such as a cutter used by an operator to cut the sheet S during splicing or the like. The guide portions 81 and 82 may be grooves formed by slits formed through a stainless steel flat plate, or grooves formed by a recess provided so as not to penetrate the stainless steel flat plate. . Details of the guide portions 81 and 82 are as follows.

  The first guide portion 81 is provided between the inclined groove portions 811 and 812 that are inclined with respect to the transport direction Ds and the width direction Dw, and the parallel groove portion 813 that is provided between the inclined groove portions 811 and 812 in the width direction Dw and is parallel to the width direction Dw. It consists of and. Each of the inclined groove portions 811 and 812 is a groove formed in a straight line from the downstream side to the upstream side in the transport direction Ds from the inner side to the outer side in the width direction Dw, and is spaced apart in the width direction Dw. Are lined up. In other words, one inclined groove portion 811 is located closest to one end of the splicing table 8 in the inclined groove portion 811 in the width direction Dw, and is most upstream in the inclined groove portion 811 in the transport direction Ds. The inclined groove portion 811 is a groove extending from one end of the inclined groove portion 811 in a direction inclined with respect to the transport direction Ds and the width direction Dw, and the other inclined groove portion 812 is the most splicing table among the inclined groove portions 812 in the width direction Dw. 8 is a direction that is located near the other end of 8 and is inclined with respect to the conveyance direction Ds and the width direction Dw from one end of the inclined groove portion 812 that is located most upstream in the inclined groove portion 812 in the conveyance direction Ds. It is a groove | channel extended in. These inclined groove portions 811 and 812 have the same width Wa in the width direction Dw and the same length La in the transport direction Ds (Wa> La). The parallel groove portion 813 is a linear groove having a width Wb in the width direction Dw, and connects between the inclined groove portions 811 and 812 provided on both sides (Wa> Wb). Thus, the first guide portion 81 extends continuously from the one inclined groove portion 811 to the other inclined groove portion 812 in the width direction Dw, and has a width Wc in the width direction Dw (Wc = Wa + Wb + Wa).

  Incidentally, when the width of the sheet S that can be handled by the printer 1 (the paper width that can be handled) is changed from Wmin to Wmax (Wmin <Wmax), the width Wb of the parallel groove portion 813 is the minimum value Wmin of the width of the sheet S that can be handled. It is good to set it to less than. Further, the width Wc of the first guide portion 81 is preferably set to be equal to or greater than the maximum sheet width Wmax that can be handled.

  The second guide portion 82 is provided adjacent to the first guide portion 81 on the downstream side in the transport direction Ds. The second guide portion 82 has a linear shape parallel to the width direction Dw over a range overlapping the first guide portion 81 in the width direction Dw, and has the same width as the first guide portion 81 in the width direction Dw. Wc.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the splicing table 8 is disposed so as to satisfy a predetermined positional relationship with respect to the driving rollers 31 and 32 that sandwich the sheet S at the nip and the sheet S conveyed along the conveyance path Pc. Has been. Here, FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a positional relationship among the splicing table 8, the drive rollers 31, 32, and the sheet S. In FIG. 4, the positional relationship among the splicing table 8, the drive rollers 31 and 32, and the sheet S is shown expanded in the conveyance direction Ds, and the portion hidden in the sheet S is indicated by a broken line. Incidentally, in FIG. 4, the interval of each member in the transport direction Ds is changed to be larger than the actual for convenience of illustration.

  Due to the function of the steering mechanism 7 described above, the position of the center line of the drive rollers 31 and 32 in the width direction Dw coincides with the center line of the sheet S conveyed in the conveyance direction Ds. Further, the splicing table 8 is provided so that the center in the width direction Dw of each guide portion 81, 82 of the splicing table 8 is located on the center line of the sheet S conveyed in the conveying direction Ds in the width direction Dw. Yes. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4, the center lines in the width direction Dw of the drive roller 31, the guide portions 81 and 82 of the splicing table 8, the drive roller 32, and the sheet S coincide with each other. It can be represented as a line CL. Note that each of the first guide portion 81 and the second guide portion 82 is line-symmetric with respect to the center line CL.

