JP2016002699A - Recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a recording device, which includes a structure in which an endless belt is stretched on a drive pulley and a driven pulley, prevents tooth skipping, and avoids or suppresses an increase in a device size.SOLUTION: A recording device includes: an endless belt 34 which is stretched on a drive pulley 32 and a driven pulley 33; a recording head 18 for recording on a medium P; a carriage 17 which is pulled by the endless belt 34 and reciprocates in a predetermined direction; and a belt restriction part 40 which is arranged opposite to the drive pulley 32 with the endless belt 34 interposed therebetween and restricts displacement of the endless belt 34 in a direction separating from the drive pulley 32. The belt restriction part 40 is biased to the drive pulley 32 by biasing means 43, and can move in an outer direction of a moving area of the carriage 17 against biasing force of the biasing means 43.

Description

  The present invention relates to a recording apparatus for recording on a medium.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, recording apparatuses such as ink jet printers have become widespread in addition to those used indoors as well as portable recording apparatuses that can be carried outdoors, that is, mobile type. In such a mobile type recording apparatus, further downsizing is required.

  The printer also performs a so-called serial operation in which recording is completed by alternately performing a paper transport operation for transporting a predetermined amount of paper and a recording operation performed by moving a carriage provided with a recording head in the paper width direction. There are types.

  In a serial type printer, the carriage with the recording head is moved in the paper width direction. The frame is provided with a driving pulley and a driven pulley that are driven by the power of a driving source such as a motor, and endless belts are wound around both pulleys. A configuration is generally used in which a carriage is attached to and fixed to an endless belt, and the carriage is reciprocated integrally with the endless belt.

  The endless belt is provided with teeth on the inner peripheral surface side. The drive pulley and the driven pulley are also provided with a plurality of teeth on the outer peripheral surface side. Then, the teeth of the endless belt with teeth and the teeth provided on the drive pulley are meshed to drive the drive pulley, thereby moving the carriage in the predetermined movement direction.

  Here, when a load that impedes movement of the carriage acts on the carriage, or when the belt tension of the endless belt is not appropriate, the teeth of the endless belt and the teeth of the driving pulley may be disengaged, causing tooth skipping. .

  In order to prevent such a tooth skipping phenomenon, Patent Document 1 discloses a recording apparatus including a carriage driving mechanism provided with a tooth skipping prevention member.

JP 2006-275121 A

  In Patent Document 1, a lever member that swings toward and away from an endless belt wound around a drive pulley of a carriage drive mechanism and a biasing member that applies a biasing force to the lever member are arranged in the apparatus height direction. It is provided below the drive pulley. A rotatable roller is provided at the tip of the lever member, and this roller presses and biases the endless belt. This can prevent the endless belt from skipping teeth.

Here, the endless belt wound around the driving pulley and the driven pulley has an upper path and a lower path in the apparatus height direction. In Patent Document 1, the carriage is fixed to the lower path side.
At this time, if a lever member for preventing tooth skipping is provided below the drive pulley in the device height direction, that is, on the same side as the path where the carriage is fixed, it will contact the lever member when the carriage moves to the drive pulley side. There is a risk of doing. The position where the lever member and the carriage come into contact is the limit position for the movement of the carriage toward the drive pulley. In other words, the mechanism for preventing the endless belt from skipping the teeth defines the carriage movement limit position, so that it is necessary to increase the distance between the driven pulley and the driving pulley in order to secure a movable area of the carriage. . This leads to an increase in the size of the apparatus in the width direction.

  In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to prevent tooth skipping and avoid or suppress enlargement of the apparatus in a recording apparatus having a configuration in which an endless belt is wound around a driving pulley and a driven pulley. .

  In order to solve the above problems, a recording apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention includes an endless belt that is wound around a driving pulley and a driven pulley, a recording head that performs recording on a medium, and is pulled by the endless belt. A carriage that reciprocates in a predetermined direction, and a belt regulating portion that is disposed to face the drive pulley across the endless belt and regulates the displacement of the endless belt in a direction away from the drive pulley, and The belt regulating portion is urged toward the drive pulley by the urging means, and is movable toward the outer side of the moving region of the carriage against the urging force of the urging means. It is a feature.

  According to this aspect, since the belt pulley is disposed opposite to the drive pulley across the endless belt and regulates the displacement of the endless belt in the direction away from the drive pulley, the drive pulley teeth and Disengagement of the endless belt from the teeth, that is, the occurrence of the tooth skipping phenomenon can be suppressed.

