JP2018079678A - Liquid jet device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid jet device which can suppress damage on a tube or a tube guide while reducing a size of the device.SOLUTION: A liquid jet device includes a carriage which has a liquid jet head and reciprocates in a scanning direction of the liquid jet head, a liquid storage container which can store a liquid and is arranged in an installation place different from the carriage, a tube which supplies the liquid delivered from the liquid storage container to the carriage, and a guide part which is positioned on a lower side in a vertical direction with respect to the carriage, restricts deformation of the tube in accordance with movement of the carriage, and is extended along a moving direction of the carriage. When one of moving directions of the carriage is a first direction and the other is a second direction, the tube extends in the second direction along the guide part, is folded back in the first direction and is connected to the carriage by forming a curved part curving to a vertical upper direction. The guide part includes a first portion and a second portion lower than the first portion in the vertical direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects liquid.

An example of a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects liquid is an ink jet printer. As the ink jet printer, there is a so-called serial type ink jet printer that includes a recording head as a liquid ejecting unit that ejects ink, which is an example of liquid, and a carriage that can move in a predetermined direction.
Still further, there are ink jet printers in which an ink storage container for storing ink is mounted on a carriage and those in which an ink storage container is provided outside the carriage. In the case where the ink container is provided outside the carriage, the ink container and the carriage (recording head) are connected by an ink supply tube (hereinafter referred to as “ink tube”).

After the ink tube extends from the carriage, the ink tube is folded back so as to form a curved portion and routed toward the ink container. The ink tube is deformed following the movement of the carriage.
Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which an ink tube is fixed by a fixing member to a tube guide extending in the carriage movement direction. The ink tube has a configuration in which the forming position of the curved portion moves while being pressed against the tube guide as the carriage moves. A protective plate is provided between the ink tube and the tube guide.

JP 2012-076224 A

In recent years, there has been a demand for further downsizing of the apparatus. When the downsizing of the apparatus is attempted, the space in which the ink tube can be handled is also reduced. If the space in which the ink tube can be routed becomes smaller, the curved portion formed in the ink tube must also have a large curvature, which causes undesirable bending stress on the ink tube and affects the durability of the ink tube. The curved portion of the ink tube strongly presses against the tube guide, and the ink tube surface or the tube guide may be worn.
Also, since the carriage receives a force from the ink tube, if the bending state of the bending portion formed on the ink tube becomes inappropriate or the bending state of the bending portion changes during the movement of the carriage, the behavior of the carriage is impaired. There is also a risk that the recording quality will be lowered.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and an object thereof is to provide a liquid ejecting apparatus capable of suppressing damage to a tube or a tube guide while reducing the size of the apparatus.
Another object of the present invention is to suppress the unstable behavior of the carriage and the deterioration of the recording quality due to the carriage receiving a force from the tube.

  A liquid ejecting apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention for solving the above problem includes a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid onto a medium, and a carriage unit that reciprocates in the scanning direction of the liquid ejecting head; Liquid that can be ejected from the liquid ejecting head, and a liquid storage container provided at a different installation location from the carriage unit; a liquid connected to the carriage unit and fed from the liquid storage container to the carriage unit And a guide portion that is positioned vertically below the carriage unit and that extends along the moving direction of the carriage unit and restricts deformation of the tube as the carriage unit moves. And one of the moving directions of the carriage unit is a first direction and the other is a second direction. The tube extends along the guide portion in the second direction, forms a curved portion that curves in a vertically upward direction, is folded back in the first direction, and is connected to the carriage unit. The guide part has a first part and a second part that is lower than the first part in the vertical direction.

  According to this aspect, since the guide portion that restricts deformation of the tube includes the first portion and the second portion that is lower than the first portion in the vertical direction, the first portion is achieved while downsizing the device. The curved portion can be appropriately formed by two sites, and damage to the tube or the guide portion can be suppressed.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the second portion receives the curved portion of the tube when the carriage unit is positioned at an end portion in the second direction in the movable range. It is provided in.

The tube extends along the guide portion in the second direction, forms a curved portion, is folded back in the first direction, and is connected to the carriage unit. When the carriage unit is positioned at the end portion in the second direction, the curved portion is most strongly pressed against the guide portion.
According to this aspect, the second portion is provided at a position for receiving the bending portion of the tube when the carriage unit is positioned at the end portion in the second direction in the movable range. It is possible to relieve the pressing of the part against the guide part, and to effectively suppress damage to the tube or the guide part.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect, the second portion has a rigidity lower than at least the first portion.
According to this aspect, since the second part is lower in rigidity than at least the first part, it is possible to suppress damage to the tube when the tube is pressed against the second part.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to third aspects, the second portion is formed by an inclined surface that extends in a direction away from the tube or a recessed surface that is recessed in a direction away from the tube. It is characterized by.

  According to this aspect, in the configuration in which the second portion is formed by an inclined surface that is directed away from the tube, or a recessed surface that is recessed in the direction away from the tube, the first to third aspects described above. Either effect can be obtained.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the guide portion is located in an upper part of the medium conveyance path.

  According to this aspect, in the configuration in which the guide portion is located in the upper part of the medium conveyance path, the operational effects of any of the first to fourth aspects described above can be obtained.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the fifth aspect, the second portion is located outside the medium conveyance path in the movement direction of the carriage unit.
According to this aspect, since the second part is located outside the medium transport path in the movement direction of the carriage unit, the second part and the medium transport path do not overlap in the apparatus height direction. The dimension in the apparatus height direction can be suppressed.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the fifth or sixth aspect, a discharge roller comprising a discharge driving roller and a discharge driven roller for discharging the medium on the downstream side of the liquid jet head in the medium conveyance path. A roller support frame that supports the discharge driven roller between the medium conveyance path and the guide unit, and the roller support frame can be displaced in a direction in which the distance from the medium conveyance path changes. And the first portion of the guide portion is displaced in the displacement direction of the roller support frame in conjunction with the roller support frame.

  According to this aspect, in the configuration in which the roller support frame is displaceable in a direction in which the distance from the medium conveyance path changes, the first portion of the guide portion is interlocked with the roller support frame and the roller. Since the support frame is displaced in the displacement direction, it is possible to avoid securing a large space between the roller support frame and the guide portion, and to suppress an increase in size of the apparatus.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to seventh aspects, the carriage unit includes a bending guide portion that curves the tube so as to follow the curvature of the bending portion of the tube. Features.

  According to this aspect, since the carriage unit includes the bending guide portion that bends the tube so as to follow the bending of the bending portion of the tube, the bending portion of the tube can be naturally formed without difficulty. it can.

  According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to eighth aspects, the bending includes a plurality of the tubes, a clamp that bundles the plurality of tubes, and an outside of the bending portion of the tubes. A first protective member that covers and protects at least part of the tube in the length direction from the portion toward the carriage unit and at least part of the tube in the length direction from the curved portion toward the liquid container; An enclosure that is provided integrally with the first protection member and surrounds the clamp, and is interposed between the clamp and the enclosure inside the curved portion of the tube, and from the enclosure to the carriage unit The length of the tube toward the liquid container from at least a part in the length direction of the tube and the enclosure Characterized in that it comprises a second protective member covering and protecting at least a portion of the direction.

  According to this aspect, a plurality of the tubes can be collected by the clamp, the tubes can be protected by the first protection member, and the tube, the clamp, the first protection member, These can be integrated. In such a configuration, the second protective member is interposed between the clamp and the enclosure inside the curved portion of the tube, and extends in both longitudinal directions of the tube from the enclosure. The tube can be protected by preventing the enclosure from biting into the tube.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the ninth aspect, the second protective member is lower in rigidity than the first protective member.
According to this aspect, since the second protective member has lower rigidity than the first protective member, the second protective member itself can be prevented from biting into the tube.

  According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the ninth or tenth aspect, the end of the second protective member in the longitudinal direction of the tube is formed in a relief shape that avoids biting into the tube. It is characterized by.

  According to this aspect, since the end portion of the second protection member in the longitudinal direction of the tube is formed in a relief shape that avoids biting into the tube, the second protection member itself bites into the tube. Can be avoided more reliably.

  A twelfth aspect of the present invention includes a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid onto a medium, and can accommodate a carriage unit that reciprocates in the scanning direction of the liquid ejecting head and liquid ejected from the liquid ejecting head. A liquid storage container provided at a different installation location from the carriage unit, a tube connected to the carriage unit and supplying a liquid sent from the liquid storage container to the carriage unit, and a direction perpendicular to the carriage unit A guide portion that is positioned on the lower side and that extends along the moving direction of the carriage unit and restricts deformation of the tube as the carriage unit moves, and one of the moving directions of the carriage unit Is the first direction and the other is the second direction, the tube extends along the guide portion. A curved portion that extends in the second direction and is bent in the vertically upward direction is formed and folded back in the first direction to be connected to the carriage unit. The carriage unit extends from the carriage unit. It has a restricting part that restricts the extending direction of the tube in a direction away from the guide part.

