JP2016030349A - Liquid discharge device and tube support method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent tubes from being fallen.SOLUTION: A liquid discharge device includes: a discharge part capable of discharging a liquid; tubes which are connected with the discharge part and capable of supplying the liquid to the discharge part; a frame provided at a position such that the frame may contact with the tubes; and a tube support part provided between the discharge part and the frame and having a support surface capable of supporting the tubes. The support surface of the tube support part inclines so that the tubes supported thereby are biased in a direction toward the frame.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid discharge apparatus and a tube support method.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a recording apparatus including a support unit that supports a tube connected to a carriage is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2010-131893 A

  However, the above-described apparatus has a problem that the tube falls off the support portion due to, for example, an external factor.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to solve at least a part of the problems described above, and the invention can be implemented as the following forms or application examples.

  Application Example 1 A liquid discharge apparatus according to this application example includes a discharge unit that can discharge liquid, a tube that is connected to the discharge unit, and that can supply liquid to the discharge unit, and a position that can contact the tube. And a tube support portion provided between the discharge portion and the frame and having a support surface capable of supporting the tube, the support surface of the tube support portion supporting the tube The tube is inclined so as to be biased in a direction toward the frame.

  According to this configuration, the tube is supported on the support surface of the tube support portion. Here, the support surface of the tube support portion is inclined so that the tube is biased in the direction toward the frame. For this reason, force acts in the direction in which the tube is pressed against the frame side. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the tube from falling off the tube support portion.

  Application Example 2 In the liquid ejection device according to the application example, the ejection unit is mounted, and includes a carriage that can move between a first position and a second position in the scanning direction. The carriage is supported on the support surface when the carriage is located at the first position, and is separated from the support surface when the carriage is located at the second position.

  According to this configuration, when the carriage moves between the first position and the second position, a state in which the tube connected to the discharge unit is slackened and a state in which the tube is stretched appears. Therefore, in a state where the tube is slack (for example, the first position), the tube is easily deformed in a direction in which it hangs down due to its own weight. For this reason, the tube is supported by the support surface. On the other hand, in a state where the tube is extended (for example, the second position), the tube does not fall off from the support surface, so that the tube is separated from the support surface. Thus, it can be set as a suitable structure according to the state of the tube accompanying the movement of a carriage.

  Application Example 3 The liquid ejection device according to the application example described above includes a tube holding member that is attached to the tube and has a supported surface that is in contact with the support surface.

  According to this configuration, the tube holding member is attached to the tube, and the support surface of the tube support portion and the supported surface of the tube holding member are in contact with each other. That is, since the tube and the support surface are not in direct contact with each other, damage due to wear or sliding of the tube can be prevented.

  Application Example 4 In the liquid ejection device according to the application example, the supported surface is inclined so as to follow the inclination of the support surface.

  According to this configuration, the tube holding member is urged toward the frame along the inclination of the support surface. Thereby, it becomes more difficult for the tube to fall off.

  Application Example 5 The liquid discharge apparatus according to the application example described above is characterized in that the supported surface has a lower coefficient of dynamic friction than other portions of the tube holding member.

  According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent wear of the support surface and the supported surface due to friction between the support surface and the supported surface.

  Application Example 6 In the liquid ejection apparatus according to the application example described above, the frame and the tube support portion are provided so as to be continuous.

  According to this configuration, since the frame and the support surface are continuous, the tube is difficult to drop off.

  [Application Example 7] A tube support method according to this application example is provided at a position where a discharge unit capable of discharging a liquid, a tube connected to the discharge unit and supplying the liquid to the discharge unit, and a position where the tube can be contacted. A tube support method in a liquid discharge apparatus including the frame, wherein the tube is supported while being urged in a direction toward the frame between the discharge unit and the frame.

  According to this configuration, the tube is supported on the support surface of the tube support portion. Here, the support surface of the tube support portion is inclined so that the tube is biased in the direction toward the frame. For this reason, force acts in the direction in which the tube is pressed against the frame side. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the tube from falling off the tube support portion.

Schematic which shows the structure of a liquid discharge apparatus. FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view showing a partial configuration of the liquid ejection apparatus. FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view showing a partial configuration of the liquid ejection apparatus. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the operation of the liquid ejection device. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the operation of the liquid ejection device.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, the scale of each member or the like is shown differently from the actual scale so as to make each member or the like recognizable.