  Here, the position where the belt restricting portion restricts the displacement of the endless belt in the direction away from the drive pulley (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “restricting position”) is within the carriage movement region. In some cases, the belt restricting portion comes into contact with the carriage, and the belt restricting portion defines the movement limit position of the carriage. As a result, it is necessary to widen the distance between the drive pulley and the driven pulley, which may increase the size of the apparatus.

However, since the belt restricting portion is urged toward the drive pulley by the urging means and is movable toward the outside of the moving region of the carriage against the urging force of the urging means, The belt movable portion at the restriction position does not define the carriage movable region, and it is not necessary to increase the distance between the drive pulley and the driven pulley, or even if it is widened, the extent is small.
As a result, it is possible to secure a movable area of the carriage in a smaller space, and the enlargement of the apparatus can be avoided or suppressed.

  The recording apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first aspect, the belt restricting portion presses the endless belt with the driving pulley by a biasing force of the biasing means. It is what.

  According to this aspect, it is possible to more reliably prevent the engagement between the teeth of the drive pulley and the teeth of the endless belt, and more effectively suppress the occurrence of the tooth skip phenomenon.

  The recording apparatus according to a third aspect of the present invention is the recording apparatus according to the first aspect or the second aspect, wherein a path of the endless belt between the driving pulley and the driven pulley is the first where the carriage is fixed. And a second path opposite to the first path, wherein the belt regulating unit regulates the displacement of the endless belt on the first path side. Is.

In the two paths of the endless belt, that is, in the first path and the second path, the belt regulating portion is provided on the same side (first path) as the path on which the carriage is fixed. When the carriage moves to the drive pulley side, there is an increased risk of contact with the belt restricting portion.
However, due to the effect of the first aspect, the movable region of the carriage is not defined by the belt restricting portion at the restricting position, and it is not necessary or widened to widen the distance between the driving pulley and the driven pulley. Even in that case, the degree is small.
Accordingly, it is possible to secure a movable area of the carriage in a space-saving manner, and the enlargement of the apparatus can be avoided or suppressed.

  A recording apparatus according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the recording apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the belt regulating portion is configured by a roller that can be driven and rotated. is there.

The belt restricting portion is in contact with an endless belt that is moved by rotational driving of the drive pulley, and restricts displacement of the endless belt in a direction away from the drive pulley.
According to this aspect, when the displacement of the endless belt in the direction away from the drive pulley is regulated, the belt regulating portion in contact with the endless belt is constituted by a roller that can be driven and rotated. It is possible to reduce the load applied to the endless belt in contact with the restricting portion. Therefore, the tooth skipping phenomenon can be prevented by the belt restricting portion while smoothly moving the endless belt.

  The recording apparatus according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the recording apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the belt restriction portion is provided in a holder, the carriage abuts on the holder, and the belt restriction The part is displaced.

According to this aspect, the belt restricting portion can be mechanically displaced by the movement of the carriage.
At this time, the belt restricting portion is provided on the holder, and the carriage abuts on the holder. Therefore, the carriage does not contact the belt restricting portion itself that contacts the endless belt. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the carriage is damaged, worn, deformed, or the like by the carriage.

  In a recording apparatus according to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the fifth aspect, the holder displaces the belt restricting portion by swinging around the fulcrum portion, and the carriage abuts on the holder. The positions of the contact part and the fulcrum part are shifted in a direction crossing the moving direction of the carriage.

According to this aspect, since the holder displaces the belt restricting portion by swinging around the fulcrum portion, the belt restricting portion can be displaced in a space-saving manner.
In addition, since the position of the abutment portion with which the carriage abuts in the holder and the fulcrum portion are shifted in a direction intersecting the movement direction of the carriage, the carriage moves in the movement direction. The holder can be reliably swung.

  The recording apparatus according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is the recording apparatus according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the urging means is disposed between the drive pulley and the driven pulley in the moving direction of the carriage. It is provided outside the region.

  According to this aspect, by providing the urging means outside the region between the drive pulley and the driven pulley in the movement direction of the carriage, it is possible to effectively utilize the space in the apparatus main body and to increase the size of the apparatus. Can be avoided or suppressed.

  The recording apparatus according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is the recording apparatus according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, wherein the belt regulating portion is in the moving range of the carriage when the carriage performs recording on the medium. The position which controls the displacement of an endless belt is hold | maintained, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

According to this aspect, when the carriage is in a moving range for recording on the medium, that is, while recording is being performed, the belt restricting portion is in a position for restricting the displacement of the endless belt. In addition, the tooth skipping phenomenon can be suppressed.
In particular, the belt restricting portion is provided in the holder, and the carriage abuts against the holder to displace the belt restricting portion, that is, the belt restricting portion is mechanically displaced by movement of the carriage. In addition, since the carriage and the holder do not come into contact with each other during recording, it is possible to avoid the possibility of deterioration in recording quality.