  According to this aspect, the carriage unit is provided with the restricting portion that restricts the extending direction of the tube extending from the carriage unit in the direction away from the guide portion. The tube is restricted so as to become as large as possible, and a change in force that the carriage receives from the tube during the movement operation of the carriage can be suppressed. As a result, it is possible to suppress an unstable behavior of the carriage and a decrease in recording quality due to the carriage receiving a force from the tube.

  A thirteenth aspect of the present invention includes a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid onto a medium, and can accommodate a carriage unit that reciprocates in the scanning direction of the liquid ejecting head and liquid ejected from the liquid ejecting head. A liquid storage container provided at a different installation location from the carriage unit, a tube connected to the carriage unit and supplying a liquid sent from the liquid storage container to the carriage unit, and a direction perpendicular to the carriage unit Located on the lower side, the guide part extending along the moving direction of the carriage unit that restricts deformation of the tube accompanying the movement of the carriage unit, and positioned on the upper side in the vertical direction with respect to the carriage unit, An opening / closing body that opens and closes a reciprocating region of the carriage unit. When one of the moving directions of the unit is the first direction and the other is the second direction, the tube extends along the guide portion in the second direction and curves in a vertically upward direction. A regulating part that is folded back in the first direction and connected to the carriage unit, and the carriage unit regulates the extending direction of the tube extending from the carriage unit in a direction toward the opening / closing body. It is characterized by providing.

When the tube extending from the carriage unit comes into contact with or does not come into contact with the opening / closing body located above the reciprocating region of the carriage unit, the force that the carriage receives from the tube during the movement of the carriage Changes, leading to instability of the behavior of the carriage.
However, according to this aspect, the carriage unit includes the restricting portion that restricts the extending direction of the tube extending from the carriage unit in a direction toward the opening / closing body, so that the tube contacts the opening / closing body. The range to do can be extended. As a result, it is possible to suppress a change in the force that the carriage receives from the tube when the carriage moves, and to suppress an unstable behavior of the carriage and a decrease in recording quality.

  In a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, in the twelfth or thirteenth aspect, at least a part of the tube in the length direction from the curved portion toward the carriage unit, including the outside of the curved portion in the tube, and A first protection member that covers and protects at least part of the length direction of the tube from the curved portion toward the liquid container, and the first protective member includes at least a region that protects the curved portion, A slit is formed over the length of the tube.

  According to this aspect, since the slit is formed in the length direction of the tube at least in the region that protects the bending portion, the rigidity of the first protection member is lowered. The force that the carriage receives from the first protective member can be suppressed. As a result, it is possible to suppress an unstable behavior of the carriage and a decrease in recording quality due to the carriage receiving a force from the first protective member.

1 is an external perspective view of a printer according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the printer in a state where an operation unit is rotated to the front side in the apparatus depth direction. FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of the printer when a scanner unit and an ink tank cover are opened with respect to the apparatus main body. FIG. The external appearance perspective view of the apparatus main body seen from the apparatus depth direction back side. The perspective view of the carriage seen from the diagonally lower side in the apparatus height direction. The perspective view of the housing | casing of a carriage. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an ink tank portion viewed from the back side in the apparatus depth direction. The perspective view of the guide part provided in the apparatus main body. The perspective view of the guide part seen from the apparatus depth direction front side. The top view of a carriage unit and a guide part which shows the relationship between a carriage unit and a guide part in the state which a carriage unit is located in the apparatus width direction left end in the movement area | region of a carriage unit. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus main body showing a change in a curved portion of the ink supply tube as the carriage unit moves. Sectional drawing of the curved guide part of a carriage unit. The perspective view of an ink supply tube, a 1st protection member, a 2nd protection member, and an enclosure part. The perspective view of the enclosure part in an ink supply tube. The side view of the curved part in an ink supply tube. The side view of the discharge roller pair of the state which made the discharge driven roller supported by the roller support frame contact the discharge drive roller. The side view of the discharge roller pair in the state where the discharge driven roller supported by the roller support frame is separated from the discharge drive roller. The sectional side view which shows the example of a change of a guide part. The side view of the curved part in the ink supply tube which shows the example of a change of a 2nd protection member. The perspective view of the housing | casing of the carriage unit which concerns on a 2nd Example. Sectional drawing in the AA in FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the posture of the ink supply tube in a state where the carriage unit is located at the left end in the apparatus width direction in the movement area of the carriage unit. 4 is a side cross-sectional view showing the posture of the ink supply tube in a state where the carriage unit is located at the left end in the apparatus width direction in the carriage unit movement region. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the posture of the ink supply tube in a state where the carriage unit is positioned at the right end in the apparatus width direction in the carriage unit movement region. The perspective view which shows the example of a change of the housing | casing of the carriage unit which concerns on a 2nd Example. Sectional drawing in the BB line in FIG. The top view which shows the example of a change of a 1st protection member. The perspective view which shows the example of a change of the 1st protection member attached to the ink supply tube. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the direction of an ink supply tube extending from a carriage.

  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 the printer according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the printer in a state where the operation unit is rotated to the front side in the apparatus depth direction, and FIG. FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of the printer when the cover is open with respect to the apparatus main body, FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of the apparatus main body, and FIG. 5 is an external perspective view of the apparatus main body viewed from the back side in the apparatus depth direction. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the carriage as viewed obliquely from below in the apparatus height direction, and FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the carriage housing.

  8 is a perspective view of the ink tank portion viewed from the rear side in the apparatus depth direction, FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a guide portion provided in the apparatus main body, and FIG. 10 is a guide section viewed from the front side in the apparatus depth direction. FIG. 11 is a plan view of the carriage unit and the guide unit showing the relationship between the carriage unit and the guide unit in a state where the carriage unit is located at the left end in the apparatus width direction in the movement region of the carriage unit. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus main body showing changes in the curved portion of the ink supply tube as the carriage unit moves, and FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the curved guide portion of the carriage unit.

  14 is a perspective view of the ink supply tube, the first protection member, the second protection member, and the enclosure. FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the enclosure of the ink supply tube. FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the curved portion of the ink supply tube. 17 is a side view, FIG. 17 is a side view of the discharge roller pair in a state where the discharge driven roller supported by the roller support frame is in contact with the discharge drive roller, and FIG. 18 is the discharge driven supported by the roller support frame. FIG. 19 is a side view of the discharge roller pair in a state where the roller is separated from the discharge drive roller, FIG. 19 is a side sectional view showing a modification example of the guide portion, and FIG. 20 is an ink supply showing a modification example of the second protection member. It is a side view of the curved part in a tube.

  FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a carriage unit housing according to the second embodiment, FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 21, and FIG. FIG. 24 is a perspective view showing the posture of the ink supply tube in a state positioned at the left end in the width direction, and FIG. 24 is a side sectional view showing the posture of the ink supply tube in a state where the carriage unit is positioned at the left end in the apparatus width direction in the movement region of the carriage unit. It is.

  FIG. 25 is a perspective view showing the posture of the ink supply tube in a state where the carriage unit is positioned at the right end in the apparatus width direction in the carriage unit movement region, and FIG. 26 is a change of the casing of the carriage unit according to the second embodiment. 27 is a perspective view showing an example, FIG. 27 is a sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 28, FIG. 28 is a plan view showing a modified example of the first protection member, and FIG. 29 is attached to the ink supply tube. FIG. 30 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the first protection member, and FIG. 30 is a view for explaining the direction of the ink supply tube extending from the carriage.

  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 left side of the apparatus width direction as the “second direction”, the −X direction side is the “first direction” and the right side of the apparatus width direction, and the + Y direction is the front surface of the apparatus The -Y direction side is the device back side, the + Z axis direction side is the device upper side, and the -Z axis direction side is the device lower side.

■■■ First Example ■■■■
<<< Printer overview >>>
A printer 10 as an example of a “liquid ejecting apparatus” will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. The printer 10 includes an apparatus main body 12 and a scanner 14 as an “opening / closing body” disposed on the upper part of the apparatus main body 12 so as to be rotatable with respect to the apparatus main body 12.

  An operation panel 16 is provided on the front side of the apparatus body 12 in the apparatus depth direction. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the operation panel 16 is provided with display means such as a liquid crystal panel and input means including a plurality of input buttons and switches. As shown in FIG. 2, the operation panel 16 is attached to the apparatus body 12 so as to be rotatable on the front side in the apparatus depth direction.

