JP2015066934A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer that neither gets dirty nor damages a print head owing to contact with the print head in an operation for recovery from a paper jamming state.SOLUTION: A platen unit 40 of a printer 1 is arranged facing a paper feed cassette loading space 5 of a printer body part 2, and can rotate on a rotary shaft 21c of a paper feed roller 21a. The platen unit 40 is held by a platen lock mechanism 50 at a reference position 40A facing a print head 22. A control part 60 of the printer 1 releases the platen unit from being locked by the platen lock mechanism 50 once a carriage detector 39 detects a carriage 36 moving to a platen unlock position KP. Once the carriage 36 moves to the platen unlock position KP, a user's hand does not reach a nozzle face of the print head 22 even when the platen unit 40 is moved to an opening position 40B.

Description

  The present invention relates to a printer that conveys and prints a sheet-like medium such as recording paper along a conveyance path that passes between a print head and a platen.

  In a printer that prints by feeding a medium such as recording paper between the print head and the platen, the medium may be jammed in or near the gap between the print head and the platen, and a paper jam may occur. Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose a printer (inkjet recording apparatus) that can remove a jammed medium by opening a gap between a print head and a platen in order to facilitate recovery from such a paper jam state. It is disclosed.

  In Patent Document 1, when the recording paper is jammed between the print head (inkjet head) and the platen, the head support portion on which the print head is mounted is rotated upward to move away from the platen, and between the print head and the platen. Can be opened. Patent Document 2 discloses a configuration in which a carriage on which a print head is mounted is moved up and down in parallel with the platen, and a configuration in which the platen is moved up and down in parallel with the print head. A configuration is also disclosed in which the gap between the print head and the platen can be opened by turning.

JP 2004-155111 A JP 2007-144633 A

  When the gap (conveyance path) between the print head and the platen can be opened and closed as in Patent Documents 1 and 2, if the nozzle surface of the print head is exposed in the conveyance path, the jammed medium is removed. The user's hand may come into contact with the nozzle surface and become dirty. Moreover, there is a possibility that the nozzle surface is damaged by touching the user and the print quality is deteriorated.

  In view of these points, the present invention has an object to prevent the user's hand from being soiled by contact with the print head when performing a return operation from the paper jam state, and damage the print head to reduce the print quality. The idea is to propose a printer that never has.

  In order to solve the above problems, a printer of the present invention includes a print head for printing on a medium, a carriage moving mechanism for moving a carriage on which the print head is mounted in a direction intersecting the conveyance direction of the medium, and the medium. A platen unit that can move to a reference position where the platen is opposed to the print head with a predetermined gap, and an open position that is farther from the print head than the reference position; A platen lock mechanism that can be switched between a locked state in which the platen unit is held at the reference position and an unlocked state in which the platen unit is allowed to move to the open position. Based on the movement to the unlock position, the platen lock mechanism releases the lock. Characterized in that it is switched to state.

  In the present invention, the locked state by the platen lock mechanism is released based on the carriage retracted to the platen lock release position. Therefore, by setting the platen lock release position to the position retracted from the medium conveyance path, the carriage can be reliably retracted from above the platen before opening the platen unit. In this way, when the jammed paper (jam paper) is removed by opening the medium conveyance path, the print head can be moved away from the user's reach. Therefore, the user's hand is not soiled by contact with the print head. Further, the print quality is not deteriorated by damaging the print head.

  In the present invention, the carriage may include a carriage detection unit that detects that the carriage is in the platen lock release position, and the platen lock mechanism may be switched to the lock release state based on the output of the carriage detection unit. desirable. In this way, the locked state of the platen can be released in conjunction with the carriage retracting operation.

  Alternatively, in the present invention, the platen lock mechanism includes a lock member that holds the platen unit at the reference position, and a lock member that moves to an unlock position that allows the platen to move toward the open position. The carriage may be configured to move the lock member to the lock release position when moving to the platen lock release position. In this case, there is no need to provide a drive source for driving the platen lock mechanism. Further, the locked state of the platen can be released in conjunction with the carriage retracting operation without using a sensor.

  Further, in the present invention, a platen lock release switch provided in an apparatus main body portion on which the carriage and the platen unit are mounted, and the head moving mechanism moves the carriage on the basis of an operation of the platen lock release switch. It can be configured to move to the platen lock release position. In this way, the locked state of the platen unit can be released with a simple operation.

  Here, in the present invention, the lock mechanism includes a first lock mechanism that holds the platen at the reference position, and a second lock mechanism that holds the platen at a half-lock position between the reference position and the open position. A locking mechanism, and in the unlocked state, the first locking mechanism is allowed to move the platen unit to the half-locked position, and the second locking mechanism is moved to the open position. The platen unit is allowed to move, and the head moving mechanism is configured such that the first lock mechanism allows the platen unit to move to the half-lock position. Is moved to the platen lock release position, and the second lock is activated based on the carriage being moved to the platen lock release position. Structure can be configured to be switched to a state that allows movement of the platen unit to the released position. In this way, by providing a two-stage platen lock mechanism, the clearance between the print head and the platen is once slightly expanded (half-locked state) before the print head mounted on the carriage is retracted. can do. Thus, the jammed medium can be separated from the print head, and then the print head can be retracted. In this way, the print head is not damaged by the jammed medium, and the retracting operation of the print head is not hindered.

  In this case, the first lock mechanism is a lock lever that is movable to a platen holding position that holds the platen at the reference position and a non-holding position that allows the platen unit to move to the half-lock position. A lock lever detector that detects that the lock lever has moved to the non-holding position, and the head moving mechanism moves the carriage to the platen lock release position based on the output of the lock lever detector. It can be configured to be moved. In this way, the print head can be retracted in conjunction with the platen unit being in the half-locked state.

