JP2017159528A - Recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a recording device improving a degree of freedom of layout in a carriage comprising an angle adjustment mechanism of a recording head.SOLUTION: A recording device has a carriage 32 comprising a recording head performing recording on a medium. The carriage comprises: a head unit 48 including the recording head; a housing 46 rotatably attaching the head unit around a rotation central axis 62 in a direction intersecting with a head surface of the recording head; and rotation means 50 rotating the head unit around the rotation central axis. The rotation means comprises: an operation section 64 being positioned so as to be separated from the head unit and receiving operation; and a transmission section 66 transmitting action of the operation section to the head unit. In a direction connecting the head unit and the operation section, a housing translucent region causing detection light of an optical sensor to pass through inside and outside the carriage is formed between the head unit and the operation section of the housing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

  The present invention relates to a recording apparatus that performs recording on a medium.

In an ink jet printer which is an example of a recording apparatus, a carriage mounted with a recording head reciprocates in the main scanning direction so that recording is performed by discharging liquid (an example of ink) from the recording head onto a medium. There is a so-called serial type constructed.
In the carriage, the recording head is configured such that the mounting angle can be adjusted as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-228707.

JP 2005-193458 A

  In the carriage described in Patent Document 1, a sub carriage is provided so as to be rotatable with respect to a main carriage, and a recording head is provided on the sub carriage. A main lever or a sub-lever, which is a lever for performing an operation, pushes the sub-carriage by turning, thereby turning the sub-carriage.

  However, in the configuration of Patent Document 1, since the main lever or the sub lever which is the operation unit directly presses the sub carriage, the degree of freedom in arrangement of the operation unit and the sub carriage is limited.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object of the present invention is to improve the degree of freedom of layout in a carriage having an angle adjustment mechanism of a recording head.

  In order to solve the above problems, a recording apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a carriage including a recording head that performs recording on a medium, and the carriage includes a head unit including the recording head, and the head A housing for rotatably mounting the unit about a rotation center axis in a direction intersecting the head surface of the recording head; and a rotation means for rotating the head unit about the rotation center axis. The rotating means includes an operation unit that is located apart from the head unit and receives an operation, and a transmission unit that transmits the movement of the operation unit to the head unit.

  According to this aspect, in the configuration in which the angle of the recording head is adjusted by rotating the head unit including the recording head, the operation unit that receives the operation, and the transmission unit that transmits the movement of the operation unit to the head unit In other words, since the movement of the operation unit is transmitted to the head unit via the transmission unit, the degree of freedom of layout between the operation unit and the head unit can be improved.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, an optical sensor is detected between the head unit and the operation unit of the housing in a direction connecting the head unit and the operation unit. A housing light-transmitting region that allows light to pass inside and outside the carriage is formed.

  According to this aspect, the casing translucent area is defined as the operation part and the head unit by the operational effect of the first aspect, that is, the degree of freedom in layout between the operation part and the head unit is improved. Between the two.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, the transmission unit has a shape that avoids the casing light-transmitting region.
According to this aspect, since the transmission unit has a shape that avoids the casing translucent region, it is possible to avoid the problem that the transmission unit obstructs the detection light of the optical sensor.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, in the second aspect, the transmission part transmits light detected by the optical sensor to the inside and outside of the carriage at a position overlapping the casing light transmission region. A region is formed.

  According to this aspect, the transmission portion is formed with a transmission portion light transmission region that allows the detection light of the optical sensor to pass inside and outside the carriage at a position that overlaps the housing light transmission region. It is possible to avoid the problem that the transmission unit obstructs the detection light of the optical sensor.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, the sub-frame constituting the head unit has a positioning portion for positioning a liquid cartridge that stores liquid, and detects light of the optical sensor of the carriage. A frame translucent area that passes inside and outside is formed at a position overlapping the casing translucent area.

  According to this aspect, the sub-frame that constitutes the head unit has a positioning portion that positions the liquid cartridge that contains the liquid, and a frame translucent region that allows the detection light of the optical sensor to pass inside and outside the carriage. Since it is formed at a position that overlaps with the casing translucent area, when the head unit is rotated, the liquid cartridge and the frame translucent area are rotated at the same time. In the case of detecting the remaining amount of liquid in the liquid cartridge, it is possible to prevent a deviation between the liquid cartridge as a detection target and the frame translucent region, and perform appropriate detection.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the fifth aspect, the carriage is capable of detaching a plurality of the liquid cartridges, and the casing translucent area and the frame translucent area are provided for each of the plurality of liquid cartridges. Among the plurality of frame light transmitting areas, a frame light transmitting area farthest from the rotation center axis is larger than other frame light transmitting areas.

  According to this aspect, when the head unit is rotated, the frame translucent area where the deviation from the housing translucent area is the largest is larger than the other frame translucent areas. When the unit is rotated, it is possible to avoid a possibility that the detection light of the optical sensor is blocked due to a shift between the casing light transmission region and the frame light transmission region.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the carriage includes a liquid cartridge that stores a liquid, and the liquid cartridge stores information on the liquid cartridge. The head unit includes a positioning unit that positions the liquid cartridge, and a contact terminal that is in electrical contact with the storage medium.

  According to this aspect, the liquid cartridge that stores the liquid is provided with the storage medium that holds the information on the liquid cartridge, and the head unit includes the positioning unit that positions the liquid cartridge, and the storage medium electrically A contact terminal that comes into contact with the storage unit, so that a positional shift between the storage medium of the liquid cartridge and the contact terminal when the head unit is rotated can be avoided, and the storage medium and the contact terminal The contact between them can be maintained in an appropriate state.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the carriage includes a plurality of liquid cartridges that store liquid, and one of the plurality of liquid cartridges is the other liquid cartridge. The size in a plane intersecting the rotation center axis is larger than that of the liquid cartridge, and the operation unit is provided at a position corresponding to a mounting portion of the liquid cartridge having the large size in the head unit. To do.