  As shown in FIG. 2, when the operation panel 16 is turned to the front side in the apparatus depth direction with respect to the apparatus main body 12, the medium discharge tray 18 stored in the apparatus main body 12 is exposed. The medium discharge tray 18 is located between the position stored in the apparatus main body 12 (see the solid line part in FIG. 2) and the position pulled out from the apparatus main body 12 to the front side in the apparatus depth direction (see the two-dot chain line part in FIG. 2). It is configured to be able to advance and retreat.

  4 and 5, in the apparatus depth direction, a power supply unit 20 extending in the apparatus width direction for supplying electric power to the driving elements in the printer 10 is disposed on the back side of the operation panel 16. . The power supply unit 20 supplies power to a control unit (not shown) provided in the apparatus main body 12.

  In the apparatus main body 12, a medium accommodating portion 22 capable of accommodating a medium is mounted on the lower side of the medium discharge tray 18 in the apparatus height direction so that it can be inserted into and removed from the apparatus main body 12 from the front side in the apparatus depth direction.

  3, the scanner 14 is configured to be rotatable with respect to the apparatus main body 12 with the back side in the apparatus depth direction as a rotation fulcrum, and is closed with respect to the apparatus main body 12 (see FIG. 1 and FIG. 3). 2) and an open posture (see FIG. 3) can be switched. In this embodiment, the scanner 14 is positioned on the upper side in the apparatus height direction of carriage units 32, 76, and 80 to be described later. By switching between the closed posture and the open posture of the scanner 14, the moving region of the carriage units 32, 76, and 80 can be opened and closed.

  1 to 4, an ink tank 24 is provided on the front side in the apparatus depth direction at the right end of the apparatus body 12 in the apparatus width direction. The ink tank unit 24 is attached to a plurality of ink tanks 26 (see FIG. 8) as “liquid storage containers”, a casing 28 that covers the plurality of ink tanks 26, and a pivotable movement with respect to the casing 28. And a cover 30.

  The ink tank portion 24 is arranged so as to be positioned below the scanner 14 in a posture in which at least a part is closed in the apparatus width direction. In this embodiment, five ink tanks 26 are provided as shown in FIG. Specifically, the ink tank 26 includes ink tanks 26A, 26B, 26C, 26D, and 26E. Then, black, magenta, yellow, cyan, and photo black ink as “liquid” are respectively stored in the order of the ink tanks 26A, 26B, 26C, 26D, and 26E. The ink tank 26A is set to have a larger ink storage capacity than the other ink tanks 26B, 26C, 26D, and 26E. Further, on the front side in the apparatus depth direction of the ink tank unit 24, a display unit 24a capable of confirming the remaining amount of ink in each ink tank 26 is provided.

  When the scanner 14 is in an open position with respect to the apparatus main body 12, the cover 30 provided at the upper portion of the casing 28 in the ink tank portion 24 and covering the upper portion of the ink tank 26 is completely exposed. The cover 30 is attached to the housing 28 so as to be rotatable. When the cover 30 is completely exposed, the upper portion of the ink tank 26 can be exposed by rotating the cover 30 with respect to the housing 28 as shown in FIG. The configuration of the ink tank 26 will be described later.

  4 and 5, a carriage unit 32 is disposed on the back side of the ink tank portion 24 in the apparatus depth direction. As an example, the carriage unit 32 is configured to reciprocate in the apparatus width direction within the apparatus main body 12. As an example, FIG. 4 illustrates a state where the carriage unit 32 is located at the home position. More specifically, the drive mechanism of the carriage unit 32 is provided with a drive motor 34 on the back side of the carriage unit 32 in the apparatus depth direction.

  A drive pulley (not shown) is provided on the drive shaft of the drive motor 34. A driven pulley 36 (see FIG. 4) is provided in the apparatus main body 12 so as to be driven to rotate with respect to the drive pulley with an interval in the apparatus width direction with respect to the drive pulley (not shown). An endless belt 38 (see FIG. 4) is wound around the driving pulley (not shown) and the driven pulley 36. Further, at least a part of the endless belt 38 is gripped by the carriage unit 32 at a gripping portion (not shown) provided at the rear side end of the carriage unit 32. When the drive motor 34 is rotationally driven, the endless belt 38 is rotationally driven in the same direction as the rotational direction of the drive motor 34 to move the carriage unit 32 in the apparatus width direction. As an example, the position of the carriage unit 32 shown in FIG. 4 in the apparatus main body 12 is set as the home position of the carriage unit 32.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of relay adapters 40 are attached to the carriage unit 32. Each relay adapter 40 is connected to the ink tank 26 via the ink supply tube 42.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6, a recording head 44 as a “liquid ejecting head” is provided below the carriage unit 32. The lower surface of the recording head 44 is configured as a nozzle surface provided with a plurality of nozzles that eject ink. Although not shown, as an example, a plurality of nozzles are arranged along the apparatus depth direction to form a nozzle row. The relay adapter 40 is configured to be able to supply ink to the nozzles of the recording head 44.

  In FIG. 4, a medium support member 46 extending in the apparatus width direction is provided below the recording head 44. Further, a transport roller pair 48 is provided on the back side of the medium support member 46 in the apparatus depth direction.

  Referring to FIG. 17, a discharge roller pair 50 is provided on the front side of the medium support member 46 in the apparatus depth direction. The discharge roller pair 50 includes a discharge drive roller 50a that is rotationally driven by a drive source (not shown), and a discharge driven roller 50b that is in contact with the discharge drive roller 50a and is driven to rotate.

  Here, the medium recording operation of the printer 10 will be described. The medium accommodated in the medium accommodating portion 22 is fed to the conveyance roller pair 48 by a feeding means (not shown). The conveyance roller pair 48 nips the medium and feeds the medium to a region facing the recording head 44 on the lower side of the recording head 44. The medium supported by the medium support member 46 receives the ink ejected from the nozzles of the recording head 44 on the surface facing the recording head 44. As a result, recording is performed on the surface of the medium facing the recording head 44. The recorded medium is nipped by the discharge roller pair 50 and discharged toward the medium discharge tray 18 protruding to the front side of the apparatus main body 12 in the apparatus depth direction.

<<< Ink supply path >>>
Hereinafter, the ink supply path from the ink tank 26 to the recording head 44 of the carriage unit 32 in the printer 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 13. Referring to FIGS. 4, 5, and 8, one end of a plurality of ink supply tubes 42 is connected to a plurality of relay adapters 40 provided in the carriage unit 32. The ink supply tube 42 extending from the relay adapter 40 to the front side in the apparatus depth direction extends in the direction toward the left in the apparatus width direction at the end of the carriage unit 32 on the front side in the apparatus depth direction.

  Next, the ink supply tube 42 extending leftward in the apparatus width direction is bent downward in the apparatus height direction to form a curved portion 42a, and the curved portion 42a causes the apparatus width direction left to the apparatus width direction rightward. Wrapping. The ink supply tube 42 extends to the right in the apparatus width direction and is connected to the ink tank 26 of the ink tank section 24 provided on the right end side of the apparatus body 12 in the apparatus width direction.

  Here, the configuration around the ink tank section 24 will be described with reference to FIG. The ink tank 26 includes an ink storage portion 26a that extends in the front-rear direction of the apparatus depth direction on the lower side in the apparatus height direction, and an ink injection section 26b that protrudes upward from the ink storage section 26a in the apparatus height direction. . An ink injection port 26d is provided at the top of the ink injection portion 26b. That is, the ink tank 26 is formed in a step shape when viewed from the apparatus width direction.

  Further, a connecting portion 26e is provided at the lower portion of the ink storage portion 26a of each ink tank 26 on the back side in the apparatus depth direction. The other end of the ink supply tube 42 is connected to the connection portion 26e. Note that the other ends of the two ink supply tubes 42 are connected to the ink tank 26A that stores black ink. That is, one ink supply tube 42 is connected to each connection portion 26e of the ink tanks 26B, 26C, 26D, and 26E, and two ink supply tubes 42 are connected to the connection portion 26e of the ink tank 26A. Yes.

  Further, a tube guide portion 52 is provided on the upper portion of the ink storage portion 26 a of the ink tank 26. The ink supply tube 42 extending from the connection portion 26e to the upper side in the apparatus height direction is changed to the front side in the apparatus depth direction by the tube guide section 52 and then further to the left in the apparatus width direction. ing.