  A recording apparatus according to a ninth aspect of the present invention is the recording apparatus according to the fifth aspect or the sixth aspect, wherein the contacted portion with which the holder contacts in the carriage is in contact with the contact portion of the holder. In the state, at least a part of the carriage and at least a part of the holder are in the same position in the movement direction of the carriage.

  In other words, the abutted portion with which the holder abuts in the carriage is located inside the width along the moving direction of the carriage. As a result, the belt restricting portion can be provided so as to overlap the carriage arrangement region in the carriage movement direction, and the enlargement of the recording apparatus can be avoided or suppressed.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating an appearance of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention with a cover closed. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an apparatus main body in a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing a medium conveyance path of a printer according to an embodiment of the invention. The front view of a carriage drive mechanism. The enlarged view by the side of the drive pulley of a carriage drive mechanism. The enlarged view by the side of the driven pulley of a carriage drive mechanism. Schematic diagram of a carriage drive mechanism. The top view which looked at the carriage from the upper side. It is a figure explaining a belt control part, (A) is the state in which a belt control part is in the position which controls the displacement of an endless belt, (B) is the state which the belt control part moved to the outer side of the movement area | region of a carriage. The front view which shows the relationship between a drive pulley and a belt control part. The perspective view which shows the relationship between a drive pulley and a belt control part. The perspective view which shows the relationship between a drive pulley and a belt control part. The figure which shows the urging means of a belt control part. 4A and 4B are diagrams for explaining a belt restricting portion according to another embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 4A is a state where the belt restricting portion is in a position for restricting displacement of the endless belt, and FIG. Moved outside the area. It is a figure explaining the belt control part which concerns on the further another Example of this invention, (A) is a state in which a belt control part is in the position which controls the displacement of an endless belt, (B) is a state in which a belt control part is a carriage. Moved outside the moving area.

  Hereinafter, a recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is not limited by these.

[Example 1]
As an example of the recording apparatus of this embodiment, an ink jet printer is taken as an example.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an appearance of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention with a cover closed. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the apparatus main body in the printer according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view illustrating the medium conveyance path of the printer according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a front view of the carriage drive mechanism. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the carriage drive mechanism on the drive pulley side. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the carriage drive mechanism on the driven pulley side. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a carriage drive mechanism.

  FIG. 8 is a plan view of the carriage as viewed from above. 9A and 9B are diagrams for explaining the belt restricting portion. FIG. 9A shows a state where the belt restricting portion is in a position for restricting the displacement of the endless belt, and FIG. 9B shows that the belt restricting portion moves outside the carriage movement region. It is in the state. FIG. 10 is a front view showing the relationship between the drive pulley and the belt regulating portion. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the relationship between the drive pulley and the belt restricting portion. FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing the relationship between the drive pulley and the belt restricting portion. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an urging unit of the belt regulating unit.

  In the XYZ coordinate system shown in each drawing, the X direction is the scanning direction of the recording head, and the Y direction is the depth direction of the recording apparatus. The Z direction is the direction of gravity and indicates the device height direction. In each figure, the + Y direction is the front side of the apparatus, and the −Y direction side is the back side of the apparatus. Further, the + Z direction is the upper surface side of the apparatus, and the −Z direction side is the lower surface side of the apparatus.

First, an outline of an ink jet printer 1 (hereinafter referred to as a printer 1) according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
The printer 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 includes the apparatus main body 10 illustrated in FIG. 2 therein, and includes a housing 2 that covers the periphery of the apparatus main body 10 and a cover portion 3 that can be opened and closed with respect to the apparatus main body 10. Make up the appearance.

  The cover portion 3 is configured by integrally forming the front cover portion 4 and the upper surface cover portion 5, and an operation panel (not shown) provided on the upper surface of the apparatus main body 10 when the cover portion 3 is opened; A paper feed port (not shown) appears, and a paper discharge port (not shown) appears on the front side.

Next, the internal structure of the printer 1, that is, the outline of the apparatus main body 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 shows a conveyance path (broken line) of a recording medium (for example, a single sheet of recording paper, hereinafter referred to as paper P).
In the printer 1, the paper P as a medium is transported in the + Y direction in FIG. In the following, the direction in which the medium is conveyed in the printer 1 may be referred to as “downstream”, and the opposite direction may be referred to as “upstream”.