  According to the present invention, before the platen unit is opened, the carriage can be surely moved to the platen lock release position, and the print head can be reliably retracted from the platen. Therefore, when the jammed medium (jam paper) is removed by opening the medium conveyance path, the print head can be moved away from the user's reach. Therefore, the user's hand is not soiled by contact with the print head. Further, the print quality is not deteriorated by damaging the print head.

1 is a front perspective view illustrating a printer according to a first embodiment to which the invention is applied. FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the printer according to the first embodiment. It is the perspective view which looked at the principal part of the internal mechanism of the printer from the diagonally upper front of the printer. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the printer with a paper feed cassette and a paper discharge tray removed. It is explanatory drawing of a platen unit. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a platen lock mechanism according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a control system of the printer according to the first embodiment. It is a flowchart of control which moves a platen unit to an open position. It is explanatory drawing of the platen lock mechanism of Embodiment 2. FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a control system of a printer according to a second embodiment. It is a flowchart of control which moves a platen unit to an open position. It is explanatory drawing of the platen lock mechanism of Embodiment 3. It is a perspective view (lock state) of the platen lock mechanism of Embodiment 3. It is a perspective view (lock release state) of the platen lock mechanism of Embodiment 3.

  Embodiments of a printer to which the present invention is applied will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following first to third embodiments, the present invention is applied to an ink jet printer capable of duplex printing, but the present invention is also applicable to a printer that does not include a reversing unit.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of an ink jet printer (hereinafter simply referred to as “printer”) according to Embodiment 1 when viewed from the front. FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing the internal configuration of the printer. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the printer 1 includes a printer main body 2 (device main body) and a reversing unit 3. The printer main body 2 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the printer width direction X as a whole. A concave portion 4 is formed in the central portion of the back surface of the printer main body 2, and the reversing unit 3 is attached thereto. The reversing unit 3 is a unit that reverses the front and back of a printing paper P (hereinafter simply referred to as “paper P”), which is a sheet-like medium, and returns the printing paper P to the printer main body 2. The reversing unit 3 can be opened to the rear Y2 of the printer with the lower end portion in the printer vertical direction Z as the center.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a paper feed cassette mounting space 5 that is long in the front-rear direction Y of the printer is formed inside the printer main body 2. The paper feed cassette mounting space 5 communicates with the outside of the apparatus via a paper feed cassette mounting opening 5 a opened on the front surface of the printer main body 2. In the paper cassette mounting space 5, a paper cassette 6 is detachably mounted from the front Y1 of the printer. The paper feed cassette 6 stores paper P having a predetermined size in a stacked state. A paper discharge tray 7 is mounted on the upper side of the paper feed cassette mounting space 5, and a paper feed cassette 6 is mounted on the lower side of the paper discharge tray 7. The paper discharge tray 7 projects substantially horizontally from the front surface of the printer main body 2 to the front Y1 of the printer. A rectangular paper discharge port 8 extending to the rear Y2 of the printer is formed on the upper side of the paper discharge tray 7.

  The front surface of the printer above the paper discharge port 8 is an operation surface 9. On the operation surface 9, a power switch 9a, a plurality of status display lamps 9b, and the like are arranged. Rectangular opening / closing lids 10 a and 10 b for opening and closing the ink cartridge mounting portion are attached to the front surface of the printer on both sides of the paper discharge tray 7 and the paper discharge port 8.

(Paper transport path)
Next, a paper conveyance path formed inside the printer 1 will be described with reference to FIG. Inside the printer 1, a paper supply path 12, a main body side conveyance path 13 (medium conveyance path), and a reverse conveyance path 14 are formed. The paper supply path 12 and the main body side conveyance path 13 are formed inside the printer main body 2, and the reverse conveyance path 14 is formed inside the reversing unit 3.

  The paper supply path 12 is a transport path for supplying the paper P in the paper feed cassette 6 mounted in the paper feed cassette mounting space 5 to the main body side transport path 13. The paper supply path 12 extends obliquely upward from the rear end portion of the printer front-rear direction Y in the paper feed cassette mounting space 5 toward the printer rear Y2, curves to the printer front Y1, and is connected to the main body side conveyance path 13. Yes. The paper P stored in the paper feed cassette 6 is sent out to the paper supply path 12 by the paper feed roller 15 and separated one by one when passing through the nip portion of the retard roller 16 and the transport roller 17. Then, it passes through the nip portion between the transport roller 17 and the driven roller 18 and is transported toward the main body side transport path 13.

  The main body side conveyance path 13 is a conveyance path that extends substantially horizontally in the front-rear direction Y of the printer and reaches the paper discharge port 8. A paper detection lever 20, a paper feed roller pair 21, a print head 22, a first paper discharge roller pair 23, and a second paper discharge roller pair 24 are arranged in order from the upstream side in the paper transport direction along the main body side transport path 13. Has been placed. The print head 22 is an inkjet head, and a platen 25 is disposed so as to face the print head 22. As will be described later, the platen 25 has a reference platen position 25A (see FIGS. 2 and 4A) facing the nozzle surface of the print head 22 with a certain gap, and the print head 22 more than the reference platen position 25A. It is possible to move between the open position 25 </ b> B (see FIG. 4B) away from the remote control.