<< About the guide section >>>>
Next, the guide portion 54 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11. A guide portion 54 extending in the device width direction is provided on the back side of the operation panel 16 and the power supply unit 20 in the device depth direction of the device body 12. The guide portion 54 is disposed on the left side of the tube guide portion 52 provided in the ink tank portion 24 in the apparatus width direction. Further, the guide portion 54 is located below the carriage unit 32 in the apparatus height direction. The guide part 54 includes a guide member 56 as a “first part” and an escape part 58 as a “second part”.

  As an example, the guide member 56 is positioned to the left of the tube guide portion 52 in the apparatus width direction and is adjacent to the tube guide portion 52. Further, the guide member 56 is configured as a flat plate member extending in the apparatus width direction. Further, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the apparatus depth direction front end and the back side end of the guide member 56 protrude upward in the apparatus height direction. That is, the guide member 56 is formed so that the cross-sectional shape along the apparatus depth direction is concave. In the guide member 56, the recess functions as a guide surface 56 a that guides the ink supply tube 42. As an example, the guide member 56 is formed by bending a metal material by a bending process such as a press process.

  A plurality of tube fixing members 60 are attached to the guide member 56 at intervals in the apparatus width direction. The tube fixing member 60 is disposed so as to cross the guide surface 56a in the apparatus depth direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 12, in the ink supply tube 42, a part of the path from the curved portion 42a to the ink tank 26 has a tube fixing member 60 and a guide surface 56a of the guide member 56 in the apparatus height direction. Have been passed between. For this reason, the tube fixing member 60 restricts the displacement of the ink supply tube 42 in the separation direction even if the ink supply tube 42 attempts to separate from the guide surface 56a as the carriage unit 32 moves in the apparatus width direction.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, the escape portion 58 is disposed on the left side of the guide member 56 in the apparatus width direction in the apparatus width direction. In the present embodiment, the escape portion 58 is disposed at the left end of the apparatus main body 12 in the apparatus width direction. Here, referring to FIG. 11, a two-dot chain line with a symbol W indicates the position of the left end portion of the medium transport region in the apparatus width direction. That is, in the present embodiment, the escape portion 58 is located outside the medium conveyance area in the apparatus width direction.

  In FIG. 11, the carriage unit 32 is in a state of being positioned at the left end portion in the apparatus width direction in the movement region of the carriage unit 32 in the apparatus main body 12. In this state, the boundary between the guide member 56 and the escape portion 58 of the guide portion 54 is located at a substantially central portion in the apparatus width direction of the recording head 44 of the carriage unit 32 (see the alternate long and short dash line portion in FIG. 11). Yes.

  Further, the escape portion 58 includes, as an example, an inclined portion 58a that is inclined from the right to the left in the apparatus width direction toward the lower side in the apparatus height direction, and a horizontal portion that is connected to the inclined portion 58a and extends to the left in the apparatus width direction 58b. And the escape part 58 is formed by the resin material etc. whose rigidity is lower than a metal material as an example. That is, in this embodiment, the escape portion 58 is configured as a member having rigidity lower than that of the guide member 56 as an example.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 12, in the apparatus height direction, the height of the horizontal portion 58b of the escape portion 58 is set to be lower than the height of the guide surface 56a of the guide member 56 by the height L1.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 12, in this embodiment, the ink supply tube 42 extending from the ink tank 26 extends to the left in the apparatus width direction along the guide portion 54, and curves upward in the apparatus height direction. Since the curved portion 42a is formed and folded back to the right in the apparatus width direction and connected to the relay adapter 40 of the carriage unit 32, when the carriage unit 32 moves along the apparatus width direction, it is positioned closer to the home position. In this case, since the length of the ink supply tube 42 is sufficient, the radius R1 of the curved portion 42a ′ (see the two-dot chain line portion in FIG. 12) is increased, and the curvature is decreased. On the other hand, when the carriage unit 32 moves toward a position away from the home position in the apparatus width direction, there is no allowance for the length of the ink supply tube 42, the radius of the curved portion 42a is reduced, and the curvature is increased.

  When the curvature of the curved portion 42a of the ink supply tube 42 increases, the force with which the curved portion 42a is pressed against the guide portion 54 increases, and the frictional force generated between the curved portion 42a and the guide portion 54 increases. Due to this frictional force, the ink supply tube 42 or the guide part 54 may be worn and damaged.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, the position where the force with which the bending portion 42 a is pressed against the guide portion 54 in the apparatus width direction is maximized, that is, the bending portion 42 a is in the movement region of the carriage unit 32. In the state located at the left end, the escape portion 58 is disposed below the bending portion 42a in the apparatus height direction. That is, the escape portion 58 is provided at a position for receiving the curved portion 42a.

  Here, the horizontal portion 58b that receives the curved portion 42a in the escape portion 58 and contacts the lowest position of the curved portion 42a in the apparatus height direction is provided at a position lower than the guide surface 56a of the guide member 56 by the height L1. It has been. Therefore, for example, the radius R2 of the curved portion 42a is made larger by an amount corresponding to the height L1 than the radius of the curved portion 42a when the horizontal portion 58b is set to the same height as the guide surface 56a in the apparatus height direction. can do. That is, the curvature at the bending portion 42a can be reduced, and the bending at the bending portion 42a can be moderated. As a result, the force with which the curved portion 42a is pressed against the guide portion 54 can be reduced, and damage to the ink supply tube 42 or the guide portion 54 can be reduced.

<<< About the carriage unit >>>
Next, referring to FIGS. 6, 7, and 13, the carriage unit 32 includes a box-shaped housing 62 that opens upward in the apparatus height direction. An opening 62 a is provided at the bottom of the housing 62. The recording head 44 (see FIG. 5) is attached to the opening 62a so that the nozzle surface protrudes downward from the bottom of the housing 62 in the apparatus height direction. In the housing 62, a plurality of relay adapters 40 are arranged above the recording head 44 in the apparatus height direction.

  Further, a tube guide portion 62b is formed on the front side of the housing 62 in the apparatus depth direction. Here, the tube guide portion 62b is configured as a guide portion that curves the ink supply tube 42 extending from the relay adapter 40 to the front side in the apparatus depth direction and guides it to the left in the apparatus width direction.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 7, the tube guide portion 62b includes a buffer portion 62c and a curved guide portion 62d. The buffer part 62c extends in the apparatus width direction on the front side of the casing 62 in the apparatus depth direction. The buffer part 62c is formed as a space having a predetermined height in the apparatus height direction. As shown in FIG. 13, the left end of the buffer 62c in the apparatus width direction is formed as a gentle uphill, and is connected to the curved guide 62d.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the ink supply tube 42 extending from the relay adapter 40 to the front side in the apparatus depth direction in the carriage unit 32 changes its direction from the front side in the apparatus depth direction to the left side in the apparatus width direction in the buffer unit 62c. Thus, it extends from the curved guide portion 62d to the outside of the carriage unit 32, that is, to the left in the apparatus width direction.

  Here, since the buffer part 62c is a space having a predetermined height in the apparatus height direction, a part of the ink supply tube 42 passing through the buffer part 62c can be bent downward in the apparatus height direction. . The path length of the ink supply tube 42 from the relay adapter 40 to the ink tank 26 can be increased by bending a part of the ink supply tube 42 downward in the apparatus height direction by the buffer unit 62c.

  Here, for example, when the apparatus is assembled, the length of the ink supply tube 42 may be longer than the shortest path from the relay adapter 40 to the ink tank 26, resulting in an extra length. However, the extra length of the ink supply tube 42 can be adjusted by bending the ink supply tube 42 downward in the apparatus height direction within the buffer portion 62c.

  Further, referring to FIG. 13, the bending guide portion 62d has a shape that curves toward the lower side in the apparatus height direction. That is, the ink supply tube 42 is configured as a guide shape that curves the curve of the curved portion 42 a of the ink supply tube 42.

  Here, the curved guide portion 62d is formed as a curved surface having a radius R2. A virtual circle C1 having a radius R2 illustrated by a two-dot chain line is a virtual circle passing through the curved surface of the curved guide portion 62d. In this embodiment, the radius R3 is set to a size that does not hinder the flow of ink flowing in the ink supply tube 42 when the ink supply tube 42 is bent along the curved surface of the curved guide portion 62d. To 25 mm.

  In FIG. 13, the alternate long and short dash line denoted by S <b> 1 is a straight line along the inclined surface of the inclined portion 58 a of the escape portion 58. In this embodiment, the straight line S1 is set as a tangent to the virtual circle C1. That is, the curved guide portion 62d and the escape portion 58 are configured so as to guide the ink supply tube 42 and the radius of the curved portion 42a is R2. Thus, when the carriage unit 32 moves from the right to the left in the apparatus width direction, the ink supply tube 42 can naturally and naturally form the curved portion 42a following the curved guide portion 62d and the escape portion 58. .