  According to this aspect, the carriage includes a plurality of liquid cartridges that store liquid, and one liquid cartridge of the plurality of liquid cartridges is on a plane that intersects the rotation center axis more than the other liquid cartridges. Since the size of the operation unit is large and the operation unit is provided at a position corresponding to the mounting site of the liquid cartridge having a large size in the head unit, the size of the operation unit can be ensured to be large. Thereby, the operation unit can be operated more easily, or the adjustment resolution can be improved by enlarging the operation unit.

1 is an external perspective view of a printer according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a medium conveyance path of the printer according to the invention. The perspective view which shows a carriage and a carriage drive means. 1 is a perspective view of a carriage according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a carriage and a recording head according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a state where an ink cartridge is removed from a carriage. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a state where an ink cartridge is removed from a carriage. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a detection state of an optical sensor that detects the remaining amount of ink in an ink cartridge. The perspective view which shows the head unit and rotation means which concern on this invention. The perspective view which shows the head unit and rotation means which concern on this invention. The perspective view which shows the nozzle surface and rotation means in the head unit which concerns on this invention. The perspective view which shows the operation part of the rotation means in this invention. The perspective view which shows the transmission part of the rotation means in this invention. FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view showing connection means for connecting the head unit and a carriage housing. The perspective view which shows the contact terminal in a carriage. The perspective view which looked at the carriage drive means concerning the present invention from the device depth direction back side. The perspective view which shows the driven pulley in a carriage drive means. The perspective view which shows the tooth skip prevention means in a carriage drive means. The rear view which shows the relationship between the cam and slider member in a tooth skip prevention means. The top view of the carriage which shows a 2nd Example. The top view of the carriage which shows a 3rd Example. The top view of the carriage which shows a 4th Example. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an ink cartridge.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, about the same structure in each Example, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and it demonstrates only in the first Example, The description of the structure is abbreviate | omitted in a subsequent Example.

  FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a printer according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing a medium conveyance path of the printer according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a carriage and carriage driving means. 4 is a perspective view of the carriage according to the present invention, FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the carriage and the recording head according to the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a state where the ink cartridge is removed from the carriage. .

  7 is a plan view showing a state in which the ink cartridge is removed from the carriage, FIG. 8 is a schematic view of a detection state of an optical sensor for detecting the remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge, and FIG. 9 relates to the present invention. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the head unit and the rotating means according to the present invention, and FIG. 11 shows the nozzle surface and the rotating means in the head unit according to the present invention. FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing an operation portion of the rotating means in the present invention.

  FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a transmission portion of the rotation means in the present invention, FIG. 14 is a side sectional view showing connection means for connecting the head unit and the carriage housing, and FIG. FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the carriage drive unit according to the present invention as seen from the rear side in the apparatus depth direction, and FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a driven pulley in the carriage drive unit. 18 is a perspective view showing the tooth skip prevention means in the carriage driving means.

  19 is a rear view showing the relationship between the cam and the slider member in the tooth skip prevention means, FIG. 20 is a plan view of a carriage showing the second embodiment, and FIG. 21 is a third embodiment. FIG. 22 is a plan view of the carriage showing the fourth embodiment, and FIG. 23 is a schematic view of the ink cartridge.

  In the XYZ coordinate system shown in each figure, the X direction is the main scanning direction (movement direction) of the carriage, that is, the width direction of the recording apparatus, the Y direction is the depth direction of the recording apparatus, and the Z direction is the apparatus height direction. Is shown. In each figure, the + X direction side is the device left side, the -X direction side is the device right side, the -Y direction is the device front side, the + Y direction side is the device back side, and the + Z axis direction side is the device upper side. -Let the Z-axis direction side be a device lower side.

■■■ First Example ■■■■
<<< Printer overview >>>
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the printer 10 includes an apparatus main body 12 and a scanner unit 14. An operation panel 16 is provided on the front side of the apparatus body 12 in the apparatus depth direction. In the present embodiment, the operation panel 16 is provided with an input button for operating the printer 10 and a display panel for displaying information of the printer 10.

  A discharge port 18 is provided below the operation panel 16 on the front side in the apparatus depth direction of the apparatus main body 12 to discharge the medium from the apparatus main body 12 toward the front side in the apparatus depth direction. In the apparatus main body 12, a medium accommodation unit 20 is provided below the discharge port 18. In the present embodiment, the medium accommodating unit 20 is detachably attached to the apparatus main body 12 from the front side in the apparatus depth direction. The medium accommodating part 20 is formed in a box shape, and a medium can be accommodated therein.

<<< About Media Transport Path >>>
Next, the medium conveyance path 22 of the medium in the apparatus main body 12 will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 2, a thick solid line with a symbol P indicates a guide path for a medium that is transported along the medium transport path 22 from the medium housing unit 20 to the discharge port 18.

  In the apparatus main body 12, a pickup roller 24, a reverse roller 26, driven rollers 28 a and 28 b, a conveyance roller pair 30, a carriage 32, and a discharge roller 34 are provided in this order along the medium conveyance path 22. The pickup roller 24 is disposed above the medium accommodating unit 20 so as to be rotatable about a rotation shaft 36 as a fulcrum. Then, the medium fed from the medium storage unit 20 by the pickup roller 24 is nipped between the reversing roller 26 and the driven rollers 28 a and 28 b and is transported to the transport roller pair 30.

  The conveyance roller pair 30 conveys the medium toward the carriage 32. In the present embodiment, the carriage 32 is configured to reciprocate in the apparatus width direction. A recording head 38 is provided below the carriage 32. In this embodiment, the recording head 38 is configured to eject ink as “liquid” toward the lower side in the apparatus height direction.