  The paper P sent from the paper supply path 12 to the main body side transport path 13 is sent by the transport roller 17 to the paper feed roller pair 21 while pushing up the paper detection lever 20. The pair of paper feed rollers 21 includes a paper feed roller 21a disposed below the printer vertical direction Z in the main body side conveyance path 13, and a pressing roller 21b disposed above the paper feed roller 21a in the printer vertical direction Z. ing. The paper P conveyed by the paper feed roller pair 21 is sent to the first paper discharge roller pair 23 via the printing position by the print head 22. The first paper discharge roller pair 23 synchronously rotates in the same direction as the paper feed roller pair 21 and conveys the paper P. The paper P that has passed the printing position is discharged from the paper discharge port 8 to the paper discharge tray 7 via the first paper discharge roller pair 23 and the second paper discharge roller pair 24.

  The reversing conveyance path 14 formed inside the reversing unit 3 is a conveyance path that draws a loop in the vertical direction Z of the printer. The reversing conveyance path 14 is continuous with the upstream end of the main body-side conveyance path 13, and extends upwardly substantially horizontally to the rear side Y2 of the printer, and a downward path 27 that curves downward from the upper path 26 and extends linearly. A lower path 28 that curves and extends from the downward path 27 to the printer front Y1 and an upward path 29 that curves and extends upward from the lower path 28 are provided. The upper portion of the upward path 29 is bent obliquely to the front Y1 of the printer and joins the middle position of the paper supply path 12. A portion from the joining position to the upstream end of the main body side conveyance path 13 is a common path of the paper supply path 12 and the reverse conveyance path 14.

  The paper P that is back-fed from the main-body-side conveyance path 13 and is sent to the reversal conveyance path 14 is sent to the nip portion between the first conveyance roller 31 and the driven roller 32, and then the second conveyance roller 33 and the driven roller 34. It is fed into the nip portion of the transport roller 17 and the driven roller 18 via the nip portion. And it is returned by the conveyance roller 17 to the main body side conveyance path 13 with the front and back reversed. Therefore, double-sided printing of the paper P can be performed through the reversing conveyance path 14.

(Head moving mechanism)
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the main part of the internal mechanism of the printer 1 as viewed from obliquely above the front Y1 of the printer. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a carriage guide shaft 35 extending in the printer width direction X is disposed on the printer rear Y2 side of the print head 22. Both ends of the carriage guide shaft 35 are supported by side frames 2 a and 2 b arranged on both sides of the main body side conveyance path 13 in the printer width direction X. The print head 22 is mounted on a carriage 36, and the carriage 36 is attached so as to be movable in the printer width direction X along the carriage guide shaft 35. As shown in FIG. 3, a pair of pulleys 37a and 37b are disposed on one end side and the other end side of the carriage guide shaft 35, and a timing belt 37c is stretched between the pair of pulleys 37a and 37b. A carriage 36 is connected to the timing belt 37c. The driving force of the carriage motor 30 is transmitted to one pulley 37a. When the carriage motor 30 is driven, the timing belt 37c rotates and the carriage 36 moves along the carriage guide shaft 35. As described above, the print head 22 is reciprocated in the printer width direction X (direction intersecting the conveyance direction of the paper P) by the carriage guide shaft 35, the carriage 36, the pulleys 37a and 37b, the timing belt 37c, the carriage motor 30, and the like. A head moving mechanism 38 (see FIG. 7) is configured.

  A home position HP of the print head 22 and the carriage 36 is set on one end side of the carriage guide shaft 35. When the carriage 36 is moved to the home position HP, the print head 22 is retracted to a position off the platen 25. A maintenance mechanism 19 for the print head 22 is disposed below the home position HP, and maintenance operations such as a flushing operation and an ink suction operation can be performed here. Further, an away position AP of the print head 22 and the carriage 36 is set on the other end side of the carriage guide shaft 35. The away position AP is the position of the print head 22 and the carriage 36 when printing on the end of the paper P that is farthest from the home position HP. The print head 22 and the carriage 36 reciprocate linearly along the carriage guide shaft 35 between the home position HP and the away position AP in a normal printing operation.

  The carriage 36 on which the print head 22 is mounted is movable to a platen lock release position KP set further outside the printer width direction X than the away position AP. The platen lock release position KP is such that the user cannot reach the nozzle surface of the print head 22 when the platen unit 40 is moved to the open position 40B and the user removes the paper P (jam paper) on the main body side conveyance path 13. Set to position. The printer main body 2 is provided with a carriage detector 39 (see FIG. 7) that detects the carriage 36 that has reached the platen lock release position KP. As the carriage detector 39, for example, various sensors such as a mechanical sensor and a magnetic sensor attached to the side frame 2a on the away position AP side, or an optical sensor arranged in the vicinity of the platen lock release position KP are used. Can do. When the paper P is jammed in or near the gap between the print head 22 and the platen 25 and a paper jam occurs, a platen lock mechanism 50 (to be described later) is set in an unlocked state to open the main body side conveyance path 13, and the platen lock The print head 22 and the carriage 36 are moved to the release position KP.

(Paper jam removal mechanism of main body side conveyance path 13)
4A and 4B are cross-sectional views of the printer 1 with the paper feed cassette 6 and the paper discharge tray 7 removed. FIG. 4A shows a state in which the platen unit 40 is at the reference position 40A, and FIG. The state in position 40B is shown. 5 is an explanatory view of the platen unit, FIG. 5 (a) is a perspective view of the platen unit, FIG. 5 (b) is a sectional view of the platen unit (A-A sectional view of FIG. 5 (a)), 5C is a perspective view of the platen unit with a part of the platen 25 removed, and FIG. 5D is an explanatory diagram of a positioning structure for positioning the platen 25 at the reference platen position 25A (B- in FIG. 5A). B sectional view).