<<< About ink supply tube >>>
Next, the configuration of the ink supply tube 42 will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 15. As shown in FIG. 15, the plurality of ink supply tubes 42 are bundled along the apparatus depth direction by clamps 64. A first protective member 66 is provided on the outer side of the ink supply tube 42, that is, on the outer peripheral side of the curved portion 42 a. As an example, the first protection member 66 covers a part of the path from the curved part 42 a to the carriage unit 32 in the length direction of the ink supply tube 42 and a part of the path from the curved part 42 a to the ink tank 26. It is constituted as a member to protect. As an example, the 1st protection member 66 is comprised as film members, such as resin, or a sheet-like member.

  In the first protective member 66, an enclosure 68 is formed at a portion corresponding to the position bundled by the clamp 64 of the ink supply tube 42. As an example, the enclosure portion 68 includes a tongue-like portion 66a (see a two-dot chain line portion in FIG. 14) that protrudes from the side surface of the first protection member 66 to the front side and the back side in the apparatus depth direction. 64 is formed so as to be bent.

  A second protective member 70 is provided on the inner side of the ink supply tube 42, that is, the inner circumferential side of the curved portion 42a. For example, the second protective member 70 covers a part of the path from the enclosure 68 to the carriage unit 32 in the length direction of the ink supply tube 42 and a part of the path from the enclosure 68 to the ink tank 26. It is constituted as a member to protect. The second protective member 70 is passed through the inside of the enclosure 68 at a position corresponding to the enclosure 68 in the ink supply tube 42. Moreover, the 2nd protection member 70 is comprised as a film member, such as resin, or a sheet-like member as an example. The second protective member 70 is formed of a material having lower rigidity than the first protective member 66.

  As shown in FIG. 16, in this embodiment, when the carriage unit 32 is positioned at the left end portion in the apparatus width direction in the movement region of the carriage unit 32, the enclosure portion 68 is positioned at the curved portion 42 a of the ink supply tube 42. The position is set to correspond.

  The second protective member 70 is disposed between the enclosure 68 and the ink supply tube 42 at a position where the enclosure 68 corresponds to the curved portion 42 a of the ink supply tube 42. This prevents contact between the inner peripheral side of the curved portion 42 a of the ink supply tube 42 and the edges of both ends of the enclosure 68 in the length direction of the ink supply tube 42. That is, when the surrounding portion 68 is positioned on the curved portion 42 a, the edge of the surrounding portion 68 does not directly contact the ink supply tube 42 but contacts the second protective member 70. As a result, it is possible to prevent a problem that the edge of the enclosure 68 contacts the ink supply tube 42 and causes damage.

<<< About the discharge roller pair >>>
The configuration of the discharge roller pair 50 will be described with reference to FIGS. 17 and 18. A discharge driving roller 50a is rotatably provided on the front side in the apparatus depth direction of the medium support member 46, that is, on the downstream side in the medium conveyance path. The discharge drive roller 50a is configured to be rotationally driven by a drive source (not shown). And the roller support frame 72 is arrange | positioned at the apparatus height direction upper side of the discharge drive roller 50a. In this embodiment, the roller support frame 72 is provided, for example, below the guide member 56 of the guide portion 54 in the apparatus height direction. The roller support frame 72 rotatably supports the discharge driven roller 50b.

  The roller support frame 72 is configured to be movable up and down in the apparatus height direction. The roller driven frame 50 shown in FIG. 17 is in contact with the discharge driving roller 50a, and the discharge driven shown in FIG. The state in which the roller 50b is separated from the discharge driving roller 50a can be switched. As an example, when the roller support frame 72 is displaced upward in the apparatus height direction and the discharge driven roller 50b is separated from the discharge drive roller 50a, an optical disk or the like is set from the front side in the apparatus depth direction of the printer 10. This tray can be sent to the area facing the recording head 44 in the medium conveyance path. Then, recording on a label surface such as an optical disk can be performed.

■■■ Second Example ■■■■
The carriage unit 76 in the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The carriage unit 76 is different from the carriage unit 32 of the first embodiment in that a restricting portion 78b is provided in a tube guide portion 78a provided on the front side of the housing 78 in the apparatus depth direction.

  In FIG. 21, a casing 78 of the carriage unit 76 is formed in a box shape that opens upward in the apparatus height direction. A tube guide portion 78a is formed on the front side of the housing 78 in the apparatus depth direction. Here, the tube guide portion 78 a is configured as a guide portion that guides the ink supply tube 42 extending from the plurality of ink tanks 26 arranged in the ink tank portion 24 into the housing 78.

  The tube guide part 78a includes a buffer part 78c, a curved guide part 78d, and a tube holding part 78e. The buffer unit 78c is configured similarly to the buffer unit 62c in the first embodiment. The curved guide part 78d has a shape that curves toward the lower side in the apparatus height direction. The curved guide portion 78d is configured as a guide shape that curves the ink supply tube. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the curved guide portion 78d is provided with a rib-shaped restricting portion 78b that protrudes upward from the curved guide portion 78d in the apparatus height direction. In the present embodiment, as an example, the restricting portion 78b is arranged on the left side in the apparatus width direction with respect to the center position of the casing 78 of the carriage unit 76 in the apparatus width direction.

As an example, the rib-shaped restricting portion 78b is formed with a width L3 in the apparatus width direction. The tip of the restricting portion 78b is not an R shape having a uniform radius, but is chamfered so that the corner on the + X direction side and the corner on the -X direction side become the R surface, and the upper surface is chamfered R It is formed to have a larger R (radius R3). Here, as shown in FIG. 24, the ink supply tube 42 forms a curved portion 42a in the curved guide portion 78d in a state where a part of the ink supply tube 42 is in contact with the regulating portion 78b. Then, the radius R3 of the tip of the restricting portion 78b is matched with the radius R4 of the curved portion 42a of the ink supply tube 42 (for example, the radius is substantially the same, and the radius centers are substantially the same. ) Is set.
Accordingly, a contact area when the ink supply tube 42 contacts the tip of the restricting portion 78b is secured, and the restricting portion 78b can be prevented from damaging the ink supply tube 42.

  21 to 23, a pair of tube holding portions 78e are formed in a bowl shape covering a part of the curved guide portion 78d above the curved guide portion 78d in the apparatus height direction. The tube holding part 78e is formed to have a width L2 in the apparatus width direction. In the present embodiment, as an example, the width L3 of the restricting portion 78b is set to be smaller than the width L2 of the tube holding portion 78e.

  In FIG. 23, the pair of tube holding portions 78e are in contact with both ends of the first protection member 66 that protects the outside of the ink supply tube 42 in the short direction (device depth direction). Thereby, the 1st protection member 66 is hold | maintained at the curved guide part 78d by the tube holding | maintenance part 78e. As a result, the first protection member 66 can hold the ink supply tube 42 disposed on the inside so as not to drop off from the curved guide portion 78d.

  Next, in FIG. 24 and FIG. 25, the ink supply tube in the state where the carriage unit 76 is positioned at the left end portion in the apparatus width direction and the home position (right end portion in the apparatus width direction) in the movement region of the carriage unit 76. The posture 42 will be described.

  Here, as described in the first embodiment, in the movement region of the carriage unit 76, the guide portion 54 (FIG. 12) extends from the home position (right side in the apparatus width direction) to the left in the apparatus width direction. And an escape portion 58 provided at the left end portion in the apparatus width direction.

  In FIG. 12, when the carriage unit 32 is located closer to the home position, the position of the curved portion 42 a formed in the ink supply tube 42 is formed at a position away from the carriage unit 32. In this state, the ink supply tube 42 (part indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 12) extending from the carriage unit 32 toward the left side in the apparatus width direction is inclined upward in the apparatus height direction. After extending, a curved portion 42a 'is formed. Although not shown in FIG. 12, the scanner 14 is disposed above the carriage unit 32 and the ink supply tube 42 in the apparatus height direction. The ink supply tube 42 moves from the curved portion 42 a to the carriage. At least a part of the path extending to the unit 32 is in contact with the scanner 14.

  When the carriage unit 32 is moved from this state to the left end portion in the apparatus width direction, the curved portion 42a of the ink supply tube 42 is formed along the curved guide portion 62d of the carriage unit 32 as shown in FIG. A curved portion 42 a is formed at a position close to the carriage unit 32. Accordingly, the degree of freedom of the ink supply tube 42 is reduced compared to the case where the curved portion 42a is formed at a position away from the carriage unit 32 (when the carriage unit 32 is located at the right end portion in the apparatus width direction), and the guide portion. The force with which the curved portion 42 a is pressed against the maximum 54 is maximized. In the first embodiment, by forming the escape portion 58 at the left end portion in the apparatus width direction, the curved portion 42a can escape downward, so that the curved portion 42a is located with respect to the guide portion 54 (FIG. 12). The pressing force can be reduced.