  The apparatus body 10 has a skeleton composed of a plurality of frames. Specifically, the main frame 20, the side frame 21, the side frame 22, the guide frame 23, the sub frame 24, and the guide frame 25 are configured. Each frame will be described in detail later.

A paper feed port 11 on which the paper P can be set is provided on the back side of the device main body 10, and a plurality of sheets P are inserted from the paper feed port 11, loaded on the hopper 12 and supported in an inclined posture. Is done.
The hopper 12 is provided so as to be able to swing so that the sheet P mounting surface moves forward and backward with respect to the feeding roller 13 and is urged toward the feeding roller 13 by an urging means (not shown). The plurality of sheets P set in the hopper 12 are brought into contact with the feeding roller 13 by the uppermost sheet P, picked up by the number of units by the rotation of the feeding roller 13, and fed downstream in the transport direction.

  The paper P sent from the upstream side in the transport direction is transported to a recording position below the ink jet recording head 18 (hereinafter, the recording head 18) by a paper transporting means including a transport driving roller 16 and a transport driven roller 15.

  The recording head 18 is provided on the carriage 17. The carriage 17 will be described with reference to FIG. The carriage 17 has a casing constituted by a carriage body 26 having a box shape. The carriage 17 is equipped with ink cartridges 14a and 14b for supplying ink to the recording head 18, and a motor 19 (FIG. 2). , And reciprocates in the direction intersecting the transport direction (+ Y direction) of the paper P, that is, the paper width direction (X-axis direction). In the present embodiment, the right end of FIG. 2 is the home position of the carriage 17 in the movement region (movement range) of the carriage 17. Here, the home position means a standby position of the carriage 17 when not printing or when the power is turned off.

  A platen 30 that defines the gap between the liquid ejection surface of the recording head 18 and the paper P is provided below the recording head 18 so as to face the recording head 18. Recording is performed between the recording head 18 and the platen 30 by ejecting ink from the recording head 18 onto a medium such as paper P.

  On the downstream side of the recording head 18 in the transport direction, a paper discharge unit including a discharge driving roller 27 and a discharge driven roller 28 is provided. The recorded paper P is discharged toward the front of the apparatus from a paper discharge port (not shown) formed on the front surface of the apparatus by a paper discharge means. Reference numeral 27a denotes a rotation shaft of the discharge drive roller 27, and a plurality of discharge drive rollers 27 are provided at appropriate intervals along the axial direction of the rotation shaft 27a (see FIG. 2). Reference numeral 29 denotes a regulating roller that regulates sheet floating.

  Next, the frame constituting the skeleton of the apparatus main body 2 described above will be described. The main frame 20, the sub frame 24, the guide frame 23, and the guide frame 25 shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. 3 have shapes extending in the paper width direction (X-axis direction), and the side frames 21 and 22 are paper. It has a shape extending in the transport direction (Y-axis direction).

The main frame 20 extends in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) as shown in FIG. 3 in a cross-sectional view, and has an upper portion bent in an L shape on the rear side of the device, and a lower portion on the front side of the device. It is shaped like a letter. The main frame 20 is attached with a motor 19 related to a drive mechanism of a carriage 17 described later. In addition to the sheet feeding means including the hopper 12 and the feeding roller 13, various components such as a roller support member 38 that supports the transport driven roller 15 are assembled.
A metal material is used as a material for forming the frame such as the main frame 20 in order to ensure the rigidity of the apparatus. In this embodiment, it is made of an aluminum material for reducing the weight of the apparatus.

  The guide frame 23 and the guide frame 25 are frames that support the carriage 17 and are provided at positions that sandwich the carriage 17 in the Y-axis direction. Slide portions 26 a and 26 b provided on the carriage body 26 are supported on the guide frame 23 and the guide frame 25, respectively. Note that grease for reducing sliding resistance can be used on the sliding surfaces of the guide frame 23 and the guide frame 25 on which the sliding portions 26a and 26b of the carriage body 26 slide.

  Further, the side frame 21 and the side frame 22 (see FIG. 2) are joined to the end portions of the guide frame 23 and the guide frame 25, respectively, and the sheet conveyance paths such as the conveyance drive roller 16 and the discharge drive roller 27 shown in FIG. The various elements that make up are assembled.

Next, the drive mechanism of the carriage 17 will be described with reference to FIGS.
As described above, the carriage 17 is supported by the guide frame 23 and the guide frame 25. The guide frame 23 is provided with a carriage driving mechanism 31 that is supplied with driving force from the motor 19 and moves the carriage 17 in the X-axis direction. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the carriage drive mechanism 31 includes a drive pulley 32, a driven pulley 33, and an endless belt 34 that is wound around the drive pulley 32 and the driven pulley 33.