  A platen unit 40 is disposed below the printer vertical direction Z of the main body side conveyance path 13 over a range from the paper detection lever 20 to the second paper discharge roller pair 24. The platen unit 40 includes a unit main body 41 that extends substantially parallel to the main body-side conveyance path 13 and a platen 25 that is mounted on the upper portion of the unit main body 41 at a position facing the print head 22. The platen unit 40 is supported so as to be rotatable in the up-down direction Z of the printer around the upstream end in the paper conveyance direction. The reference position 40A shown in FIGS. 2 and 4A and FIG. ) To the open position 40B shown in FIG. When the platen unit 40 is at the reference position 40A, the platen 25 is positioned at the reference platen position 25A described above. When the platen unit 40 moves to the open position 40B, the platen 25 moves to the open position 25B and the main body side conveyance path 13 is opened.

  As shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C, the unit main body 41 includes a sheet metal unit frame 42 that constitutes a bottom surface portion of the platen unit 40, and a fixing member 43 attached to the upper surface of the unit frame 42. The movable member 44 is disposed in a recess 43 a formed in the fixed member 43, and the coil spring 45 is disposed between the movable member 44 and the unit frame 42. A spring arrangement hole 43b is formed in the bottom surface of the recess 43a, and a lower end portion of the coil spring 45 is arranged in the spring arrangement hole 43b. The upper end portion of the coil spring 45 is in contact with the movable member 44. The movable member 44 and the coil spring 45 constitute a biasing unit that biases the platen 25 toward the print head 22.

  The platen 25 includes a plurality of divided platens 25 a arranged in the printer width direction X, which is the moving direction of the print head 22. The plurality of divided platens 25 a are arranged in the recesses 43 a of the fixed member 43 while being supported from the bottom surface side of the platen unit 40 by the movable member 44 extending in the printer width direction X. Positioning plates 44 a and 44 b that protrude outward from the unit frame 42 are provided at both ends of the movable member 44 in the printer width direction X. As described above, a pair of side frames 2a and 2b (see FIG. 3) are provided on both sides of the main body side conveyance path 13 in the printer width direction X, and both sides of the platen unit 40 in the width direction are provided on the side frames 2a and 2b. Receiving members 46a and 46b are provided. As shown in FIG. 5A, the receiving members 46 a and 46 b are arranged at positions that overlap the positioning plates 44 a and 44 b provided in the platen unit 40 in the vertical direction Z of the printer.

  In the platen unit 40, the movable member 44 and the platen 25 are not in contact with an object other than the platen unit 40 at the open position 40B, and the coil spring 45 has a free length. When the platen unit 40 is moved to the reference position 40A, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5D, the positioning plates 44a and 44b abut against the receiving members 46a and 46b from the lower side of the printer vertical direction Z, The movable member 44 is pressed toward the unit frame 42 by the receiving members 46a and 46b. As a result, the coil spring 45 is compressed, and the movable member 44 and the plurality of divided platens 25 a are urged toward the print head 22 by the elastic return force of the coil spring 45. Therefore, when the platen unit 40 is moved to the reference position 40A, the positioning plates 44a and 44b are pressed against the receiving members 46a and 46b to position the movable member 44, and the platen 25 is positioned to the reference platen position 25A.

  As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5C, a pair of side plate portions 47 a and 47 b are formed at both ends of the unit frame 42 in the printer width direction X so as to rise toward the main body side conveyance path 13. The side plate portions 47a and 47b are provided at the rear end portion of the platen unit 40 in the front-rear direction Y of the printer. The shaft support holes 47c formed in the side plate portions 47a and 47b have shaft end portions of the rotation shaft 21c of the paper feed roller 21a. Is inserted. Both ends of the rotating shaft 21c are supported by the side frames 2a and 2b of the printer main body 2 described above. Therefore, the platen unit 40 is supported so as to be rotatable about the rotation shaft 21c. In addition, a damper mechanism (not shown) is provided between the platen unit 40 and the rotating shaft 21c to restrict rapid rotation (downward movement) of the platen unit 40. As the damper mechanism, for example, an elastic member such as a spring that urges the platen unit 40 upward, or a member that generates a resistance force due to friction when the platen unit 40 rotates is used. A damper mechanism may be provided between the side frame of the printer main body 2 and the platen unit 40.

  The platen unit 40 moves between the open position 40B shown in FIG. 4B and the reference position 40A shown in FIG. 4A by rotating around the rotation shaft 21c. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4A, the platen unit 40 is disposed facing the paper feed cassette mounting space 5 at the reference position 40A. When the sheet cassette 6 is mounted in the sheet cassette mounting space 5, the lower side of the printer vertical direction Z of the platen unit 40 at the reference position 40 </ b> A is blocked by the rear end portion of the sheet cassette 6. As shown in FIG. 4A, when the paper cassette 6 is pulled out from the paper cassette mounting space 5 and removed together with the paper discharge tray 7 from the printer body 2, the paper cassette mounting space 5 becomes empty. In this state, as shown in FIG. 4B, when the platen unit 40 is rotated to the open position 40B, the platen 25 is lowered into the paper feed cassette mounting space 5, and the main body side conveyance path 13 is greatly opened. It becomes a state.

  A rotation shaft 21c serving as a rotation center of the platen unit 40 is disposed on the back side of the paper feed cassette mounting space 5 and is provided at an end of the platen unit 40 on the side away from the paper feed cassette mounting opening 5a. For this reason, the main body side conveyance path 13 in the range where the platen unit 40 is arranged is largely opened on the side close to the sheet feeding cassette mounting opening 5a. Therefore, it becomes easy to access the main body side conveyance path 13 or the vicinity thereof from the paper feed cassette mounting opening 5a, and the paper P jammed in this portion can be easily removed.