  A medium guide member 40 is provided below the recording head 38 in a region facing the recording head 38. The medium guide member 40 is opposed to the recording head 38 and is disposed at a distance from the recording head 38. The medium guide member 40 supports the lower surface (the surface opposite to the recording surface) of the medium that has been transported to the area facing the recording head 38 by the transport roller pair 30. The recording head 38 ejects ink onto the medium supported by the medium guide member 40 and performs recording on the recording surface of the medium.

  The medium on which recording has been performed is discharged toward the front side of the apparatus main body 12 from the discharge port 18 provided on the front side of the apparatus by a discharge roller 34 provided on the downstream side in the transport direction of the carriage 32.

<<< Carriage configuration >>>
In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the carriage 32 is guided by a guide member 42 provided in the apparatus main body 12, and is configured to be reciprocally movable in the apparatus width direction by a carriage driving means 44 described later. . In this embodiment, the position of the carriage 32 in FIG. 3, that is, the state where the carriage 32 is located at the right end of the apparatus width direction is the home position of the carriage 32.

  4 to 7, the carriage 32 includes a box-shaped housing 46 that opens upward in the apparatus height direction, a head unit 48, a rotating means 50, and a contact terminal portion 52 (see FIG. 15). ).

  An opening 46 a (see FIG. 5) is provided at the bottom of the housing 46. As shown in FIG. 5, the recording head 38 protrudes downward from the opening 46 a in the apparatus height direction (−Z axis direction side in FIG. 5). The bottom surface of the recording head 38 is configured as a head surface 38a, and a plurality of nozzles capable of ejecting ink are arranged.

  A head unit 48 (see FIG. 9) is attached to the bottom of the housing 46. Further, a contact terminal portion 52 is attached above the head unit 48 in the apparatus height direction on the rear side of the casing 46 in the apparatus depth direction.

  Here, the contact terminal portion 52 will be described with reference to FIG. 15. The contact terminal portion 52 is provided with a plurality of contact terminals 54. In this embodiment, they are arranged at appropriate intervals along the apparatus width direction. In addition, a head unit pressing portion 56 is provided below the contact terminal portion 52. The head unit pressing portion 56 will be described later.

  6 and 7, in the head unit 48 attached to the casing 46, a plurality of positioning portions 48a are provided on the upper side in the apparatus height direction. In this embodiment, the positioning portions 48a are provided at appropriate intervals in the apparatus width direction. Each positioning portion 48a corresponds to a contact terminal 54 provided on the contact terminal portion 52 in the apparatus width direction. In the present embodiment, each positioning portion 48a is configured to position the ink cartridge 58 as the “liquid cartridge” shown in FIG. In each positioning portion 48a, an ink supply portion 48b is provided.

  In this embodiment, a flow path (not shown) is provided between the recording head 38 and the ink supply unit 48b. The ink supplied to the ink supply portion 48b is guided to a plurality of nozzles provided on the head surface 38a of the recording head 38 through this flow path.

  In this embodiment, a plurality of ink cartridges 58 are detachably attached to the carriage 32 as shown in FIG. In this embodiment, a plurality of ink cartridges 58 are arranged side by side along the apparatus width direction.

  In this embodiment, one ink cartridge 58A among the plurality of ink cartridges 58 is larger in size in the apparatus width direction than the other ink cartridges 58B, 58C, 58D. In the present embodiment, the plurality of ink cartridges 58 are arranged such that the ink cartridges 58A, 58B, 58C, from the left in the apparatus width direction (the −X axis direction side in FIG. 4) to the right (the + X axis direction side in FIG. 4) 58D is arranged in this order. Further, as shown in FIG. 23, the ink cartridge 58 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. In this embodiment, the ink cartridge 58 is filled with ink such as black, magenta, cyan, and yellow.

  As shown in FIG. 23, an information storage unit 55 as a “storage medium” and an ink supply port 57 are provided below the ink cartridge 58. In the present embodiment, the information storage unit 55 is configured to hold ink cartridge information such as the amount of ink stored in the ink cartridge 58 and the color of the ink.

  Here, when the ink cartridge 58 is inserted from the carriage 32, that is, from the upper side in the apparatus height direction of the casing 46, the ink supply port 57 of the ink cartridge 58 comes into contact with the positioning portion 48 a of the head unit 48, The ink cartridge 58 is positioned. Then, the ink supply port 57 and the ink supply part 48 b are connected, and the ink in the ink cartridge 58 is supplied to the recording head 38. At this time, the information storage unit 55 of the ink cartridge 58 and the contact terminal 54 of the contact terminal unit 52 are in contact with each other, and the information storage unit 55 and the contact terminal 54 are electrically connected.

  Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7 again, a plurality of case transparent regions 46 b are provided at the bottom of the case 46. In the present embodiment, the casing translucent region 46b is disposed on the front side of the head unit 48 in the apparatus depth direction. The plurality of casing translucent regions 46b are arranged at appropriate intervals in the apparatus width direction. In the present embodiment, each casing transparent region 46b is provided at a position corresponding to the positioning portion 48a of the head unit 48, that is, the ink cartridge 58 in the apparatus width direction.

  Each casing translucent region 46b is provided with two through holes 46c penetrating the bottom of the casing 46 in the apparatus height direction with an interval in the apparatus width direction.

  Here, referring to FIG. 8, an optical sensor 60 is provided below the carriage 32 in the apparatus main body 12. In the present embodiment, as an example, the optical sensor 60 is disposed below the carriage 32, specifically below the casing translucent area 46b, with the carriage 32 positioned at the home position.

  The optical sensor 60 includes a light emitting unit 60a and a light receiving unit 60b. As shown in FIG. 8, the detection light emitted from the light emitting portion 60a upward in the apparatus height direction passes through one of the two through holes 46c of the casing translucent region 46b and passes through the ink cartridge 58. The light enters the prism 59 provided at the bottom.