  FIG. 5 is a plan view schematically illustrating a splicing procedure performed by an operator using the splicing table 8. In the figure, a case where a new wide sheet S2 is joined to an old narrow sheet S1 is illustrated, and a portion hidden by the sheets S1 and S2 is indicated by a broken line. In the example shown in the figure, the worker performs splicing roughly in three stages of Step 1 to Step 3. In step 1, the operator places the downstream end portion of the sheet S 2 in the conveyance direction Ds on the surface of the splicing table 8. At this time, the sheet S2 is placed so that one end of the sheet S2 intersects the inclined groove portion 811 and the other end of the sheet S2 intersects the inclined groove portion 812. In subsequent step 2, the operator moves a cutting blade such as a cutter along the first guide portion 81. Accordingly, the downstream end portion of the sheet S2 in the transport direction Ds is cut along the shape of the first guide portion 81. Finally, in step 3, the operator matches the downstream end portion of the cut sheet S2 in the transport direction Ds and the upstream end portion of the sheet S1 in the transport direction Ds with the respective centerlines in the width direction Dw. Connect on the splicing table 8.

  FIG. 6 is a plan view schematically illustrating the outline of the spliced sheet S. FIG. As a result of the splicing in the procedure shown in FIG. 5, the wide sheet S2 located downstream in the transport direction Ds is joined to the narrow sheet S1 located downstream in the transport direction Ds. At this time, since the downstream end portion of the sheet S2 in the transport direction Ds is cut along the shape of the first guide portion 81, both corners in the width direction Wd of the downstream end portion of the sheet S2 (shown by broken lines in FIG. 6). The part) has been removed.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the splicing table 8 provided at a position facing the sheet S conveyed in the conveyance direction Ds is provided. The splicing table 8 includes a first guide portion 81 that guides the movement of the cutting blade that cuts the sheet S. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the cutting blade is moved along the first guide portion 81 in a state where the sheet S2 is placed on the splicing table 8, so that the sheet S2 is moved to the first guide. It can be cut along the part 81. In addition, the first guide portion 81 has inclined groove portions 811 and inclined groove portions 812 on both sides in the width direction Dw that are directed from the downstream side to the upstream side in the transport direction Ds as it goes from the inner side to the outer side in the width direction Dw. Therefore, the operator can remove both corners of the sheet S2 by moving the cutting blade along the first guide portion 81 while aligning both ends of the sheet S2 with the inclined groove portion 811 and the inclined groove portion 812. As a result, when the sheets S1 and S2 having different widths are joined together, both sides of the upstream sheet S2 even if both sides of the downstream sheet S1 protrude from the upstream sheet S2 in the transport direction Ds. It is possible to suppress the occurrence of problems due to the interference between the corners and the peripheral members.

  Incidentally, in the present embodiment, the rollers 31, 31 n, 32, 32 n, 33, 34, 41, the rotating drum 30, the recording heads 51, 52 and the UV irradiators 61, 62, 63 can be peripheral members. All or part of the above.

  In the present embodiment, the first guide portion 81 is continuously extended from the one inclined groove portion 811 to the other inclined groove portion 812 in the width direction Dw. In such a configuration, since the first guide portion 81 is continuously extended in the width direction Dw, the operator moves the cutting blade along the first guide portion 81 to move the sheet S in the width direction. Can be easily cut into Dw.

  In the present embodiment, the first guide portion 81 includes the parallel groove portion 813 provided in parallel with the width direction Dw while connecting the one inclined groove portion 811 and the other inclined groove portion 812. Moreover, in the width direction Dw, the width Wb of the parallel groove portion 813 is less than the minimum width Wmin of the sheet S that can be handled. Such a configuration is preferable because both corners of the sheet S having the minimum width Wmin can be surely removed.

  In the present embodiment, in the width direction Dw, the width Wc of the first guide portion 81 is equal to or greater than the maximum width Wmax of the sheet that can be handled. Such a configuration is preferable because both corners of the sheet S having the maximum width Wmax can be surely removed.

  In the present embodiment, the splicing table 8 further includes a second guide portion 82 that guides the movement of the cutting blade that cuts the sheet S. In addition, the second guide portion 82 has a linear shape parallel to the width direction Dw over a range overlapping the first guide portion 81 in the width direction Dw. In such a configuration, the first guide portion 81 and the second guide portion 82 can be appropriately used according to the cutting mode of the sheet S. As a specific example, when removing the corners on both sides of the sheet S, the first guide portion 81 is used. On the other hand, when the new sheet S having a small width is joined to the old sheet S having a wide width, it is sufficient to cut the recording medium in a straight line in the width direction. The sheet S may be cut using the portion 82.