(Platen lock mechanism)
2 and 4A, at the reference position 40A, the end portion on the printer front Y1 side of the platen unit 40 is moved in the vertical direction Z of the printer by a platen lock mechanism 50 provided in the printer main body 2. Is supported from below. 6A and 6B are explanatory diagrams of the platen lock mechanism 50 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6A shows a locked state in which the platen unit 40 is held at the reference position 40A, and FIG. 6B shows that the platen unit 40 is not held. Indicates the unlocked state. The platen lock mechanism 50 according to the first embodiment is a solenoid including a plunger 51 that protrudes toward the printer rear Y2 side. The platen lock mechanism 50 can be switched between a locked state 50A in which the plunger 51 protrudes from the lower side of the platen unit 40 and an unlocked state 50B in which the plunger 51 is retracted from the lower side of the platen unit 40. is there.

(Control when opening the platen unit 40)
FIG. 7 is a schematic block diagram showing a control system of the printer 1. The control system of the printer 1 is configured around a control unit 60 including a CPU. A communication unit 61, a paper detector 62, a platen lock release switch 63, a carriage detector 39, and the like are connected to the input side of the control unit 60. The communication unit 61 connects an external device such as a computer and the printer 1 so that they can communicate with each other. The paper detector 62 detects that the front end or the rear end of the paper P passes through the position of the paper detection lever 20 based on the push-up of the paper detection lever 20 disposed in the main body side conveyance path 13. The platen lock release switch 63 is provided at a position where the user can operate in a predetermined position of the printer main body 2, for example, inside the paper cassette mounting space 5 from which the paper cassette 6 is pulled out. Alternatively, it can be provided around the paper feed cassette mounting opening 5 a on the front surface of the printer main body 2 or on the operation surface 9. As described above, the carriage detector 39 is a sensor that detects that the carriage 36 has moved to the platen lock release position KP that is set slightly outside the home position HP in the printer width direction X.

  On the output side of the control unit 60, the maintenance mechanism 19, the print head 22, the carriage motor 30, the platen lock mechanism 50, and the like are connected. In addition, a plurality of motors (not shown) for driving conveyance rollers and the like disposed in the paper supply path 12, the main body conveyance path 13, and the reversal conveyance path 14 are connected to the output side of the control unit 60. Has been. When the control unit 60 receives print data supplied from an external device via the communication unit 61, the control unit 60 controls each unit of the printer 1 based on the received print data and performs printing on the paper P.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart of control for moving the platen unit 40 to the open position 40B. When the platen unit 40 is held at the reference position 40A, the platen lock mechanism 50 is in the locked state 50A shown in FIG. When the platen lock release switch 63 is operated by the user (step S1), the controller 60 starts the retracting operation of the carriage 36 to the platen lock release position KP (step S2). That is, the carriage motor 30 is rotated to drive the head moving mechanism 38 to move the carriage 36 toward the platen lock release position KP. The control unit 60 monitors the output of the carriage detector 39. When the control unit 60 detects that the carriage 36 has reached the platen lock release position KP (step S3), the control unit 60 switches the platen lock mechanism 50 to the unlock state 50B (step S3). S4). That is, the plunger 51 is pulled in to the front Y1 side of the printer so that the platen unit 40 can be rotated downward.

  As described above, a damper mechanism (not shown) is provided between the platen unit 40 and the rotating shaft 21c that is a support shaft thereof. Therefore, when the platen lock mechanism 50 is switched to the unlocked state 50B, the platen unit 40 does not drop suddenly but slowly rotates (lowers) to the open position 40B. As a result, the main body side conveyance path 13 is largely opened, and the main body side conveyance path 13 can be accessed from the paper feed cassette mounting space 5.

(Main effects of Embodiment 1)
As described above, the printer 1 according to the first embodiment removes the paper feed cassette 6 from the printer main body 2 so that the platen unit 40 held at the reference position 40 </ b> A is moved to the open position in the paper feed cassette mounting space 5. A space for turning to 40B can be secured. The platen unit 40 is normally held at the reference position 40A by the platen lock mechanism 50. By switching the platen lock mechanism 50 to the unlocked state 50B, the platen unit 40 is moved to the open position in the paper feed cassette mounting space 5. It can be made movable toward 40B. Therefore, when the paper P is jammed in the range from the paper detection lever 20 to the second paper discharge roller pair 24 in the main body side conveyance path 13 or in the vicinity thereof, the main body side conveyance path 13 is opened. Can do. As a result, the paper jam location can be easily accessed from the paper cassette mounting space 5, and the jammed paper P can be easily removed.

  In particular, in the first embodiment, when it is detected that the carriage 36 on which the print head 22 is mounted is retracted to the platen lock release position KP, control to release the locked state by the platen lock mechanism 50 is performed. Therefore, unless the print head 22 is retracted from above the platen 25 and moves to a position where the user cannot reach, the platen unit 40 cannot be moved to the open position 40B to open the main body side conveyance path 13. In this way, the print head 22 can be securely retracted to a position off the platen 25 before the main body side conveyance path 13 is opened and the jammed paper P is removed. Therefore, the user's hand is not soiled by contact with the nozzle surface of the print head 22. Further, the print quality is not deteriorated by damaging the nozzle surface of the print head 22.

(Modification of Embodiment 1)
In the first embodiment, instead of the platen lock release switch 63, an operation member such as a platen opening / closing lever and a detection unit that detects the operation may be provided, and an output of the detection unit may be input to the control unit 60.

(Embodiment 2: Platen lock mechanism and its control)
9A and 9B are explanatory diagrams of the platen lock mechanism of the second embodiment. FIG. 9A shows a locked state in which the platen unit 40 is held at the reference position 40A, and FIG. 9B shows the platen unit 40 in the half-locked position. The half-locked state held at 40C is shown. FIG. 9C shows an unlocked state in which the platen unit 40 is not held. The platen lock mechanism 150 according to the second embodiment has a lock lever 151 (first lock mechanism) that holds the platen unit 40 at the reference position 40A, and a half-lock position 40C that is set between the reference position 40A and the open position 40B. This is a two-stage locking mechanism including a solenoid 152 (second locking mechanism) that holds the platen unit 40.