  Then, the detection light is reflected toward the lower side in the apparatus height direction via the prism 59. Then, the detection light passes through the other of the two through holes 46c of the housing transparent region 46b and is received by the light receiving unit 60b. Thereby, the optical sensor 60 can detect the remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge 58.

  In the present embodiment, the remaining amount of ink in each ink cartridge 58 attached to the carriage 32 is determined by moving the plurality of casing translucent regions 46b, that is, the carriage 32 in the apparatus width direction with respect to the optical sensor 60. It can be detected. In this embodiment, the optical sensor 60 is provided at a position corresponding to the home position of the carriage 32. However, the optical sensor 60 may be arranged at an arbitrary position in the movement range of the carriage 32 in the apparatus width direction.

<<< About the head unit and rotating means >>>
The head unit 48 and the rotation means 50 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6, 7 and 9 to 14. 6 and 7, the head unit 48 is attached to the bottom of the housing 46 so as to be rotatable about a rotation center shaft 62 (see FIG. 11) described later. Further, the rotation means 50 includes an operation unit 64 and a transmission unit 66.

  In this embodiment, the operation unit 64 is disposed on the front side in the apparatus depth direction at the bottom of the casing 46 of the carriage 32. An opening 46 d is provided on the side surface of the housing 46. The operation unit 64 is configured to be operable from the outside of the housing 46, that is, from the outside of the carriage 32 through the opening 46 d. Further, the transmission unit 66 is disposed between the head unit 48 and the operation unit 64 in the apparatus depth direction.

  Referring to FIGS. 7 and 12, the operation unit 64 is configured as a disc-shaped eccentric cam in which the radial distance from the rotation center to the outer peripheral surface 64 a varies along the circumferential direction in the present embodiment. Yes. In the present embodiment, the outer peripheral surface 64a is configured as a cam surface.

  7 and 13, the transmission portion 66 includes a cam contact portion 66a that contacts the outer peripheral surface (cam surface) 64a of the operation portion 64 and a pressing portion 66b that presses the head unit 48. Yes. In the present embodiment, the transmission portion 66 extends from the cam contact portion 66a to the pressing portion 66b along the apparatus depth direction. In this embodiment, the width dimension of the transmission part 66 on the pressing part 66b side is smaller than the width dimension on the cam contact part 66a side. That is, the transmission part 66 is formed in a shape that does not interfere with the casing translucent area 46 b disposed between the head unit 48 and the operation part 64. As a result, an increase in size of the carriage 32 in the apparatus width direction can be suppressed.

  Referring to FIGS. 9 to 11, the head unit 48 is provided with a positioning part 48a and an ink supply part 48b at the top. A recording head 38 is provided below the head unit 48. In addition, at the lower part of the head unit 48, a rotation center shaft 62 protrudes downward in the apparatus height direction. In the present embodiment, the rotation center shaft 62 is provided at the left end (the end on the + X axis direction side in FIG. 11) in the apparatus width direction of the head unit 48.

  Further, a first pressed part 48c (see FIGS. 9 and 11) that contacts the pressing part 66b of the transmission part 66 is provided on the front side in the apparatus depth direction of the head unit 48 and on the right end part in the apparatus width direction. . A second pressed portion 48d (see FIG. 10) that contacts the head unit pressing portion 56 provided in the contact terminal portion 52 is provided on the back side in the device depth direction of the head unit 48 and on the right end in the device width direction. It has been. In this embodiment, the head unit pressing portion 56 is provided with urging means 56a (see FIG. 10), and the head unit pressing portion 56 presses the second pressed portion 48d.

  Further, the head unit 48 is provided with through holes 48e (see FIG. 11) at three positions, that is, both end portions in the apparatus width direction on the front side in the apparatus depth direction and the left end portion in the apparatus width direction on the rear side in the apparatus depth direction. Yes. And the connection means 68 is arrange | positioned at the through-hole 48e. In this embodiment, the connecting means 68 includes a screw 68a and a spring 68b as an example. And as shown in FIG. 14, the screw 68a is inserted in the through-hole 48e in the state inserted in the spring 68b. That is, the urging force of the spring 68 b acts between the screw 68 a and the head unit 48. In the present embodiment, the through hole 48e is formed as a long hole.

  Here, referring to FIG. 7 again, the head unit 48 is in a state where the rotation center shaft 62 of the head unit 48 is passed through a hole (not shown) provided in the bottom of the casing 46 of the carriage 32. Set at the bottom of the body 46. Then, the screw 68 a of the connection means 68 that is passed through the through hole 48 e of the head unit 48 is temporarily fixed to the housing 46. In this state, the head unit 48 can rotate with respect to the housing 46 in the clockwise direction or the counterclockwise direction around the rotation center shaft 62 (see the broken line portion) shown in FIG. In this state, the head unit 48 is pressed against the bottom of the housing 46 by the urging force of the spring 68b.

  Here, the second pressed portion 48 d of the head unit 48 is pressed forward in the apparatus depth direction by the head unit pressing portion 56. On the other hand, the first pressed part 48c of the head unit 48 is in contact with the pressing part 66b of the transmission part 66, and is in a state where rotation to the front side in the apparatus depth direction is restricted.

  When the operation unit 64 is operated to change the distance from the rotation center of the operation unit 64 to the cam contact portion 66a of the transmission unit 66, the transmission unit 66 moves to the rear side in the apparatus depth direction. The pressing part 66b presses the first pressed part 48c of the head unit 48 toward the back side of the apparatus. The head unit 48 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 7 against the urging force from the head unit pressing portion 56 with the rotation center shaft 62 as the rotation center.