  The drive pulley 32 is attached to the drive shaft of the motor 19 (FIG. 2) and is driven to rotate by the motor 19. The motor 19 including the drive pulley 32 is attached to one end side of the moving area of the carriage 17.

The driven pulley 33 is provided at a position away from the drive pulley 32 on the X-axis direction side in FIG. That is, the driven pulley 33 is provided on the other end side of the movement area of the carriage 17. The driven pulley 33 is configured to be driven to rotate with respect to the rotation of the drive pulley 32.
Further, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the driven pulley 33 is rotatably attached to and held by a pulley holder 35. The pulley holder 35 is attached to the main frame 20 and is provided so as to be movable in the direction in which the endless belt 34 is wound, that is, in the X-axis direction. A configuration in which the pulley holder 35 is provided so as to be movable in the X-axis direction with respect to the main frame 20 will be described in detail later.

  The pulley holder 35 is biased in the direction away from the driving pulley 32 by the tension spring 36 as the first biasing portion, that is, the + X axis direction side, and is wound around the driving pulley 32 and the driven pulley 33. The endless belt 34 is configured to apply tension.

  The drive pulley 32 and the driven pulley 33 are provided with a plurality of teeth (not shown) on the outer peripheral surface thereof. On the inner peripheral surface side of the endless belt 34, teeth (not shown) that mesh with the teeth of the drive pulley 32 and the teeth of the driven pulley 33 are provided.

  Further, the endless belt 34 wound around the driving pulley 32 and the driven pulley 33 has a belt hanging direction (X-axis direction) on the lower side (−Z-axis direction side) of the apparatus height direction (Z-axis direction). ) And a second path 34b extending in the same direction on the upper side (+ Z-axis direction side), that is, a second path 34b facing the first path 34a.

  The carriage 17 grips a part of the first path 34 a of the endless belt 34 with a gripping portion 37 (see FIG. 8) provided on the back side of the carriage 17. When the motor 19 rotates the driving pulley 32, the carriage 17 is pulled by the endless belt 34, and the carriage 17 slides on the guide rail 23 and the guide rail 25 in the X-axis direction. As a result, the carriage 17 moves in the + X axis direction or the −X axis direction.

  Here, as described above, the driven pulley 33 applies tension to the endless belt by the pulley holder 35 being urged away from the drive pulley 32 by the tension spring 36. It is preferable that the tension is as small as possible because the driving load of the motor 19 that is the driving source of the driving pulley 32 can be reduced and the motor 19 having a lower rating can be used.

However, if the tension is small, as shown in FIG. 7, the driven pulley 33 moves toward the drive pulley 32 due to the tension applied to the endless belt 34 by the drive pulley 32 when the carriage 17 comes into contact with the carriage stopper 39 on the home position side. As a result, the second end 34b of the endless belt 34 is loosened. This slack induces a tooth skipping phenomenon between the drive pulley 32 and the endless belt 34.
In order to prevent the tooth skipping phenomenon, a belt restricting portion 40 is provided that is opposed to the drive pulley 32 with the endless belt 34 interposed therebetween and restricts the displacement of the endless belt 34 in the direction away from the drive pulley 32.

Next, the belt restricting portion 40 will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 10, in this embodiment, the belt restricting portion 40 is configured by a roller 41 that can be driven and rotated, and the roller 41 is on the first path 34 a side of the endless belt 34 that is gripped by the carriage 17. Opposing to the driving pulley 32. The roller 41 has a shaft 41a held by a roller holder 42 and is attached so as to be driven to rotate (see FIG. 12).

The roller holder 42 is urged toward the drive pulley 32 by the urging force of the urging means 43, and the roller 41 is configured to press the endless belt 34 by the urging force (FIG. 10, FIG. 11 and FIG. 13).
The urging means 43 is provided outside the region between the drive pulley 32 and the driven pulley 33 in the moving direction of the carriage 17. The biasing means 43 is configured as a tension spring, one end side (reference numeral 43a) of which is attached to the hook 42a of the roller holder 42, and the other end side indicated by reference numeral 43b is a spring holding portion 45 fixed at a predetermined position. Is attached.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the roller holder 42 is configured to swing around the fulcrum portion 44 as a fulcrum, and the roller 41 serving as the belt regulating portion 40 by this swinging. Is configured to be movable toward the outer side of the movement region of the carriage 17 (−X-axis direction) against the urging force of the urging means 43.