  FIG. 10 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a control system of the printer according to the second embodiment. The printer 100 of the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the configuration of the platen lock mechanism 150 and the control when the platen unit 40 is opened. Further, the platen lock release switch 63 is not provided, and a lock lever detection unit 164 that detects that the lock lever 151 has moved to the lock release position 151B (see FIGS. 9B and 9C) is provided. As the lock lever detection unit 164, various sensors such as a mechanical sensor, a magnetic sensor, and an optical sensor can be used. Hereinafter, description of the same configuration as that of the first embodiment will be omitted, and different points will be described.

  First, the configuration of the platen lock mechanism 150 will be described. The lock lever 151 includes a platen holding position 151A (see FIG. 9A) in which the lever tip extends to the lower side of the platen unit 40, and a non-holding position 151B in which the lever tip is retracted from the lower side of the platen unit 40. (See FIGS. 9B and 9C). For example, by rotating the lock lever 151 about the axis extending in the printer vertical direction Z, the lever tip can be retracted from under the platen unit 40. The non-holding position 151B is a position that allows the platen unit 40 to move to the half-lock position 40C. The lock lever 151 is integrally formed with an operation lever (not shown). The operation lever is located at a position where the user can operate within the paper feed cassette mounting space 5, or from the outside of the paper feed cassette mounting opening 5 a on the front surface of the printer main body 2, the side surface of the printer main body 2, or the like. It is provided at an operable position. The lock lever 151 can be moved to the platen holding position 151A and the non-holding position 151B by manually operating the operation lever. Note that the lock lever 151 can be moved based on the operation of the switch.

  Similar to the platen lock mechanism 50 of the first embodiment, the solenoid 152 includes a plunger 153 that protrudes toward the printer rear Y2 side. The solenoid 152 is disposed below the printer vertical direction Z with respect to the lock lever 151. The solenoid 152 is in a locked state 152A (see FIGS. 9A and 9B) in which the plunger 153 protrudes to the lower side of the platen unit 40, and retracts the plunger 153 to a position retracted from the lower side of the platen unit 40. It is possible to switch to the unlocked state 152B (see FIG. 9C).

  In the locked state 150A shown in FIG. 9A, the platen lock mechanism 150 is moved to the platen holding position 151A, and the plunger 153 of the solenoid 152 protrudes into the locked state 152A. In this state, the platen unit 40 is held at the reference position 40A by the lock lever 151. Next, in the half-locked state 150C shown in FIG. 9B, the lock lever 151 has moved to the non-holding position 151B, but the plunger 153 of the solenoid 152 remains in the locked state 152A. In this state, the platen unit 40 is held at the half-lock position 40C by the solenoid 152. Subsequently, in the unlocked state 150B shown in FIG. 9C, the lock lever 151 is moved to the non-holding position 151B, and the plunger 153 of the solenoid 152 is pulled into the unlocked state 152B. In this state, the platen unit 40 is not held at either the reference position 40A or the half-lock position 40C, and can be moved to the open position 40B. Accordingly, the platen unit 40 rotates (lowers) to the open position 40B.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart of control for moving the platen unit 40 to the open position 40B in the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the lock lever 151 is operated by the user, and the platen lock mechanism 150 is manually switched from the lock state 150A to the half-lock state 150C. Thereby, the platen unit 40 moves from the open position 40B to the half-lock position 40C. The half-lock position 40C is a position where the platen unit 40 is rotated downward by a predetermined angle from the reference position 40A. Accordingly, by moving the platen unit 40 to the half-lock position 40C, a state is formed in which the gap between the platen 25 and the print head 22 is wider than that during printing.

  When the lock lever 151 is operated, the lock lever detector 164 detects that the lock lever 151 has moved to the non-holding position 151B (step S11). Based on this, the control unit 160 of the printer 100 starts the retracting operation of the carriage 36 to the platen lock release position KP (step S12). That is, in the second embodiment, when the lock lever 151 is operated, the carriage 36 is retracted in parallel with the platen unit 40 moving to the half-lock position 40C. Subsequently, when the control unit 160 detects that the carriage 36 has reached the platen lock release position KP (step S13), the control unit 160 switches the platen lock mechanism 150 from the half lock state 150C to the lock release state 150B (step S14). That is, by pulling the plunger 153 toward the front Y1 of the printer and setting the solenoid 152 to the unlocked state 152B, the platen unit 40 can be rotated downward. As a result, the platen unit 40 is slowly rotated (lowered) to the open position 40B, so that the main body side conveyance path 13 is largely opened.

(Main effects of the second embodiment)
As described above, the printer 100 according to the second embodiment includes the two-stage platen lock mechanism 150. Before the carriage 36 is retracted to the platen lock release position KP, the print head 22 and the platen 25 are temporarily stopped. The gap is slightly expanded (half-locked state 150C). As a result, the jammed paper P can be separated from the nozzle surface of the print head 22, and then the retreat operation of the print head 22 can be performed. Therefore, in addition to the operational effects of the first embodiment, an advantageous operational effect that the nozzle surface of the print head 22 is not damaged by the jammed paper P and the retreat operation of the print head 22 is not hindered is obtained.