  On the other hand, when the operation unit 64 is operated to change the distance from the rotation center of the operation unit 64 to the cam contact portion 66a of the transmission unit 66, the transmission unit 66 moves to the front side in the apparatus depth direction. Along with this, the head unit 48 rotates in the clockwise direction in FIG. 7 with the rotation center shaft 62 as the rotation center by the urging force from the head unit pressing portion 56.

  Therefore, by operating the operation unit 64, the head unit 48 can be rotated about the rotation center shaft 62 extending in the direction intersecting the head surface 38a of the recording head 38. Thereby, the position of the several nozzle provided in the head surface 38a can be adjusted.

  When the adjustment of the head unit 48 in the carriage 32 is completed, the screw 68a of the connecting means 68 is tightened to the housing 46, and the attachment of the head unit 48 to the housing 46 is completed.

<<< About carriage drive means >>>
Next, the carriage driving means 44 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 16 to 19. Referring to FIG. 16, a carriage drive motor 70 is provided at the right end of the apparatus width direction on the rear side of the guide member 42 in the apparatus depth direction (end on the −X axis direction side in FIG. 16). A drive pulley (not shown) is provided on the drive shaft of the carriage drive motor 70 so as to rotate together with the drive shaft.

  Further, a slide member 72 that is slidable in the apparatus width direction with respect to the guide member 42 is provided at the left end of the apparatus width direction on the front side of the guide member 42 in the apparatus depth direction (the + X axis direction side end in FIG. 3). It is attached. The slide member 72 is provided with a driven pulley 74 that can rotate. That is, the drive pulley (not shown) and the driven pulley 74 are provided with a gap in the apparatus width direction.

  A drive belt 76 is wound around a drive pulley (not shown) and a driven pulley 74. In this embodiment, the inner surface of the drive belt 76, that is, the surface in contact with the drive pulley (not shown) and the driven pulley 74 is not shown, but a plurality of teeth are arranged along the circumferential direction. Yes. Further, portions of the drive pulley (not shown) and the driven pulley 74 that are in contact with the drive belt 76 are configured to mesh with the teeth of the drive belt 76.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, a belt gripping portion 32 a is provided at the rear side end portion of the carriage 32. The belt gripping portion 32 a grips at least a part of the drive belt 76. When a drive pulley (not shown) is rotationally driven by the carriage drive motor 70, the drive belt 76 is also driven in the same rotational direction. As a result, the carriage 32 is moved in the apparatus width direction by the carriage driving means 44.

  In the present embodiment, the slide member 72 is provided with a protrusion 72 a (see FIG. 18) that protrudes to the back side in the apparatus depth direction of the guide member 42 through an opening 42 a provided in the guide member 42. The protrusion 72a is provided with a hook 72b (see FIG. 18) and a restricting portion 72c (see FIG. 19). In the present embodiment, one end of the urging means 78 is hooked to the hook 72b. The other end of the urging means 78 is hooked on a hook portion 42 b provided at the left end of the guide member 42 in the apparatus width direction. In this embodiment, the biasing means 78 is configured as a tension spring.

  Referring to FIG. 18, a cam member 80 is attached to the right side in the apparatus width direction with respect to the protrusion 72 a of the slide member 72 on the back side of the guide member 42 in the apparatus depth direction. The cam member 80 is configured to be rotatable with respect to the guide member 42 about a rotation shaft 80a. The cam member 80 includes a cam surface 80b provided on the side of the slide member 72 facing the restricting portion 72c, a rack portion 80c provided with a plurality of teeth, and an operation lever 80d. Of the plurality of teeth provided on the rack portion 80 c, at least some of the teeth are engaged with the engaging portion 42 c provided on the guide member 42.

  Referring to FIG. 19, in a state where the slide member 72 is urged to the left end portion in the apparatus width direction of the guide member 42 by the urging force of the urging means 78, the regulating portion 72 c and the cam surface 80 b of the cam member 80 are A gap 82 is formed between them.

  Here, when the operation lever 80d is operated, the teeth of the rack portion 80c engaged with the engaging portion 42c are sequentially switched, and the cam member 80 rotates around the rotation shaft 80a. And it displaces in the direction in which the cam surface 80b contacts / separates with respect to the control part 72c. That is, the size of the gap 82 can be adjusted.

  In this embodiment, when the carriage drive motor 70 is driven to rotate, the drive pulley (not shown) is also driven to rotate in the same direction. Then, the drive pulley (not shown) that is driven to rotate pulls the drive belt 76 toward the drive pulley (the −X axis direction side in FIG. 3). The pulled drive belt 76 pulls the driven pulley 74 and the slide member 72 to the right in the apparatus width direction against the urging force of the urging means 78.

  Here, when the driven pulley 74 is pulled and displaced to the right in the apparatus width direction by a predetermined amount or more, the circumferential length of the drive belt 76 is determined by the path length hung around the drive pulley (not shown) and the driven pulley 74. There is a phenomenon of so-called tooth skipping in which at least one of the driving pulley and the driven pulley 74 is disengaged from the teeth of the driving belt 76 and the driving belt 76 slides against at least one of the driving pulley and the driven pulley 74. Arise.

  In this embodiment, when the driven pulley 74, that is, the slide member 72 is displaced rightward in the apparatus width direction against the urging force of the urging means 78, an attempt is made to move a predetermined amount or more, that is, an amount exceeding the gap 82. Then, the restricting portion 72c comes into contact with the cam surface 80b to restrict the displacement of the slide member 72 to the right in the apparatus width direction. As a result, it is possible to suppress the disengagement between at least one of the drive pulley and the driven pulley 74 and the teeth of the drive belt 76, thereby suppressing the tooth skipping phenomenon.