As shown in FIG. 9A, the roller holder 42 has a contacted portion 46 on the carriage 17 side (see also FIG. 8) in contact with the contact portion 42b on the roller holder 42 side. The roller holder 42 is pushed and swings with the movement in the X-axis direction. As a result, the roller 41 moves in the outer direction (−X axis direction) of the movement area of the carriage 17. [Fig. 9 (B)]
Here, in the roller holder 42, the abutting portion 42b with which the carriage 17 abuts and the fulcrum portion 44 are displaced in a direction (Z-axis direction) intersecting the carriage movement direction (X-axis direction). Thus, the roller holder 42 can be easily swung by the force that the carriage 17 moves in the moving direction (X-axis direction).

The abutted portion 46 (see FIG. 8) with which the roller holder 42 abuts in the carriage 17 is preferably located closer to the other side wall 26 c than the one side wall 26 b of the carriage 17 in the movement direction of the carriage 17. In other words, the contacted portion 46 is positioned inside the width (from the side wall 26b to the side wall 26c) along the moving direction of the carriage 17.
For example, the contacted portion 46 can be provided on the drive pulley 32 side (−X axis direction side) of the sliding portion 26 a provided on the back side (−Y axis direction side) of the carriage 17.
At this time, in a state in which the contact portion 46 with which the roller holder 42 contacts in the carriage 17 and the contact portion 54 on the roller holder 42 side are in contact [FIG. 9B], at least a part of the carriage 17; At least a part of the roller holder 42 is at the same position in the movement direction of the carriage 17.

That is, the belt restricting portion 40 (roller 41) can be provided so as to overlap with the arrangement region of the carriage 17 in the movement direction of the carriage 17, and the enlargement of the recording apparatus 1 can be avoided or suppressed.
In addition to the case where a part of the carriage body 26 is used as the contacted portion 46 as in the present embodiment, another member that becomes the contacted portion may be attached to the carriage body 26.

By providing the belt regulating portion 40 as described above, the following operational effects can be obtained.
That is, since the belt regulating portion 40 that regulates the displacement of the endless belt 34 in the direction away from the drive pulley 32 is provided, the occurrence of tooth skipping phenomenon caused by the disengagement between the teeth of the drive pulley 32 and the teeth of the endless belt 34 occurs. Can be suppressed.

Further, the belt restricting portion 40 is urged toward the drive pulley 32 by the urging means 43 and can move toward the outside of the moving region of the carriage 17 against the urging force of the urging means 43. Even if the belt restricting portion 40 is in the moving region of the carriage 17 and the belt restricting portion 40 and the carriage 17 come into contact with each other, the belt restricting portion 40 can be retracted to the outside of the moving region of the belt restricting portion 40. Accordingly, the movement limit position of the carriage 17 is not defined by the belt restricting portion 40 located at a position that restricts the displacement of the endless belt 34.
As a result, it is possible to secure a movable area of the carriage in a smaller space, and the enlargement of the apparatus can be avoided or suppressed.

Further, since the roller 41 presses the endless belt 34 with the driving pulley 32 by the biasing force of the biasing means 43, the engagement between the teeth of the driving pulley 32 and the teeth of the endless belt 34 is released. Can be more reliably prevented, and the occurrence of the tooth skipping phenomenon can be more effectively suppressed.
In this embodiment, the roller 41 presses the endless belt and the endless belt 34 is restricted from moving away from the drive pulley 32. However, the roller 41 is slightly separated from the endless belt 34. However, when the endless belt 34 is slightly lifted from the driving pulley 32, the roller 41 comes into contact with the endless belt 34, and the endless belt 34 is further driven by the driving pulley 32. It is also possible to adopt a configuration that keeps it from moving away.

  Further, the endless belt 34 moves in the X-axis direction by the rotational drive of the driving pulley 32, and the belt regulating unit 40 comes into contact with the moving endless belt 34, and the endless belt 34 is displaced in a direction away from the driving pulley 32. regulate. At this time, since the belt restricting portion 40 is composed of a roller 41 that can be driven and rotated, the load that the belt restricting portion 40 is in contact with the endless belt 34 can be reduced. Therefore, the tooth skipping phenomenon can be prevented by the belt regulating portion 40 while smoothly moving the endless belt 34.

Furthermore, the roller 41 as the belt restricting portion 40 is mechanically displaced by the movement of the carriage 17 from the configuration in which the roller 41 is provided in the roller holder 42 and the carriage 17 contacts the roller holder 42 to displace the roller 41. Can do.
In addition, since the carriage 17 contacts the roller holder 42, the carriage 17 does not contact the roller 41 itself that contacts the endless belt 34. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility of the roller 41 being scratched, worn, deformed, etc. by the carriage 17.
If the roller 41 that contacts the endless belt 34 is scratched or deformed, the endless belt 34 may be damaged. Therefore, it is important that the roller 41 is not scratched, worn or deformed.