Here, in order to explain the function and effect of the rib-shaped restricting portion 78b, a problem in a configuration without the restricting portion 78b will be described with reference to FIG. 30, in the state where the carriage unit 32 is located closer to the right end (home position) in the apparatus width direction, the direction of the ink supply tube 42 extending from the carriage unit 32 is upward in the apparatus height direction. The carriage unit 32 receives a slightly upward force from the ink supply tube 42 as indicated by an arrow a.
On the other hand, when the carriage unit 32 moves to the left end in the apparatus width direction, the distance between the carriage unit 32 and the bending portion 42a is almost eliminated as shown in the lower diagram of FIG. 30, and the bending portion 42a becomes the bending guide portion 62d. Therefore, the carriage unit 32 receives a downward force from the ink supply tube 42 as indicated by an arrow b.
In this way, the direction of the force that the carriage unit 32 receives from the ink supply tube 42 during the movement of the carriage unit 32 changes, and as a result, the behavior of the carriage unit 32 may become unstable and the recording quality may be degraded. is there.

Therefore, in this embodiment, a rib-shaped restricting portion 78b is provided. The restricting portion 78b restricts the ink supply tube 42 so as to face the scanner 14 located on the upper side in the apparatus height direction (the direction away from the guide member 56). As a result, the ink supply tube 42 extending from the curved guide portion 78d of the housing 78 is once lifted upward in the apparatus height direction, so that the force that the carriage unit 76 receives from the ink supply tube 42 during the movement of the carriage unit 76. Can be prevented or the degree of the change can be suppressed.
That is, the direction of the force that the carriage unit 76 receives from the ink supply tube 42 is set to be slightly upward as shown by the arrow a in the upper diagram of FIG. 30 in the entire movable region of the carriage unit 76. Thereby, the behavior of the carriage unit 76 can be stabilized.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the restricting portion 78b restricts the ink supply tube 42 to face the scanner 14 positioned on the upper side in the apparatus height direction, so that the ink supply tube 42 and the scanner are moved in the moving region of the carriage unit 76. It is possible to increase the area in contact with 14 (the movement area of the carriage unit 76). As a result, a change in the force that the carriage unit 76 receives from the ink supply tube 42 can be suppressed, so that the behavior of the carriage unit 76 during movement can be stabilized.

<<< Modified Example of Second Embodiment >>>
(1) Next, a modification example of the restricting portion will be described with reference to FIGS. 26 and 27. In FIG. 26, in the casing 82 of the carriage unit 80, a restriction portion 82b is formed in the curved guide portion 82a. The restricting portion 82b is formed as a guide surface that is inclined upward in the apparatus height direction at the upper portion of the curved guide portion 82a (FIG. 27). The restricting portion 82b can lift the ink supply tube 42 extending from the carriage unit 80 upward in the apparatus height direction, like the restricting portion 78b. As a result, the ink supply tube 42 is lifted upward in the apparatus height direction by the restricting portion 82b and then bent in the direction downward in the apparatus height direction to form a curved portion 42a. As a result, a change in the direction of the force that the carriage unit 80 receives from the ink supply tube 42 during the movement of the carriage unit 80 can be prevented, or the degree of the change can be suppressed, and the behavior of the carriage unit 80 can be stabilized.
(2) Although the restricting portions 78b (FIG. 21) and 82b (FIG. 26) are configured integrally with the curved guide portion 82a, the restricting portions 78b and 82b may be configured as separate members instead of this configuration. When the restricting portions 78b and 82b are configured as separate members from the curved guide portion 82a, the restricting portions 78b and 82b have rigidity of the casings 78 and 82 of the carriage units 76 (FIG. 21) and 80 (FIG. 26). Is set lower.

<<< Modified Example of First and Second Embodiments >>>
(1) The escape portion 58 as the “second portion” is configured as an inclined surface that extends in a direction away from the ink supply tube 42. Instead of this configuration, as shown in FIG. The recessed surface 74 that is recessed in the direction away from the tube 42 may be configured as the “second portion”. In the guide portion 54, the position of the recessed surface 74 in the apparatus width direction can be set to an arbitrary position as appropriate.
(2) In the second protective member 70 that protects the inner peripheral side of the curved portion 42a of the ink supply tube 42, both ends are simply formed by cutting a sheet-like member linearly along the apparatus depth direction. Instead, a relief shape 70a may be formed at both ends of the second protective member 70 as shown in FIG. The relief shape 70a is, for example, a shape that curls toward the inner peripheral side of the curved portion 42a, but may be a shape that does not damage the ink supply tube 42 at the edges of both ends of the second protective member 70.

(3) The roller support frame 72 is configured to move up and down independently in the apparatus height direction independently of the guide member 56. Instead of this configuration, the guide member 56 is integrated with or interlocked with the roller support frame 72. It may be configured to move up and down in the apparatus height direction.
(4) The ink supply tube 42 extending from the ink tank 26 is located on the lower side of the carriage units 32 (FIG. 6), 76 (FIG. 21), and 80 (FIG. 26) in the apparatus height direction from the right to the left in the apparatus width direction. After extending to the upper side in the apparatus height direction, it extends to the right in the apparatus width direction, is guided into the carriage units 32, 76, 80, and is connected to the relay adapter 40. Instead, after the ink supply tube 42 that extends from the ink tank 26 to the left in the apparatus width direction is positioned above the carriage units 32, 76, and 80 in the apparatus height direction and is bent downward in the apparatus height direction, It is good also as a structure extended to the apparatus width direction right side and connecting with the relay adapter 40 in the carriage units 32,76,80.
In addition, the ink supply tube 42 may be bent upward or downward in the apparatus height direction, or may be bent forward or backward in the apparatus depth direction, that is, the ink supply tube 42 may be routed in the horizontal direction. In this configuration, the curved guide portions 62d (FIG. 7), 78d (FIG. 21), and 82a (FIG. 26) provided on the left side in the apparatus width direction of the carriage units 32, 76, and 80 are the curved portions of the ink supply tube 42. You may change suitably in the side in which 42a is formed.

(5) The first protective member 66 that protects the outside of the ink supply tube 42 may be the first protective member 84 shown in FIGS. The first protection member 84 covers and protects a part of the path from the curved part 42 a to the carriage unit 32 and a part of the path from the curved part 42 a to the ink tank 26 in the length direction of the ink supply tube 42. A slit 84a is formed in the part to be performed.

  In FIG. 28, the slit 84 a is formed along the longitudinal direction of the first protection member 84. As an example, the slit 84 a is formed in the center portion in the short direction (device depth direction) of the first protection member 84. By providing the slit 84 a in the first protection member 84, the rigidity can be lowered as compared with the first protection member 66. As a result, when the carriage unit 76 moves within the movement region, the force applied to the carriage unit 76 by the first protection member 84 can be suppressed, and the behavior of the carriage unit 76 can be further stabilized. The first protective member 84 also has a tongue-shaped portion 84b, and the surrounding portion 86 (FIG. 29) is formed by bending the tongue-shaped portion 84b.

  In summary, the printer 10 includes the recording head 44 that ejects ink onto the medium, and can accommodate the carriage unit 32 that reciprocates in the scanning direction of the recording head 44 and ink ejected from the recording head 44. An ink tank 26 provided at a different installation location from the carriage unit 32, an ink supply tube 42 connected to the carriage unit 32 and supplying ink sent from the ink tank 26 to the carriage unit 32, and an apparatus for the carriage unit 32. A guide portion 54 that is positioned on the lower side in the height direction and that extends along the moving direction of the carriage unit 32 and restricts deformation of the ink supply tube 42 accompanying the movement of the carriage unit 32. One of the moving directions of the device is the first direction The ink supply tube 42 extends along the guide portion 54 toward the left in the apparatus width direction, which is the second direction, when the width direction is on the right and the other is the second direction in the apparatus width direction. A curved portion 42a that curves upward in the vertical direction is formed, folded back to the right in the device width direction, which is the first direction, and connected to the carriage unit 32. The guide portion 54 includes a guide member 56 and a device height direction. And a relief portion 58 lower than the guide member 56.

  According to the above configuration, the guide portion 54 that regulates the deformation of the ink supply tube 42 includes the guide member 56 and the escape portion 58 that is lower than the guide member 56 in the device height direction, so that the size of the device can be reduced. However, the curved portion 42a can be appropriately formed by the escape portion 58, and damage to the ink supply tube 42 or the guide portion 54 can be suppressed.