<<< Modification of the first embodiment >>>
(1) In the present embodiment, the contact terminal portion 52 including the contact terminal 54 is configured separately from the head unit 48. However, instead of this configuration, the contact terminal 54 may be provided in the head unit 48. By providing the contact terminal 54 in the head unit 48, the contact terminal 54 rotates together with the head unit 48 even when the adjustment amount obtained by rotating the head unit 48 around the rotation center shaft 62 is large. Therefore, there is no change in the relative position between the positioning portion 48a and the contact terminal 54, and the contact between the information storage portion 55 of the ink cartridge 58 attached to the head unit 48 and the contact terminal 54 becomes unstable. Can be suppressed.
(2) Further, in this embodiment, when the rotation adjustment amount of the head unit 48 is increased, the casing translucent region 46b located farthest from the rotation center shaft 62 and the prism 59 of the ink cartridge 58D are displaced. As a result, the amount of light detected by the optical sensor 60 may decrease. In the present embodiment, the sizes of the through holes 46c in the plurality of casing translucent areas 46b have the same configuration, but instead of this configuration, the casing translucent areas 46b located farthest from the rotation center axis 62. The size of the through hole 46c may be larger than the size of the through hole 46c of the other casing translucent area 46b, and as the distance from the rotation center axis 62 increases in the plurality of casing translucent areas 46b. It is good also as a structure which enlarges the size of the through-hole 46c sequentially. Thereby, the fall of the light quantity of the detection light of the optical sensor 60 can be suppressed.

■■■ Second Example ■■■■
A second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The rotation means 84 according to the second embodiment is provided at the left end of the carriage 32, that is, at the bottom of the housing 46 in the apparatus width direction. It differs from the first embodiment in that it is provided in the part.

  In this embodiment, the rotation center shaft 86 of the head unit 48 is provided at the right end of the head unit 48 in the apparatus width direction (the −X axis direction side in FIG. 20). The rotating unit 84 includes an operation unit 88 and a transmission unit 90. In this embodiment, the rotation means 84 is provided on the left side of the casing 46 in the apparatus width direction. That is, in the present embodiment, the head unit 48 can be rotated in the clockwise direction or the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 20 around the rotation center shaft 86 provided at the right end of the apparatus width direction.

  Also in this embodiment, the arrangement of the ink cartridges 58 in the carriage 32 is the same as that in the first embodiment (see FIG. 4). The ink cartridge 58A has the largest size in the plane intersecting the rotation center axis 86, more specifically the size in the apparatus width direction, than the other ink cartridges 58B, 58C, 58D. The operation unit 88 is disposed at a portion of the housing 46 where the ink cartridge 58A is mounted, that is, the left end of the housing 46 in the apparatus width direction. As a result, a large size of the operation unit 88 can be ensured, and the resolution of rotation of the head unit 48 can be increased.

  In addition, referring to FIG. 20, the casing translucent area 46 b is provided at the bottom of the casing 46. And the housing | casing translucent area | region 46b is shifted | deviated and provided in the apparatus width direction from the center of the housing | casing 46 to the right side (-X-axis direction in FIG. 20). In other words, the region that does not interfere with the case transparent region 46b at the bottom of the case 46 is to the left (+ X axis direction) of the right side (−X axis direction side) of the case transparent region 46b in the apparatus width direction. Side) area is larger.

  In this embodiment, since the transmission unit 90 is disposed in the left region of the casing translucent region 46b in the apparatus width direction, the size in the apparatus width direction is made larger than that of the transmission unit 66 in the first embodiment. be able to. As a result, since the width dimension of the transmission unit 90 in the apparatus width direction can be increased, the rigidity of the transmission unit 90 can be improved.

■■■ Third Example ■■■■
Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that a transmission portion translucent area 94a is provided in the transmission portion 94 of the rotating means 92.

  In this embodiment, the rotation means 92 includes an operation unit 96 and a transmission unit 94. In this embodiment, the transmission unit 94 is located above the casing translucent area 46b farthest from the rotation center axis 62 in the plurality of casing translucent areas 46b provided at the bottom of the casing 46 in the apparatus height direction. Arranged on the side.

  The transmission unit 94 is provided with a transmission unit light-transmitting region 94 a at a position overlapping the housing transparent region 46 b located below the transmission unit 94. In the present embodiment, the transmission part light-transmitting region 94a is configured as an opening, and can pass the detection light of the optical sensor 60 that passes through the through hole 46c of the housing light-transmitting region 46b. Therefore, the remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge 58 can be detected by the optical sensor 60.

  In this embodiment, when the rotation adjustment amount of the head unit 48 is increased, the prism 59 of the ink cartridge 58D farthest from the rotation center shaft 62 and the transmission portion light-transmitting region 94a are displaced, and the detection by the optical sensor 60 is performed. There is a concern that the amount of light may decrease. Accordingly, by increasing the size of the transmission portion transparent region 94a and increasing the size of the through hole 46c in the housing transparent region 46b farthest from the rotation center axis 62, the amount of light detected by the optical sensor 60 is reduced. Can be more reliably suppressed.

■■■ Fourth Example ■■■■
Next, a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the sub-frame 100 constituting the head unit 98 is provided, and the sub-frame 100 is provided with the number of frame light-transmitting areas 100a corresponding to the casing light-transmitting areas 46b.

  Referring to FIG. 22, a subframe 100 constituting the head unit 98 is disposed in the carriage 32. The sub-frame 100 is provided with a plurality of frame translucent areas 100a and a plurality of positioning portions 100b. In addition, an ink supply unit 100c is provided in each positioning unit 100b. In addition, a rotation center shaft 102 is provided at the right end of the subframe 100 in the apparatus width direction.

  In this embodiment, each frame translucent area 100a corresponds to the case translucent area 46b provided in the casing 46, and is positioned above the casing translucent area 46b in the apparatus height direction. . That is, the frame translucent area 100 a is provided for each ink cartridge 58 mounted on the carriage 32.