  First, the configuration of the liquid ejection device will be described. The liquid discharge apparatus includes a discharge unit capable of discharging a liquid, a tube connected to the discharge unit and capable of supplying liquid to the discharge unit, a frame provided at a position where the liquid can be contacted with the tube, and the discharge unit and the frame. A tube support portion having a support surface capable of supporting the tube, and the support surface of the tube support portion is inclined so that the tube to be supported is urged toward the frame It is characterized by. The liquid ejection device is, for example, an ink jet printer. This will be specifically described below.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of the liquid ejection device, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are partially enlarged views illustrating a partial configuration of the liquid ejection device. The liquid ejection device 50 ejects (injects) ink, which is an example of liquid, to the transport device 70 that transports a continuous sheet P of a long sheet that is an example of a medium, and the continuous paper P that is transported by the transport device 70. ) A possible discharge unit 60 and the like are provided. The liquid ejection device 50 includes a control unit (not shown) that controls the transport device 70, the ejection unit 60, and the like.

  The conveying device 70 includes a feeding unit 74 that feeds the continuous paper P, and a winding unit 75 that winds the continuous paper P fed from the feeding unit 74 and printed by the discharge unit 60. In FIG. 1, the feeding unit 74 is disposed at the right side position on the upstream side in the transport direction Y (left direction in FIG. 1) of the continuous paper P, while the winding unit 75 is disposed at the left side position on the downstream side. Has been.

  The discharge unit 60 is disposed at a position between the feeding unit 74 and the winding unit 75 so as to face the conveyance path of the continuous paper P. The ejection unit 60 is, for example, an inkjet head. A plurality of nozzles 67 a for ejecting ink onto the continuous paper P are formed on the surface of the ejection unit 60 that faces the transport path of the continuous paper P. The discharge unit 60 is mounted on a carriage 61, and the carriage 61 is disposed so as to be reciprocable in the main scanning direction X while being supported by the main guide shaft 56. The carriage 61 is connected to a drive motor (shown in the figure) and reciprocates in the main scanning direction X by rotationally driving the drive motor.

  A platen 53 that supports the continuous paper P is disposed at a position facing the discharge unit 60 across the conveyance path of the continuous paper P. The ejection unit 60 is mounted on the carriage 61 so that the surface on which the nozzles 67 a are formed faces the platen surface 531 of the platen 53. A tube 81 capable of supplying ink to the ejection unit 60 is connected to the ejection unit 60. In the present embodiment, the ejection unit 60 includes five heads, and ink is supplied from an ink storage container (not shown) via tubes 81 (total of five) having ink flow paths for each head. The Further, the FFC 82 is connected to the discharge unit 60 from the control unit. Here, “FFC” is an abbreviation for “Flat Flexible Cable”. That is, the FFC 82 is a flat cable having flexibility. And the drive signal of the discharge part 60 is output from the control part via FFC82. The tube 81 and the FFC 82 are connected to the carriage 61 via the connection member 84. The tube 81 and the FFC 82 are formed of a flexible material so as not to prevent the carriage 61 from reciprocating.

  The feeding unit 74 is provided with a feeding shaft 74a extending in the width direction X of the continuous paper P (a direction orthogonal to the paper surface in FIG. 1), which is a direction intersecting the transport direction Y of the continuous paper P, so as to be rotationally driven. . The feeding shaft 74a supports the continuous paper P so as to be integrally rotatable with the feeding shaft 74a in a state where the continuous paper P is wound in a roll shape in advance. Then, when the feeding shaft 74a is rotationally driven, the continuous paper P is fed from the feeding shaft 74a toward the downstream side of the conveyance path.

  On the downstream side of the feeding direction Y of the continuous paper P with respect to the feeding shaft 74a, a paper feed roller pair 73, which is an example of a transporting portion that guides the continuous paper P transported from the feeding shaft 74a to the platen surface 531 while being sandwiched, is disposed. ing. The paper feed roller pair 73 is disposed on the upstream side in the transport direction Y with respect to the platen 53. The pair of paper feed rollers 73 includes a paper feed roller 73a provided so as to be rotatable and a paper pressing roller 73b that is driven by the rotation of the paper feed roller 73a. The position where the continuous paper P is sandwiched by the paper feed roller 73 a and the paper pressing roller 73 b is located above the platen surface 531 of the platen 53.

  In addition, a tension roller 76 for adjusting the tension of the printed region of the continuous paper P is disposed on the downstream side in the transport direction Y of the platen surface 531 in the transport path of the continuous paper P. A winding unit 75 is disposed on the downstream side of the tension roller 76 in the conveyance path of the continuous paper P.

  The winding unit 75 is provided with a winding shaft 75a extending in the width direction X of the continuous paper P so as to be rotationally driven. When the winding shaft 75a is rotationally driven, the printed continuous paper P conveyed from the tension roller 76 side is sequentially wound by the winding shaft 75a.