  The escape portion 58 is provided at a position for receiving the curved portion 42a of the ink supply tube 42 when the carriage unit 32 is located at the left end in the apparatus width direction, which is the second direction in the movable range.

The ink supply tube 42 extends toward the left in the apparatus width direction, which is the second direction, along the guide portion 54, forms a curved portion 42 a, and is folded back to the right in the apparatus width direction, which is the first direction. Therefore, when the carriage unit 32 is positioned at the left end of the apparatus width direction, which is the second direction, in the movable range of the carriage unit 32, the curved portion 42a is most strongly pressed against the guide portion 54. Become.
According to the above configuration, the escape portion 58 is provided at a position for receiving the curved portion 42a of the ink supply tube 42 when the carriage unit 32 is located at the left end of the apparatus width direction, which is the second direction in the movable range. Therefore, the contact of the curved portion 42a with the guide portion 54 can be alleviated, and damage to the ink supply tube 42 or the guide portion 54 can be effectively suppressed.

  In the guide portion 54, the escape portion 58 is at least less rigid than the guide member 56. According to this configuration, it is possible to suppress damage to the ink supply tube 42 when the ink supply tube 42 presses against the escape portion 58.

  The escape portion 58 is formed by an inclined portion 58 a that extends in a direction away from the ink supply tube 42 or a recessed surface 74 that is recessed in a direction away from the ink supply tube 42.

  The guide part 54 is located in the upper part of the medium conveyance path.

  In the moving direction of the carriage unit 32, the escape portion 58 is located outside the medium conveyance path. According to this configuration, the escape portion 58 and the medium conveyance path do not overlap in the apparatus height direction, and the dimension in the apparatus height direction can be suppressed.

  A discharge roller pair 50 including a discharge driving roller 50a and a discharge driven roller 50b for discharging the medium is provided on the downstream side of the recording head 44 in the medium transfer path, and the discharge follower is provided between the medium transfer path and the guide unit 54. A roller support frame 72 that supports the roller 50b is provided. The roller support frame 72 is provided so as to be displaceable in a direction in which the distance from the medium conveyance path changes, and the guide member 56 of the guide unit 54 includes the roller support frame. The roller support frame 72 is displaced in the displacement direction in conjunction with the 72.

  According to the above configuration, in the configuration in which the roller support frame 72 can be displaced in the direction in which the distance from the medium conveyance path changes, the guide member 56 of the guide portion 54 is interlocked with the roller support frame 72 and the roller support frame 72. Therefore, it is possible to avoid securing a large space between the roller support frame 72 and the guide portion 54, and to suppress an increase in the size of the apparatus.

  The carriage unit 32 includes a curved guide portion 62d that bends the ink supply tube 42 along the curve of the curved portion 42a of the ink supply tube 42. According to this configuration, the curved portion 42a of the ink supply tube 42 can be naturally formed without difficulty.

  A length of the ink supply tube 42 from the curved portion 42 a toward the carriage unit 32, including a plurality of ink supply tubes 42, a clamp 64 that bundles the plurality of ink supply tubes 42, and the outside of the curved portion 42 a in the ink supply tube 42. A first protection member 66 that covers and protects at least a portion of the direction and at least a portion of the length of the ink supply tube 42 from the curved portion 42 a toward the ink tank 26, and is provided integrally with the first protection member 66. The length of the ink supply tube 42 that is interposed between the enclosure 68 that surrounds the clamp 64 and the curved portion 42 a of the ink supply tube 42 and between the clamp 64 and the enclosure 68, toward the carriage unit 32 from the enclosure 68. From at least a part of the vertical direction and the enclosure 68 The ink supply tube 42 toward the 26 and a second protective member 70 covering and protecting at least a portion of the length.

  According to the above configuration, the plurality of ink supply tubes 42 can be collected by the clamp 64, the ink supply tube 42 can be protected by the first protection member 66, and the ink supply tube 42, the clamp 64, These of the 1st protection member 66 can be united. In such a configuration, the second protection is provided between the clamp 64 and the enclosure 68 inside the curved portion 42 a of the ink supply tube 42 and extends from the enclosure 68 in both longitudinal directions of the ink supply tube 42. The member 70 can protect the ink supply tube 42 by preventing the enclosure 68 from biting into the ink supply tube 42.

  The second protection member 70 has lower rigidity than the first protection member 66. According to this configuration, it is possible to avoid the second protective member 70 itself from biting into the ink supply tube 42.

  The end of the second protection member 70 in the longitudinal direction of the ink supply tube 42 is formed in a relief shape 70 a that avoids biting into the ink supply tube 42. According to this configuration, it is possible to more reliably avoid the second protective member 70 itself from biting into the ink supply tube 42.

  The printer 10 includes a recording head 44 that ejects ink onto a medium, carriage units 76 (FIG. 21) and 80 (FIG. 26) that reciprocate in the scanning direction of the recording head 44, and ink ejected from the recording head 44. An ink tank 26 that can be accommodated and is provided at a place different from the carriage units 76 and 80, and an ink that is connected to the carriage units 76 and 80 and supplies ink sent from the ink tank 26 to the carriage units 76 and 80 Along the movement direction of the carriage units 76 and 80, which is located on the lower side in the apparatus height direction with respect to the supply tube 42 and the carriage unit 32 and restricts deformation of the ink supply tube 42 accompanying the movement of the carriage units 76 and 80. An extended guide part 54, and carriage units 76, 8 The ink supply tube 42 extends along the guide portion 54 in the second direction when one of the movement directions is set to the right in the apparatus width direction that is the first direction and the other is set to the left in the apparatus width direction that is the second direction. A curved portion 42a extending toward the left in the apparatus width direction and curved upward in the apparatus height direction is formed, folded back to the right in the apparatus width direction, which is the first direction, and connected to the carriage units 76 and 80. The carriage units 76 and 80 are provided with restricting portions 78b (FIG. 21) and 82b (FIG. 26) for restricting the extending direction of the ink supply tube 42 extending from the carriage units 76 and 80 in a direction away from the guide portion 54. I have.

  According to the above configuration, the carriage units 76 and 80 are provided with the restricting portions 78 b and 82 b that restrict the extending direction of the ink supply tube 42 extending from the carriage units 76 and 80 in the direction away from the guide portion 54. Therefore, the ink supply tube 42 is regulated so that the radius of the curved portion 42a is as large as possible. In particular, when the carriage units 76 and 80 are moved from the left end portion in the apparatus width direction to the right side in the apparatus width direction, the change in the extending direction of the ink supply tube 42 can be reduced or suppressed. It is possible to suppress a change in force that the carriage units 76 and 80 receive from the ink supply tube 42 due to a change in the curvature of the curved portion 42a during the moving operation. As a result, it is possible to suppress the unstable behavior of the carriage units 76 and 80 and the deterioration of the recording quality due to the carriage units 76 and 80 receiving the force from the ink supply tube 42.

  The printer 10 includes a recording head 44 that ejects ink onto a medium, carriage units 76 (FIG. 21) and 80 (FIG. 26) that reciprocate in the scanning direction of the recording head 44, and ink ejected from the recording head 44. An ink tank 26 that can be accommodated and is provided at a place different from the carriage units 76 and 80, and an ink that is connected to the carriage units 76 and 80 and supplies ink sent from the ink tank 26 to the carriage units 76 and 80 Along the movement direction of the carriage units 76 and 80, which is located on the lower side in the apparatus height direction with respect to the supply tube 42 and the carriage unit 32 and restricts deformation of the ink supply tube 42 accompanying the movement of the carriage units 76 and 80. For the extended guide portion 54 and the carriage units 76 and 80 And a scanner 14 that opens and closes the reciprocating region of the carriage units 76 and 80, and one of the movement directions of the carriage units 76 and 80 is the first direction, rightward in the apparatus width direction. When the other is the left side in the apparatus width direction, which is the second direction, the ink supply tube 42 extends along the guide portion 54 toward the left in the apparatus width direction, which is the second direction, and the upper side in the apparatus height direction. Is bent to the right in the apparatus width direction, which is the first direction, and is connected to the carriage units 76, 80. The carriage units 76, 80 extend from the carriage units 76, 80. There are provided restricting portions 78b (FIG. 21) and 82b (FIG. 26) for restricting the extending direction of the ink supply tube 42 to the direction facing the scanner 14.