  In the present embodiment, among the plurality of frame translucent areas 100a, the size of the frame translucent area 100a (the most right side in the drawing of FIG. 22) located farthest from the rotation center axis 102 is the other size. It is set to be larger than the size of the frame translucent area 100a.

  Also in this embodiment, a rotating means 104 for rotating the subframe 100 is provided. The rotation unit 104 includes an operation unit 106 and a transmission unit 108. In the present embodiment, the subframe 100 is configured to be rotatable about the rotation center shaft 102 via the transmission unit 108 by operating the operation unit 106. Accordingly, since the ink cartridge 58 attached to the subframe 100 and the frame light transmitting area 100a corresponding to the prism 59 of each ink cartridge 58 rotate together, the positional deviation between the prism 59 and the frame light transmitting area 100a is shifted. It is possible to prevent the amount of light detected by the optical sensor 60 from decreasing.

<<<< Modification Example of Fourth Embodiment >>>>
(1) In the present embodiment, among the plurality of frame translucent areas 100a, the size of the frame translucent area 100a located farthest from the rotation center axis 102 is larger than the sizes of the other frame translucent areas 100a. However, instead of this configuration, the size of the frame translucent region 100a may be sequentially increased as the distance from the rotation central axis 102 increases in the plurality of frame translucent regions 100a.
(2) In the present embodiment, a plurality of frame translucent areas 100a are provided corresponding to the number of ink cartridges 58, but instead of this configuration, a plurality of frame translucent areas 100a are connected in the apparatus width direction. You may comprise as one big flame | frame translucent area | region.

  To summarize the above description, the printer 10 includes a carriage 32 including a recording head 38 that records on a medium. The carriage 32 records head units 48 and 98 including the recording head 38 and head units 48 and 98. A casing 46 that is rotatably mounted around the rotation center shafts 62, 86, 102 in a direction intersecting the head surface 38 a of the head 38, and the head units 48, 98 are rotated about the rotation center shafts 62, 86, 102. Rotating means 50, 84, 92, 104 to be moved, and the rotating means 50, 84, 92, 104 are located apart from the head units 48, 98 and are operated by operating units 64, 88, 96 and 106, and transmission units 66, 90, 94, and 108 that transmit the movements of the operation units 64, 88, 96, and 106 to the head units 48 and 98.

  According to the above configuration, in the configuration in which the angle of the recording head 38 is adjusted by rotating the head units 48 and 98 including the recording head 38, the operation units 64, 88, 96 and 106 that receive the operation, and the operation unit 64. , 88, 96, 106 are provided with transmission parts 66, 90, 94, 108 for transmitting the movement of the head units 48, 98 to the head units 48, 98, that is, the operation parts 64, 88, 96 are provided via the transmission parts 66, 90, 94, 108. , 106 is transmitted to the head units 48, 98, so that the degree of freedom of layout between the operation units 64, 88, 96, 106 and the head units 48, 98 can be improved.

  In the printer 10, in the direction connecting the head units 48, 98 and the operation units 64, 88, 96, 106, that is, in the apparatus depth direction, the head units 48, 98 and the operation units 64, 88, 96, 106 of the housing 46. A casing light-transmitting region 46 b that allows the detection light of the optical sensor 60 to pass inside and outside of the carriage 32 is formed therebetween. According to this configuration, the degree of freedom in layout between the operation units 64, 88, 96, 106 and the head units 48, 98 is improved, so that the casing translucent region 46 b is connected to the operation units 64, 88, 96, 106. It can be provided between the head units 48 and 98.

  The transmission part 66 has a shape that avoids the casing translucent region 46b. According to this configuration, it is possible to avoid the problem that the transmission unit 66 obstructs the detection light of the optical sensor 60.

  The transmission portion 94 is formed with a transmission portion light transmission region 94 a that allows the detection light of the optical sensor 60 to pass inside and outside the carriage 32 at a position overlapping the housing light transmission region 46 b. According to this configuration, it is possible to avoid the problem that the transmission unit 94 obstructs the detection light of the optical sensor 60.

  The sub-frame 100 constituting the head unit 98 has a positioning portion 100b for positioning the ink cartridge 58 that stores ink, and a frame translucent region 100a that allows the detection light of the optical sensor 60 to pass inside and outside the carriage 32. It is formed at a position overlapping with the body transparent region 46b.

  According to the above configuration, when the head unit 98 is rotated, the ink cartridge 58 and the frame translucent area 100a are simultaneously rotated. For example, the remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge 58 is detected by the optical sensor 60. In this case, it is possible to prevent a deviation between the ink cartridge 58 that is the detection target and the frame translucent area 100a, and appropriate detection can be performed.

  A plurality of ink cartridges 58 can be attached to and detached from the carriage 32, and the casing light-transmitting region 46b and the frame light-transmitting region 100a are provided for each of the plurality of ink cartridges 58. The frame translucent area 100a farthest from the central axis 102 is larger than the other frame translucent areas 100a. According to this configuration, it is possible to avoid a possibility that the detection light of the optical sensor 60 is blocked due to a shift between the casing translucent area 46b and the frame translucent area 100a when the head unit 98 is rotated.

  The carriage 32 includes an ink cartridge 58 that stores ink. The ink cartridge 58 is provided with an information storage unit 55 that holds information on the ink cartridge. The head units 48 and 98 are positioning units that position the ink cartridge 58. 48a and 100b, and a contact terminal 54 that is in electrical contact with the information storage unit 55. According to this configuration, a positional shift between the information storage unit 55 and the contact terminal 54 of the ink cartridge 58 when the head units 48 and 98 are rotated can be avoided, and the information storage unit 55 and the contact terminal 54 can be prevented from being displaced. The contact between them can be maintained in an appropriate state.