Further, since the roller holder 42 displaces the roller 41 by swinging around the fulcrum portion 44, the roller 41 can be displaced in a space-saving manner.
In addition, the abutment portion with which the carriage 17 abuts on the roller holder 42 and the fulcrum portion 44 are displaced in a direction (Z-axis direction) intersecting the carriage movement direction (X-axis direction). The roller holder 42 can be reliably swung by the force that the carriage 17 moves in the moving direction (X-axis direction).

  The belt regulating unit 40 (roller 41) is preferably in a position that regulates the displacement of the endless belt 34 when the carriage 17 is in a moving range in which recording is performed on the medium, that is, while recording is being performed. . Thus, the tooth skip phenomenon can be reliably suppressed during recording, and the carriage 17 and the roller holder 42 do not come into contact with each other during recording, so that it is possible to avoid the possibility of deterioration in recording quality.

Further, the urging direction D (see FIG. 7) to be the driving pulley 32 of the belt regulating unit 40 (roller 41) is a direction that forms an acute angle α with respect to the + X axis direction that is the moving direction of the carriage 17. It is desirable.
As a result, the roller 41 can easily move in the outer direction of the movement region of the carriage 17 as the carriage 17 moves in the −X axis direction while being in contact with the roller holder 42.

  In this embodiment, the belt restricting portion 40 is brought into contact with the carriage 17, and the belt restricting portion 40 is mechanically displaced in the outward direction of the moving region of the carriage 17 by the movement of the carriage 17. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when the carriage 17 moves to a predetermined position (for example, when the carriage 17 approaches the belt restricting portion 40), this is detected and the belt restricting portion 40 is driven by power other than the carriage 17 (for example, a motor or solenoid). For example, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which control is performed so that the carriage 17 is retracted toward the outside of the moving region of the carriage 17.

[Example 2]
In the second embodiment, another embodiment of the belt restricting portion will be described with reference to FIG. 14A and 14B are diagrams for explaining a belt restricting portion 50 according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14A is a state where the belt restricting portion is in a position for restricting the displacement of the endless belt, and FIG. 14B is a belt restricting portion. This is a state in which the section has moved to the outside of the carriage movement area.
In the present embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description of the components is omitted.

  The belt regulating unit 50 according to the second embodiment is a roller 51 that can be driven and rotated, and the roller 51 is held by a roller holder 52. As an urging means 53 for urging the roller 51 held by the roller holder 52 toward the drive pulley 32, a coil spring is disposed on the outer side of the moving region of the carriage 17 with respect to the roller holder 52. It is configured to advance and retreat in the axial direction, that is, the moving direction of the carriage 17.

When the abutting part 54 on the roller holder 52 side and the abutted part 46 on the carriage 17 side come into contact with each other and the carriage 17 moves in the −X-axis direction, the roller holder 52 against the urging force of the urging means 53 − Move in the X-axis direction. Then, the roller 51 moves from the restriction position for restricting the displacement of the endless belt 34 [FIG. 14A] to the outside of the moving area of the carriage 17 [FIG. 14B].
In the belt regulating unit 50, the movement direction of the carriage 17 and the movement direction of the roller holder 52 are the same. Therefore, the movement of the roller 51 in the outer direction of the movement region of the carriage 17 in conjunction with the movement of the carriage 17 is performed. It can be realized with a simple configuration.

  By providing the belt restricting portion 50, the occurrence of the tooth skipping phenomenon can be suppressed as in the first embodiment. Further, when the belt restricting portion 50 comes into contact with the carriage 17 at a position for restricting the displacement of the endless belt 34, the belt restricting portion 50 is interlocked with the movement of the carriage 17 further outward in the moving region of the carriage 17. The carriage 17 can move in the outward direction of the moving area. As a result, it is possible to secure a movable area of the carriage in a smaller space, and the enlargement of the apparatus can be avoided or suppressed.

[Example 3]
In the third embodiment, still another embodiment of the belt restricting portion will be described with reference to FIG. FIGS. 15A and 15B are diagrams for explaining a belt restricting portion according to still another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 15A is a state where the belt restricting portion is in a position for restricting the displacement of the endless belt, and FIG. This is a state in which the section has moved to the outside of the carriage movement area.
In the present embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description of the components is omitted.