(Modification of Embodiments 1 and 2)
In the first and second embodiments, the platen lock release position KP is set outside the printer width direction X from the away position AP, but the platen lock release position KP is set outside the printer width direction X from the home position HP. May be. Further, both of these two positions may be set as the platen lock release position KP. When two platen lock release positions KP are set, a carriage detector 39 is provided at each position, and when one of the carriage detectors 39 detects the carriage 36, the locked state of the platen unit 40 is released. To do. In this way, the amount of movement of the carriage 36 when the carriage 36 is retracted to the platen lock release position KP can be shortened.

(Embodiment 3)
12A and 12B are explanatory diagrams of the platen lock mechanism according to the third embodiment. FIG. 12A shows a locked state in which the platen unit 40 is held at the reference position 40A, and FIG. 12B shows a lock in which the platen unit 40 is not held. Indicates the release state. FIGS. 13 and 14 are perspective views of the platen lock mechanism of the third embodiment. FIG. 13 shows a locked state, and FIG. 14 shows a unlocked state. More specifically, FIG. 13A is a perspective view showing the configuration of the end portion on the away position AP side of the platen lock mechanism, and FIG. 13B is a perspective view showing the configuration of the platen lock mechanism on the home position HP side. It is. 13 (a) and 13 (b), some of the components around the platen lock mechanism are not shown.

  In the third embodiment, the platen lock release position KP is set at two positions outside the away position AP in the printer width direction X and outside the home position HP in the printer width direction X. In the platen lock mechanism 250 according to the third embodiment, when the carriage 36 is moved to one of the two platen lock release positions KP, the platen lock mechanism 250 is mechanically driven by the carriage 36 to release the locked state. It is.

  As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the platen lock mechanism 250 according to the third embodiment has a lock member 251 spanned between the side frames 2 a and 2 b of the printer main body 2 on the printer front Y1 side of the carriage 36. I have. The lock member 251 includes a rotary shaft 252 extending linearly in the printer width direction X above the printer vertical direction Z of the second paper discharge roller pair 24, two drive levers 253 fixed to the rotary shaft 252, and two platens A holding unit 254 is provided. Both ends of the rotating shaft 252 are rotatably supported by the side frames 2a and 2b. One drive lever 253 is disposed in the vicinity of each of the side frames 2a and 2b, corresponding to each of the two platen lock release positions KP. Further, the platen holding part 254 is disposed at a position corresponding to one end and the other end of the platen unit 40 in the printer width direction X.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the platen holding portion 254 includes a first arm portion 254a extending in the radial direction from the rotation shaft 252; a second arm portion 254b extending by bending at a substantially right angle from the tip of the first arm portion 254a; The arm portion 254b includes a third arm portion 254c that is bent at a substantially right angle from the tip of the arm portion 254b and extends in the opposite direction to the first arm portion 254a. When the rotation shaft 252 is rotated, the platen holding portion 254 turns around the central axis 252a. In the turning position shown in FIG. 12A, the platen holding unit 254 holds the platen unit 40 at the reference position 40A by a third arm portion 254c that extends substantially horizontally behind the printer Y2. This position is the lock position 251A of the lock member 251. The locked state of the platen lock mechanism 250 is formed by moving the lock member 251 to the lock position 251A.

  Further, the platen holding portion 254 does not hold the platen unit 40 because the third arm portion 254c is retracted from the platen unit 40 to the printer front Y1 side at the turning position shown in FIG. This position is the lock release position 251B of the lock member 251. As shown in FIG. 12B, the rotation direction of the lock member 251 when moving from the lock position 251A to the lock release position 251B is defined as a lock release direction R1.

  As shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B, in the locked state of the platen lock mechanism 250, the drive lever 253 extends substantially horizontally from the rotary shaft 252 toward the printer rear Y2. A rake face 253 a facing the carriage 36 is formed at the tip of the drive lever 253. The rake face 253a is an inclined surface that inclines in a downward direction toward the lower side of the printer vertical direction Z as it goes toward the carriage 36 (that is, the central side in the printer width direction X of the lock member 251). When the carriage 36 moves to the platen lock release position KP on the away position AP side or the home position HP side, the carriage 36 comes into contact with the rake face 253a, and the leading end portion of the drive lever 253 is moved downward in the printer vertical direction Z. Press down. Thereby, the lock member 251 rotates in the unlocking direction R1 as a whole.

  14A and 14B show a state in which the carriage 36 has reached the platen lock release position KP and the platen lock mechanism 250 has released the lock, and FIG. 14A shows the platen unit 40 in the open position. FIG. 14B illustrates a state in which the platen unit 40 has moved to the open position 40B. As shown in this figure, when the carriage 36 reaches the platen lock release position KP, the tip end portion of the drive lever 253 is pushed down to the lower side of the carriage 36. In the platen lock mechanism 250, when the drive lever 253 on the away position AP side or the home position HP side is pushed down by the carriage 36, the lock member 251 rotates in the unlocking direction R1 as a whole. Accordingly, the two platen holding portions 254 that support both ends of the platen unit 40 in the printer width direction X are turned to a position where the platen unit 40 is not held. This state is the unlocked state of the platen lock mechanism 250.

  In the third embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the carriage 36 is retracted to one of the two platen lock release positions KP, triggered by the operation of the platen lock release switch 63 by the user. As described above, the lock member 251 is rotated in the lock release direction R1 by the carriage 36 that moves to the platen lock release position KP, and moves from the lock position 251A to the lock release position 251B. As a result, the platen unit 40 is slowly rotated (lowered) to the open position 40B, so that the main body side conveyance path 13 is largely opened.