  The carriage 32 includes a plurality of ink cartridges 58 that contain ink. One of the plurality of ink cartridges 58 is a plane that intersects the rotation center axis 86 more than the other ink cartridges 58B, 58C, and 58D. The size of the operation unit 88 is particularly large in the apparatus width direction, and the operation unit 88 is provided at a position corresponding to the mounting portion of the ink cartridge 58 </ b> A having a large size in the head unit 48. According to this configuration, a large size of the operation unit 88 can be ensured. Thereby, the operation unit 88 can be operated more easily, or the adjustment resolution can be improved by enlarging the 88 operation unit.

In the present embodiment, the rotating means 50, 84, and 92 according to the present invention are applied to an ink jet printer as an example of a recording apparatus, but other liquid ejecting apparatuses can also be applied.
Here, the liquid ejecting apparatus uses an ink jet recording head, and is not limited to a recording apparatus such as a printer, a copier, and a facsimile machine that discharges ink from the recording head to perform recording on a recording medium. And a device for ejecting a liquid corresponding to the application from a liquid ejecting head corresponding to the ink jet recording head to an ejected medium corresponding to the recording medium, and attaching the liquid to the ejected medium.

  In addition to the recording head, as a liquid ejecting head, a color material ejecting head used for manufacturing a color filter such as a liquid crystal display, and an electrode material (conductive paste) used for forming an electrode such as an organic EL display or a surface emitting display (FED) Examples thereof include an ejection head, a bioorganic matter ejection head used for biochip production, and a sample ejection head as a precision pipette.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the invention described in the claims, and these are also included in the scope of the present invention. Needless to say.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Printer, 12 ... Apparatus main body, 14 ... Scanner part, 16 ... Operation panel, 18 ... Ejection port, 20 ... Medium accommodation part, 22 ... Medium conveyance path, 24 ... Pickup roller, 26 ... Reverse roller, 28a, 28b ... Drive roller, 30 ... conveying roller pair, 32 ... carriage, 32a ... belt gripping part, 34 ... discharge roller, 36, 80a ... rotating shaft, 38 ... recording head, 38a ... head surface, 40 ... medium guide member, 42 ... Guide member, 42a, 46a, 46d ... opening, 42b ... hook portion, 42c ... engagement portion, 44 ... carriage driving means, 46 ... housing, 46b ... housing translucent region, 46c, 48e ... through hole, 48, 98: Head unit, 48a, 100b: Positioning portion, 48b, 100c ... Ink receiving portion, 48c: First pressed portion, 48d: Second pressed portion, 50 84, 92, 104 ... rotating means, 52 ... contact terminal section, 54 ... contact terminal, 55 ... information storage section, 56 ... head unit pressing section, 56a, 78 ... urging means, 57 ... ink supply port, 58, 58A, 58B, 58C, 58D ... ink cartridge, 59 ... prism, 60 ... optical sensor, 60a ... light emitting part, 60b ... light receiving part, 62, 86, 102 ... rotation center axis, 64, 88, 96, 106 ... operation Part 64a ... outer peripheral surface 66, 90, 94, 108 ... transmission part 66a ... cam contact part 66b ... pressing part 68 ... connection means 68a ... screw 68b ... spring 70 ... carriage drive motor 72 ... Slide member, 72a ... Projection part, 72b ... Hook, 72c ... Restriction part, 74 ... Drive pulley, 76 ... Drive belt, 80 ... Cam member, 80b ... Cam surface, 80c ... Rack part, 8 d ... lever, 82 ... gap, 94a ... transmission unit transmitting region, 100 ... sub-frame, 100a ... frame transmitting region

Claims (8)

A carriage having a recording head for recording on a medium;
The carriage includes a head unit including the recording head;
A housing for rotatably mounting the head unit around a rotation center axis in a direction intersecting the head surface of the recording head;
Rotation means for rotating the head unit around the rotation center axis,
The rotating means is positioned away from the head unit and receives an operation;
A transmission unit that transmits the movement of the operation unit to the head unit;
A recording apparatus. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in a direction connecting the head unit and the operation unit, detection light of an optical sensor is transmitted between the head unit and the operation unit of the housing between the head unit and the operation unit. A housing transparent region that passes inside and outside is formed,
A recording apparatus. The recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the transmission unit has a shape that avoids the casing translucent region.
A recording apparatus. 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the transmission unit is formed with a transmission unit light-transmitting region that allows the detection light of the optical sensor to pass inside and outside the carriage at a position that overlaps the housing light-transmitting region. Yes,
A recording apparatus. 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the sub-frame configuring the head unit includes a positioning unit that positions a liquid cartridge that stores liquid, and allows the detection light of the optical sensor to pass inside and outside the carriage. The translucent area is formed at a position overlapping the casing translucent area,
A recording apparatus. The recording apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the carriage is capable of detaching a plurality of liquid cartridges,
The casing translucent area and the frame translucent area are provided for each of the plurality of liquid cartridges,
Of the plurality of frame light transmission regions, the frame light transmission region farthest from the rotation center axis is larger than the other frame light transmission regions,
A recording apparatus. The recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the carriage includes a liquid cartridge that stores a liquid.
The liquid cartridge is provided with a storage medium for holding information on the liquid cartridge,
The head unit includes a positioning unit that positions the liquid cartridge, and a contact terminal that is in electrical contact with the storage medium.
A recording apparatus. The recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the carriage includes a plurality of liquid cartridges that store liquids.
One liquid cartridge of the plurality of liquid cartridges is larger in size in a plane intersecting the rotation center axis than the other liquid cartridges,
The operation section is provided at a position corresponding to a mounting portion of the liquid cartridge having the large size in the head unit.
A recording apparatus.

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