  The belt regulating unit 60 according to the third embodiment is a roller 61 that can be driven and rotated, and the roller 61 is held by a roller holder 62. In this embodiment, the urging means 63 for urging the roller 61 held by the roller holder 62 toward the drive pulley 32 is a leaf spring, and the urging means 63 has one end side 63a on the upper side of the roller holder 62 (+ Z It is fixed to the main frame 20 with screws 64 on the axial direction side. The other end side 63 b of the urging means 63 is connected to the roller holder 62.

  When the contact portion 65 on the roller holder 62 side and the contacted portion 46 on the carriage 17 side come into contact with each other and the carriage 17 moves in the −X axis direction, the roller holder 62 is −X against the urging force of the urging means 63. Move in the axial direction. Then, the roller 61 moves from the restriction position that restricts the displacement of the endless belt 34 [FIG. 15A] to the outside of the movement area of the carriage 17 [FIG. 15B].

  Also in the present embodiment, the occurrence of the tooth skip phenomenon can be suppressed by the belt restricting portion 60. In addition, the belt regulating unit 60 contacts the carriage 17 at a position where the displacement of the endless belt 34 is regulated, and the movement region of the carriage 17 is interlocked with the movement of the carriage 17 further outward in the movement region of the carriage 17. Move in the outward direction. As a result, it is possible to secure a movable area of the carriage in a smaller space, and the enlargement of the apparatus can be avoided or suppressed.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims, and it goes without saying that these are also included in the scope of the present invention. .

1 Printer, 2 Housing, 3 Cover,
4 Front cover part, 5 Upper cover part,
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Apparatus main body, 11 Paper feed port, 12 Hopper, 13 Feed roller 14 Ink cartridge, 15 Conveyance driven roller, 16 Conveyance drive roller,
17 Carriage, 18 Recording head, 19 Motor,
20 main frames, 21 side frames, 22 side frames 23 guide frames, 24 subframes, 25 guide frames,
26 Carriage body, 26a sliding portion, 26b sliding portion, 27 discharge drive roller,
27a rotating shaft, 28 discharge driven roller, 29 regulating roller,
30 platen, 31 carriage drive mechanism, 32 drive pulley,
33 driven pulley, 34 endless belt, 34a first path, 34b second path,
35 pulley holder, 36 tension spring, 37 gripping part,
38 roller support member, 39 carriage stopper,
40 belt regulating part, 41 roller, 42 roller holder,
43 biasing means, 44 fulcrum part, 45 spring holding part, 46 contacted part,
50 belt regulating part, 51 roller, 52 roller holder,
53 biasing means, 54 abutting portion, 60 belt regulating portion, 61 roller,
62 Roller holder, 63 Biasing means, 64 Screw, 65 Contact part P Paper

Claims (9)

An endless belt wound around a driving pulley and a driven pulley;
A carriage having a recording head for recording on a medium and reciprocating in a predetermined direction by being pulled by the endless belt;
A belt restricting portion that is disposed opposite to the drive pulley across the endless belt and restricts the displacement of the endless belt in a direction away from the drive pulley;
The belt restricting portion is urged toward the drive pulley by the urging means, and is movable toward the outer side of the moving region of the carriage against the urging force of the urging means.
A recording apparatus. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the belt regulating unit presses the endless belt with the driving pulley by an urging force of the urging means.
A recording apparatus. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a path of the endless belt between the driving pulley and the driven pulley includes a first path to which the carriage is fixed, and the first path. An opposing second path,
The belt restricting portion restricts the displacement of the endless belt on the first path side;
A recording apparatus. The recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the belt regulating portion is configured by a roller that can be driven and rotated.
A recording apparatus. The recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the belt restricting portion is provided in a holder,
The carriage abuts on the holder and displaces the belt restricting portion;
A recording apparatus. The recording apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the holder displaces the belt restricting portion by swinging about the fulcrum portion as a fulcrum,
The position of the abutment portion with which the carriage abuts on the holder and the fulcrum portion are shifted in a direction intersecting the moving direction of the carriage.
A recording apparatus. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the urging unit is provided outside a region between the driving pulley and the driven pulley in a moving direction of the carriage. ,
A recording apparatus. 8. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the belt restricting portion restricts displacement of the endless belt in a moving range of the carriage when the carriage performs recording on a medium. 9. Hold,
A recording apparatus. 7. The recording apparatus according to claim 5, wherein, in a state where the contacted portion with which the holder contacts in the carriage and the contact portion of the holder are in contact with each other, at least a part of the carriage , At least a part of the holder is in the same position in the movement direction of the carriage,
A recording apparatus.

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