  Next, a support method of the tube 81 and a support configuration of the tube 81 will be described. The tube 81 supporting method according to the present embodiment includes a discharge unit 60 that can discharge ink, a tube 81 that is connected to the discharge unit 60 and supplies ink to the discharge unit 60, and a position that can contact the tube. And a tube 85 for supporting the tube 81 while being urged in a direction toward the frame 85 between the discharge unit 60 and the frame 85. This will be specifically described below.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a frame 85 is provided at a position where it can come into contact with the tube 81. More specifically, a frame 85 having a frame surface 85a is disposed along the main scanning direction X in which the ejection unit 60 (carriage 61) moves. As shown in FIG. 4, the frame 85 is connected to a base plate 90 having a part 90a arranged in a substantially horizontal direction. The frame 85 is installed substantially perpendicular to the part 90 a of the base plate 90. Further, the five tubes 81 are also arranged so as to overlap with a part 90 a of the base plate 90 in a substantially vertical direction. The length of the frame 85 corresponding to the frame surface 85a is configured to be longer than the dimension of the tube 81 in the Z-axis direction.

  Further, a tube support portion 851 is provided between the discharge portion 60 and the frame 85. In the present embodiment, the frame 85 and the tube support portion 851 are provided so as to be continuous. The tube support portion 851 has a support surface 851 a that can support the tube 81. The support surface 851 a of the tube support portion 851 is inclined so that the tube 81 to be supported is urged in the direction toward the frame 85. Specifically, the height in the Z-axis direction of the tube support portion 851 is configured to become lower toward the frame 85 side. Thereby, when the tube 81 contacts the support surface 851a, the tube 81 is urged toward the frame. That is, the tube 81 is prevented from dropping from the support surface 851a.

  The tube 81 is held by a tube holding member 900. The tube holding member 900 has a first holding part 901 and a second holding part 902, and has a function of sandwiching and bundling a plurality of tubes 81 between the first holding part 901 and the second holding part 902. . Thereby, fluttering of the tube 81 when the carriage 61 reciprocates can be prevented. In the present embodiment, in addition to the tube 81, the FFC 82 is also held by the tube holding member 900. Thereby, flapping of the tube 81 and the FFC 82 can be prevented.

  The tube holding member 900 has a supported surface 900 a that contacts the support surface 851 a of the tube support portion 851. Thereby, since the support surface 851a and the tube 81 etc. do not contact directly, damage to the tube 81 etc. by friction and abrasion can be prevented. Further, the supported surface 900a of the tube holding member 900 is inclined so as to follow the inclination of the supporting surface 851a. Specifically, the height in the Z-axis direction of the supported surface 900a in contact with the support surface 851a is configured to become lower toward the frame 85 side. As a result, the tube holding member 900 is biased toward the frame 85 along the inclination of the support surface 851a. Thereby, the tube holding part 900 including the tube 81 is more difficult to drop off.

  Furthermore, the supported surface 900 a of the tube holding member 900 has a configuration in which the coefficient of dynamic friction is lower than that of other portions of the tube holding member 900. In the present embodiment, a low-friction member tape 910 having a lower coefficient of dynamic friction than other portions of the tube holding member 900 is attached to the portion corresponding to the supported surface 900a. Thereby, wear deterioration of the supported surface 900a and the support surface 851a due to friction between the supported surface 900a (low friction member tape 910) and the support surface 851a can be prevented.

  Note that the tube support portion 851 of this embodiment has an integrated structure including a first member 854 having a support surface 851a capable of supporting the tube 81 and a second member 855 not supporting the tube 81. The first member 854 is fixed to a part 90 a of the base plate 90 by a fixing portion 860. On the other hand, the second member 855 does not contact the base plate 90 and is a free end. Therefore, when the tube holding member 900 holding the tube 81 or the FFC 82 comes into contact with the support surface 851a of the first member 854, the tube support 851 is moved in the direction of gravity by the weight of the tube 81, the FFC 82, or the tube holding member 900. Although pressed, the tube support portion 851 has a cantilever structure, so that an elastic force is generated. Therefore, even if an external force is generated in the tube 81, the FFC 82, and the like, the tube 81, the FFC 82, and the like are absorbed, so that the tube 81, the FFC 82 can be supported with the support surface 851a.

  Next, the operation of the liquid ejection device will be described. 4 and 5 are schematic diagrams illustrating the operation of the liquid ejection apparatus. That is, FIG. 4 shows the case where the ejection unit 60 is in the first position (home position HP), and FIG. 5 is the case where the ejection unit 60 is in the second position (position when moved in the main scanning direction X). Is shown. The movement of the ejection unit 60 between the first position and the second position is executed by the movement of the carriage 61.