When the ink supply tube 42 extending from the carriage units 76 and 80 comes into contact with or does not come into contact with the scanner 14 located above the reciprocating region of the carriage units 76 and 80, the carriage units 76 and 80 are moved. The force that the carriage units 76 and 80 receive from the ink supply tube 42 changes, and as a result, the behavior of the carriage units 76 and 80 becomes unstable.
However, according to this configuration, the carriage units 76 and 80 are provided with the restriction portions 78b and 82b for restricting the extending direction of the ink supply tube 42 extending from the carriage units 76 and 80 to the direction toward the scanner 14. The range in which the ink supply tube 42 contacts the scanner 14 can be extended. As a result, a change in the force that the carriage units 76 and 80 receive from the ink supply tube 42 when the carriage units 76 and 80 move is suppressed, and the behavior of the carriage units 76 and 80 becomes unstable, and as a result, the recording quality decreases. Can be suppressed.

  The ink supply tube 42 includes at least a part in the length direction of the ink supply tube 42 from the curved portion 42 a toward the carriage units 76 and 80, including the outside of the curved portion 42 a in the ink supply tube 42, and the ink supply tube 42 from the curved portion 42 a toward the ink tank 26. A first protection member 84 that covers and protects at least a part of the length direction of the ink supply tube 42 in the length direction of the ink supply tube 42 in a region that protects at least the curved portion 42a. A slit 84a is formed.

  According to the above configuration, the slit 84 a is formed in the first protection member 84 in the length direction of the ink supply tube 42 at least in the region that protects the curved portion 42 a. The rigidity can be lowered, and the force that the carriage units 76 and 80 receive from the first protection member 84 can be suppressed. As a result, it is possible to suppress unstable behavior of the carriage units 76 and 80 due to the carriage units 76 and 80 receiving a force from the first protection member 84, and hence deterioration in recording quality.

In the present embodiment, the guide portion 54, the escape portion 58, and the curved guide portion 62d according to the present invention are applied to an ink jet printer as an example of a liquid ejecting apparatus, but may be applied to other liquid ejecting apparatuses in general.
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, 16 ... Operation panel, 18 ... Medium discharge tray, 20 ... Power supply part, 22 ... Medium storage part, 24 ... Ink tank part, 24a ... Display part, 26, 26A, 26B, 26C, 26D, 26E ... ink tank, 26a ... ink containing portion, 26b ... ink injection portion, 26d ... ink injection port, 26e ... connection portion, 28 ... housing, 30 ... cover, 32, 76, 80 ... carriage Unit: 34 ... Drive motor, 36 ... Driven pulley, 38 ... Endless belt, 40 ... Relay adapter, 42 ... Ink supply tube, 42a, 42a '... Curved portion, 44 ... Recording head, 46 ... Medium support member, 48 ... Conveyance Roller pair, 50 ... discharge roller pair, 50a ... discharge drive roller, 50b ... discharge driven roller, 52, 78a ... tube guide, 5 ... Guide part, 56 ... Guide member, 56a ... Guide surface, 58 ... Escape part, 58a ... Inclined part, 58b ... Horizontal part, 60 ... Tube fixing member, 62, 78, 82 ... Housing, 62a ... Opening, 62b ... Tube guide part, 62c, 78c ... Buffer part, 62d, 78d, 82a ... Curve guide part, 64 ... Clamp, 66, 84 ... First protection member, 66a, 84a ... Tongue part, 68, 86 ... Enclosure part, 70 ... second protective member, 70a ... flank shape, 72 ... roller support frame, 74 ... concave surface, 78b, 82b ... regulator, 78e ... tube holder, 84a ... slit, C1 ... virtual circle, L1 ... height, L2 , L3 ... width, R1, R2, R3, R4 ... radius

Claims (14)

A carriage unit that includes a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid onto a medium, and reciprocates in the scanning direction of the liquid ejecting head;
A liquid container that can store the liquid ejected from the liquid ejecting head, and is provided at a different installation location from the carriage unit;
A tube connected to the carriage unit and supplying the liquid sent from the liquid container to the carriage unit;
A guide portion that is positioned vertically below the carriage unit and that extends along the moving direction of the carriage unit that restricts deformation of the tube as the carriage unit moves.
When one of the moving directions of the carriage unit is the first direction and the other is the second direction, the tube extends along the guide portion in the second direction and curves in the vertical upward direction. Forming a curved portion and folded in the first direction to be connected to the carriage unit;
The guide part has a first part and a second part that is lower than the first part in the vertical direction.
A liquid ejecting apparatus. 2. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second portion is provided at a position for receiving the curved portion of the tube when the carriage unit is located at an end portion in the second direction in a movable range. Yes,
A liquid ejecting apparatus. 3. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second portion has rigidity lower than at least the first portion.
A liquid ejecting apparatus. 4. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second portion is formed of an inclined surface that extends in a direction away from the tube, or a recessed surface that is recessed in a direction away from the tube. Yes,
A liquid ejecting apparatus. 5. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the guide unit is located in an upper part of the medium conveyance path.
A liquid ejecting apparatus. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the second portion is located outside the medium conveyance path in the movement direction of the carriage unit.
A liquid ejecting apparatus. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising a discharge roller pair including a discharge driving roller and a discharge driven roller for discharging the medium on the downstream side of the liquid jet head in the medium transport path,
A roller support frame that supports the discharge driven roller is provided between the medium conveyance path and the guide portion,
The roller support frame is provided so as to be displaceable in a direction in which an interval with the medium conveyance path is changed, and the first portion of the guide portion is interlocked with the roller support frame. Displaced in the displacement direction,
A liquid ejecting apparatus. 8. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the carriage unit includes a bending guide portion that bends the tube so as to follow the bending of the bending portion of the tube.
A liquid ejecting apparatus. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the liquid ejecting apparatus includes a plurality of the tubes,
A clamp for bundling a plurality of the tubes;
At least one part in the length direction of the tube from the bending portion toward the carriage unit, including the outside of the bending portion in the tube, and at least one in the length direction of the tube from the bending portion toward the liquid container. A first protective member that covers and protects the part;
An enclosure provided integrally with the first protection member and surrounding the clamp;
At least a part of the tube in the length direction from the enclosure to the carriage unit and between the clamp and the enclosure inside the curved portion of the tube and from the enclosure to the liquid A second protective member that covers and protects at least a part of the length direction of the tube toward the storage container,
A liquid ejecting apparatus. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the second protection member has lower rigidity than the first protection member.
A liquid ejecting apparatus. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 9 or 10, wherein an end portion of the second protective member in a longitudinal direction of the tube is formed in a relief shape to avoid biting into the tube.
A liquid ejecting apparatus. A carriage unit that includes a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid onto a medium, and reciprocates in the scanning direction of the liquid ejecting head;
A liquid container that can store the liquid ejected from the liquid ejecting head, and is provided at a different installation location from the carriage unit;
A tube connected to the carriage unit and supplying the liquid sent from the liquid container to the carriage unit;
A guide portion that is positioned vertically below the carriage unit and that extends along the moving direction of the carriage unit that restricts deformation of the tube as the carriage unit moves.
When one of the moving directions of the carriage unit is the first direction and the other is the second direction, the tube extends along the guide portion in the second direction and curves in the vertical upward direction. Forming a curved portion and folded in the first direction to be connected to the carriage unit;
The carriage unit includes a restricting portion that restricts the extending direction of the tube extending from the carriage unit in a direction away from the guide portion.
A liquid ejecting apparatus. A carriage unit that includes a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid onto a medium, and reciprocates in the scanning direction of the liquid ejecting head;
A liquid container that can store the liquid ejected from the liquid ejecting head, and is provided at a different installation location from the carriage unit;
A tube connected to the carriage unit and supplying the liquid sent from the liquid container to the carriage unit;
A guide portion that is positioned vertically below the carriage unit and that restricts deformation of the tube along with the movement of the carriage unit, and extends along the movement direction of the carriage unit;
An opening / closing body that is positioned vertically above the carriage unit and that opens and closes a reciprocating region of the carriage unit;
When one of the moving directions of the carriage unit is the first direction and the other is the second direction, the tube extends along the guide portion in the second direction and curves in the vertical upward direction. Forming a curved portion and folded in the first direction to be connected to the carriage unit;
The carriage unit includes a restricting portion that restricts an extending direction of the tube extending from the carriage unit in a direction toward the opening / closing body.
A liquid ejecting apparatus. 14. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the tube includes at least a part in a length direction of the tube from the bending portion toward the carriage unit, including the outside of the bending portion of the tube, and the bending portion. A first protection member that covers and protects at least part of the length direction of the tube toward the liquid container;
In the first protection member, a slit is formed in the length direction of the tube at least in a region protecting the curved portion.
A liquid ejecting apparatus.

Images