  As described above, in the above embodiment, the printer 1 corresponds to an example of the “image recording apparatus” of the present invention, and the feeding shaft 20, rollers 21, 31, 31 n, 32, 32 n, 33, 34, 41, rotation The drum 30 and the winding shaft 40 cooperate to function as an example of the “conveying unit” of the present invention, the splicing table 8 corresponds to an example of the “mounting table” of the present invention, and the first guide unit 81 corresponds to the present invention. The inclined groove portions 811 and 812 correspond to an example of the “first groove portion” and the “second groove portion” of the present invention, and the parallel groove portion 813 corresponds to the “third groove portion” of the present invention. The second guide portion 82 corresponds to an example of the “second guide portion” of the present invention, the sheet S corresponds to an example of the “recording medium” of the present invention, and the transport direction Ds corresponds to the present invention. This corresponds to an example of “transport direction”.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made to the above-described one without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, for example, the shape of the first guide portion 81 may be changed as appropriate. As a specific example, a curved groove portion (corresponding to a fourth groove portion) connecting the inclined groove portion 811 and the parallel groove portion 813 and the inclined groove portion 812 and the parallel groove portion 813 at the boundary portion between the inclined groove portions 811 and 812 and the parallel groove portion 813. May be provided. By providing the curved groove portion in this way, the operator can smoothly move the cutting blade along the first guide portion 81, which can contribute to the improvement of work efficiency by the operator. In this case, the groove on the curve may be on the curve on the upstream side in the transport direction Ds, and the downstream side in the transport direction Ds may be linear.

  It is also possible to change the inclination angle and the dimension of the inclined groove parts 811 and 812 constituting the first guide part 81 in the width direction Dw. Furthermore, it is not always necessary to form the inclined groove portions 811 and 812 in a straight line shape, and the inclined groove portions 811 and 812 may be formed in a curved shape with roundness. At this time, it may be formed in a convex curve shape toward the downstream side in the transport direction Ds, or may be formed in a concave curve shape.

  The portion connecting the inclined groove portions 811 and 812 (the parallel groove portion 813 in the above embodiment) does not necessarily have to be parallel to the width direction Dw, and may be curved, for example. Moreover, the part (parallel groove part 813 in the said embodiment) which connects the inclined groove parts 811 and 812 may not be provided, but the inclined groove part 811 and the inclined groove part 812 may be directly connected.

  It is not always necessary to connect the inclined groove portions 811 and 812 provided on both sides in the width direction Dw continuously. Even if the inclined groove portions 811 and 812 are provided separately, the cutting blade can be guided by the inclined groove portions 811 and 812 so as to remove the end of the sheet S in the width direction Dw.

  The dimension of the 1st guide part 81 can also be changed suitably. Accordingly, the dimensions of the widths Wa, Wb, and Wc are not limited to those described above, and may be changed.

  The width of the second guide portion 82 need not be the same as the width Wc of the first guide portion, and may be wider or narrower than the width Wc. Alternatively, the second guide portion 82 may be configured not to be provided on the splicing table 8.

  In the above embodiment, the splicing table 8 is fixed, but it may be configured to be movable in the width direction Dw, for example. Specifically, the splicing table 8 can be moved in the width direction Dw between a position facing the conveyance path Pc of the sheet S and a position deviating from the conveyance path Pc of the sheet S.

  Further, the position where the splicing table 8 is provided can be changed as appropriate. Therefore, for example, it may be arranged upstream of the driven roller 21 in the transport direction Ds.

  Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 7, the inclined groove portions 811 and 812 of the first guide portion 81 may be configured to be movable in the width direction Dw. FIG. 7 is a plan view schematically illustrating a modification of the splicing table 8. The splicing table 8 has a substantially rectangular base 85 and two movable members 86 and 87. The two movable members 86 and 87 are disposed on both sides of the upper surface of the base 85 in the width direction Dw, and are attached to the base 85 so as to be movable in the width direction Dw. The movable member 86 (first movable member) is formed with one end of an inclined groove portion 811 and a parallel groove portion 813 connected thereto, and the movable member 87 (second movable member) is formed with an inclined groove portion 812 and a parallel groove portion connected thereto. The other end of 813 is formed.