  When the discharge unit 60 (carriage 61) is positioned at the first position due to the movement of the carriage 61 in the main scanning direction X, the tube 81 is supported by the support surface 851a, and the discharge unit 60 (carriage 61) is the first. When it is located at position 2, it is separated from the support surface 851a. In detail, the region spaced from the support surface 851a of the tube 81 is larger when the discharge unit 60 is positioned at the second position than when the discharge unit 60 is positioned at the first position. ing. That is, when the discharge unit 60 is located at the first position, the tube 81 may be loosened by its own weight and fall off from the support surface 851a. Therefore, the tube 81 is supported on the support surface 851a as much as possible. On the other hand, since the tube 81 is pulled by the carriage 61 when the discharge unit 60 is located at the second position, there is no possibility of dropping from the support surface 851a of the tube 81. Therefore, the tube 81 is separated from the support surface 851a. In the present embodiment, since the tube 81 and the FFC 82 are held by the tube holding member 900, when the discharge unit 60 (carriage 61) is located at the first position, the tube 81 and the FFC 82 are supported by the support surface 851a. The tube 81 and the FFC 82 are separated from the support surface 851a when the discharge unit 60 (carriage 61) is located at the second position.

  The above-mentioned home position HP is a position set in a predetermined position outside the area in which the carriage 61 reciprocates during execution of recording within the movable range of the carriage 61. This is the position where the carriage 61 stops when the power is turned off (when the liquid ejection device is transported or stored).

  As mentioned above, according to the said embodiment, the following effects can be acquired.

  The tube holding member 900 holding the tube 81 is supported by the support surface 851a of the tube support portion 851. Here, the support surface 851 a of the tube support portion 851 is inclined so that the tube holding member 900 is urged in the direction toward the frame 85. For this reason, the tube holding member 900 acts so as to be pressed against the frame 85 side. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the tube holding member 900 from falling off the tube support portion 851. Thereby, the operation of the carriage 61 in the liquid ejection device 50 can be stabilized.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and improvements can be added to the above-described embodiment. A modification will be described below.

  (Modification 1) In the above embodiment, the configuration of a so-called off-carriage type liquid ejection device 50 has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, an on-carriage type liquid ejection device in which an ink cartridge is mounted on a carriage may be used. Even if it does in this way, the effect similar to the said effect can be acquired. In this case, since the tube 81 does not exist, the present invention is an invention that prevents the FFC 82 from dropping off. Therefore, the tube support portion 851 is positioned as a cable support portion that supports the cable.

  (Modification 2) Although the liquid discharge apparatus 50 of the said embodiment was set as the structure which conveys the elongate sheet-like continuous paper P as a medium, it is not limited to this structure. For example, a configuration using a single sheet of recording paper may be adopted. Even if it does in this way, the effect similar to the said effect can be acquired.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 50 ... Liquid discharge apparatus, 60 ... Discharge part, 61 ... Carriage, 81 ... Tube, 82 ... FFC, 85 ... Frame, 90 ... Base plate, 90a ... Part, 851 ... Tube support part, 851a ... Support surface, 900 ... Tube Holding member, 900a ... supported surface, 900b ... surface, 910 ... low friction member tape.

Claims (7)

A discharge part capable of discharging liquid;
A tube connected to the discharge unit and capable of supplying liquid to the discharge unit;
A frame provided at a position in contact with the tube;
A tube support portion provided between the discharge portion and the frame and having a support surface capable of supporting the tube;
The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a support surface of the tube support portion is inclined so that the tube to be supported is urged in a direction toward the frame. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1,
The discharge unit is mounted, and includes a carriage that can move between a first position and a second position along a scanning direction,
The tube is supported by the support surface when the carriage is located at the first position, and is separated from the support surface when the carriage is located at the second position. apparatus. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
A liquid discharge apparatus comprising a tube holding member attached to the tube and having a supported surface in contact with the support surface. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 3, wherein
The liquid ejection apparatus, wherein the supported surface is inclined so as to follow the inclination of the supporting surface. In the liquid ejection device according to claim 3 or 4,
The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the supported surface has a lower coefficient of dynamic friction than other portions of the tube holding member. In the liquid ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the frame and the tube support portion are provided so as to be continuous. A tube support method in a liquid discharge apparatus comprising: a discharge unit capable of discharging a liquid; a tube connected to the discharge unit and supplying a liquid to the discharge unit; and a frame provided at a position in contact with the tube. There,
A tube support method, wherein the tube is supported between the discharge part and the frame while being urged in a direction toward the frame.

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