(Main effects of Embodiment 3)
As described above, in the platen lock mechanism 250 of the third embodiment, the carriage 36 that moves to the platen lock release position KP pushes down the drive lever 253 to move the lock member 251 to the lock release position 251B. In such a configuration, it is not necessary to perform control for releasing the lock of the platen lock mechanism 250. Further, it is not necessary to provide a drive source for driving the platen lock mechanism 250, and it is not necessary to provide a sensor for detecting the position of the carriage 36. Therefore, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, there is an advantage that complicated control is not required and cost can be reduced by reducing the number of components.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Printer, 2 ... Printer main-body part (apparatus main-body part), 2a, 2b ... Side frame, 3 ... Reversing unit, 4 ... Recessed part, 5 ... Paper feed cassette installation space, 5a ... Paper feed cassette installation port, 6 ... Feed Paper cassette, 7 ... paper discharge tray, 8 ... paper discharge port, 9 ... operation surface, 9a ... power switch, 9b ... status display lamp, 10a, 10b ... open / close lid, 12 ... paper supply path, 13 ... main body side transport path , 14 ... Reverse transport path, 15 ... Paper feed roller, 16 ... Retard roller, 17 ... Transport roller, 18 ... Driven roller, 19 ... Maintenance mechanism, 20 ... Paper detection lever, 21 ... Paper feed roller pair, 21a ... Paper Feed roller, 21b ... Pressing roller, 21c ... Rotating shaft, 22 ... Print head, 23 ... First discharge roller pair, 24 ... Second discharge roller pair, 25 ... Platen, 25a ... Split platen 25A ... reference platen position, 25B ... open position, 26 ... upper path, 27 ... downward path, 28 ... lower path, 29 ... upward path, 30 ... carriage motor, 31 ... first transport roller, 32 ... driven roller, 33 ... second transport roller, 34 ... driven roller, 35 ... carriage guide shaft, 36 ... carriage, 37a, 37b ... pulley, 37c ... timing belt, 38 ... head moving mechanism, 39 ... carriage detector, 40 ... platen unit, 40A ... Reference position, 40B ... Open position, 40C ... Semi-lock position, 41 ... Unit main body, 42 ... Unit frame, 43 ... Fixing member, 43a ... Recess, 43b ... Spring arrangement hole, 44 ... Movable member, 44a, 44b ... Positioning plate, 45 ... coil spring, 46a, 46b ... receiving member, 47a, 47b ... side plate, 7c ... Shaft support hole, 50 ... Platen lock mechanism, 50A ... Locked state, 50B ... Unlocked state, 51 ... Plunger, 60 ... Control part, 61 ... Communication part, 62 ... Paper detector, 63 ... Platen lock release switch , 100 ... printer, 150 ... platen lock mechanism, 150A ... locked state, 150B ... unlocked state, 150C ... semi-locked state, 151 ... lock lever (first lock mechanism), 151A ... platen holding position, 151B ... non-holding position 152 ... Solenoid (second lock mechanism), 152A ... Locked state, 152B ... Unlocked state, 153 ... Plunger, 161 ... Control unit, 164 ... Lock lever detection unit, 250 ... Platen lock mechanism, 251 ... Lock member, 251A ... Lock position, 251B ... Lock release position, 252 ... Rotating shaft, 252a ... center axis, 253 ... drive lever, 253a ... rake face, 254 ... platen holding part, 254a ... first arm part, 254b ... second arm part, 254c ... third arm part, AP ... away position, HP ... home position , KP: Platen lock release position, P: Printing paper (paper), R1: Lock release direction, X: Printer width direction, Y: Printer front-rear direction, Y1: Printer front, Y2: Printer rear, Z: Printer vertical direction

Claims (6)

A print head for printing on a medium;
A head moving mechanism for moving a carriage on which the print head is mounted in a direction crossing the conveyance direction of the medium;
A platen unit that is mounted with a platen that supports the medium and is movable to a reference position where the platen is opposed to the print head with a predetermined gap, and an open position that is farther from the print head than the reference position When,
A platen lock mechanism that can be switched to a locked state in which the platen unit is held at the reference position, and an unlocked state in which movement of the platen unit to the open position is allowed,
The printer according to claim 1, wherein the platen lock mechanism is switched to the unlock state based on the carriage being in a preset platen lock release position. A carriage detection unit for detecting that the carriage has moved to the platen lock release position;
The printer according to claim 1, wherein the platen lock mechanism is switched to the unlocked state based on an output of the carriage detection unit. The platen lock mechanism includes a lock member that moves to a lock position that holds the platen unit at the reference position, and a lock release position that allows the platen unit to move toward the open position.
The printer according to claim 1, wherein when the carriage moves to the platen lock release position, the carriage moves the lock member to the lock release position. A platen lock release switch provided in an apparatus main body on which the carriage and the platen unit are mounted;
4. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the head moving mechanism moves the carriage to the platen lock release position based on an operation of the platen lock release switch. The lock mechanism includes a first lock mechanism that holds the platen unit at the reference position, and a second lock mechanism that holds the platen unit at a half-lock position between the reference position and the open position,
In the unlocked state, the first lock mechanism is allowed to move the platen unit to the half-locked position, and the second lock mechanism allows the platen unit to move to the open position. It is in an acceptable state,
The head moving mechanism moves the carriage to the platen lock release position based on the fact that the first lock mechanism is allowed to move the platen unit to the half-lock position.
3. The switch according to claim 1, wherein the second lock mechanism is switched to a state allowing movement of the platen unit to the release position based on the carriage having moved to the platen lock release position. The printer described. The first lock mechanism is a lock lever that is movable to a platen holding position that holds the platen unit at the reference position, and a non-holding position that allows movement of the platen unit to the half-lock position,
A lock lever detector that detects that the lock lever has moved to the non-holding position;
The printer according to claim 5, wherein the head moving mechanism moves the carriage to the platen lock release position based on an output of the lock lever detection unit.

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