  As shown in state 1, when the two movable members 86 and 87 are closed in the width direction Dw and are in contact with each other, the inclined groove portion 811, the parallel groove portion 813, and the inclined groove portion formed in the movable members 86 and 87. 812 continues to form one first guide portion 81. On the other hand, as shown in state 2, when the two movable members 86 and 87 are opened in the width direction Dw and separated from each other, the grooves parallel to the width direction Dw formed in the base 85 are exposed. Thus, a part of the parallel groove portion 813 of the first guide portion 81 is configured. That is, the inclined groove portion 811 and the parallel groove portion 813 formed on the movable member 86, the parallel groove portion 813 formed on the base 85, and the parallel groove portion 813 and the inclined groove portion 812 formed on the movable member 87 are continuous in a plan view. One first guide portion 81 is configured. The second guide portion 82 is dug on the upper surface of the base 85.

  Thus, the splicing table 8 according to the modified example is provided with one inclined groove portion 811 and movable in the width direction Dw, and the other inclined groove portion 812 is provided and movable in the width direction Dw. The other movable member 87. In such a configuration, by appropriately moving the one movable member 86 and the other movable member 87, the inclined groove portions 811 and 812 can be moved according to the width of the sheet S. It can correspond to.

  Further, a guide portion (groove) other than the first guide portion 81 and the second guide portion 82 may be further provided in the splicing table 8. If a specific example is given, the 1st guide part 81 can be provided with a line symmetrical guide part to the 2nd guide part 82, etc.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to the printer 1 that supports the sheet S with the cylindrical platen (the rotating drum 30) is illustrated. However, the specific configuration for supporting the sheet S is not limited to this. Therefore, you may comprise so that the sheet | seat S may be supported by the plane which the support part which has flat plate shape has.

  In addition, the number, arrangement, and discharge color of the print heads 36a to 36e can be changed as appropriate. The number, arrangement, ultraviolet intensity, etc. of the UV lamps 37a, 37b, 38 can be appropriately changed.

  In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to the printer 1 including the print heads 36a to 36e that discharge UV ink. However, the present invention may be applied to a printer having a print head that discharges ink other than UV ink, for example, water-based ink such as resin ink. Or you may apply this invention with respect to the printer which prints using things other than ink, such as a toner.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Printer, 20 ... Feeding shaft, 21 ... Driven roller, 30 ... Rotating drum, 31 ... Front drive roller, 31n ... Nip roller, 32 ... Rear drive roller, 32n ... Nip roller, 33 ... Driven roller, 34 ... Driven Roller, 40 ... winding shaft, 41 ... driven roller, 8 ... splicing table, 81 ... first guide part, 82 ... second guide part, 811 ... inclined groove part, 812 ... inclined groove part, 813 ... parallel groove part, 85 ... base 86, first movable member, 87, second movable member, S, sheet, Ds, transport direction, Dw, width direction

Claims (8)

A transport unit capable of transporting the recording medium in the transport direction;
A mounting table having a first groove part and a second groove part provided in a direction different from the first groove part, on which the recording medium can be placed;
With
One end portion of the first groove portion is located closest to one end portion of the mounting table in the first groove portion in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction, and the first groove portion includes the first groove portion. Located at the most upstream in the transport direction,
One end portion of the second groove portion is located closest to the other end portion of the mounting table in the second groove portion in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction, and the second groove portion includes the second groove portion. Located at the most upstream in the transport direction,
The first groove portion is provided in a direction inclined from one end portion of the first groove portion with respect to the transport direction and a direction orthogonal to the transport direction,
The image recording apparatus, wherein the second groove is provided in a direction inclined from one end of the second groove with respect to the transport direction and a direction orthogonal to the transport direction.   The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a third groove portion that connects the first groove portion and the second groove portion.   The image recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the third groove portion has a linear portion provided in parallel with a direction intersecting the transport direction.   The image recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a width of the third groove portion in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction is less than a minimum width of the corresponding recording medium.   The image recording apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a curved fourth groove portion that connects the first groove portion and the third groove portion.   A first guide portion having the first groove portion and the second groove portion is provided, and a width of the first guide portion in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction is equal to or greater than a maximum width of the corresponding recording medium. Item 6. The image recording apparatus according to any one of Items 1 to 5.   The mounting table includes a first movable member provided with the first groove and movable in a direction crossing the transport direction, and a first movable member provided with the second groove and movable in a direction crossing the transport direction. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising two movable members.   The image recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the mounting table includes a second guide portion having a linear shape provided in parallel with a direction intersecting the transport direction.

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