JP2019093689A - Recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a recording device which suppresses harmful effect of mists while suppressing degradation of an image recorded onto a medium.SOLUTION: A recording device has: a support stage 3; a carriage 20; an upstream side fan 50 which is fixed to a first end 21 of the carriage 20; a downstream side fan 60 which is fixed to a second end 22 of the carriage 20; and a recording head 8 which is fixed to a supporting surface 23 of the carriage 20. When the recording head 8 discharges an ink while moving in an X(+) direction, the upstream side fan 50 blows a gas in a Z(+) direction and sucks the gas from the support stage 3 side, and the downstream side fan 60 blows the gas in a Z(-) direction and supplies the gas to the support stage 3 side. When the recording head 8 discharges the ink while moving in an X(-) direction, the upstream side fan 50 blows a gas in the Z(-) direction and supplies the gas to the support stage 3 side, and the downstream side fan 60 blows the gas in the Z(+) direction and sucks the gas from the support stage 3 side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to a recording apparatus.

  In a recording apparatus that ejects ink from a recording head to record an image on a medium, a part of the ink ejected from the recording head is atomized to become mist, and the mist floats in the air, and the components of the recording apparatus There was a risk of contaminating the medium on which the image was recorded. For this reason, in Patent Document 1, a suction port for sucking mist and a discharge port for generating an air flow toward the suction port are provided between the recording head (inkjet head) and the medium, and discharge from the recording head is performed. There has been proposed an ink mist removing apparatus which guides mist having a part of the ink to be atomized to the suction port by an air flow and recovers the mist from the suction port.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-184851

  However, when the ink mist removing device is provided between the recording head and the medium, the distance between the recording head and the medium, that is, the flying distance of the ink ejected from the recording head becomes long, so the target position of the medium is reached. It becomes difficult to land the ink, which may deteriorate the quality of the image recorded on the medium. Furthermore, since a new space for providing the ink mist removing device is required between the recording head and the medium, there is also a problem that it is difficult to save the space of the portion for recording the image on the medium.

  The present invention has been made to solve at least a part of the above-described problems, and can be realized as the following modes or application examples.

  According to the application example, the recording apparatus according to the application example includes a medium support unit that supports a medium, and a first direction and a second direction that is opposite to the first direction, and is movable in the second direction. A carriage intersecting the first direction and the second direction, an upstream fan fixed to a first end of the carriage on the upstream side in the first direction, and a downstream of the carriage in the first direction A downstream fan fixed to the second end on the side, the upstream fan and the downstream fan, fixed to a supporting surface of the carriage facing the medium supporting portion, And the recording head discharges the ink while moving in the first direction, the upstream fan blows the gas in the third direction, and the recording head discharges the gas. Suction from the medium support side, The flow side fan blows the gas in a fourth direction opposite to the third direction, supplies the gas to the medium support portion side, and the recording head moves in the second direction. When the ink is discharged, the upstream fan blows the gas in the fourth direction and supplies the gas to the medium support portion side, and the downstream fan blows the gas in the third direction. And suction the gas from the side of the medium support.

An upstream fan is provided upstream of the recording head in the first direction, and a downstream fan is provided downstream of the recording head in the first direction. In other words, the upstream fan is provided on the downstream side in the second direction with respect to the recording head, and the downstream fan is provided on the upstream side in the second direction with respect to the recording head. Further, the recording head, the upstream fan and the downstream fan are movable in the first direction and the second direction together with the carriage.
When the recording head ejects the ink while moving in the first direction, the upstream fan located on the upstream side in the first direction with respect to the recording head sucks gas from the medium support portion side, and the recording head receives the ink The downstream fan located downstream in the first direction supplies gas to the medium support side.
When the recording head ejects ink while moving in the second direction, the downstream fan located on the upstream side in the second direction with respect to the recording head sucks gas from the medium support portion side, and the recording head receives the ink The upstream fan located downstream in the second direction supplies gas to the medium support side.
That is, the recording head is moved while the recording head is moving in a state where the gas is supplied to the medium support side on the downstream side in the moving direction of the recording head and the gas is sucked from the medium support side on the upstream side in the moving direction of the recording head Is discharged onto the medium (the side of the medium support).

When the recording head moves in the movement direction, the gas between the recording head and the medium support moves relative to the recording head in the direction opposite to the movement direction of the recording head (hereinafter simply referred to as the reverse direction). Further, when the recording head is moved in the moving direction with the gas supplied to the medium support side on the downstream side in the moving direction of the recording head, the medium support is added to the gas between the recording head and the medium support. The gas supplied to the unit also moves in the opposite direction relative to the recording head. Therefore, when the gas is supplied to the medium support side on the downstream side in the moving direction of the recording head, the gas moves relative to the recording head in the opposite direction as compared to the case where the gas is not supplied to the medium support side. The flow velocity of the fluid increases, and the gas tends to flow in the reverse direction to the recording head.
When the gas is likely to flow in the reverse direction to the recording head, the mist atomized by the ink ejected from the recording head is likely to flow in the reverse direction to the recording head together with the gas. Further, since the gas is sucked from the side of the medium support in the reverse direction (upstream side in the moving direction of the print head) with respect to the print head, the mist is sucked together with the gas and discharged to the outside of the printing apparatus.

As described above, in this application example, by providing the fan that supplies the gas to the medium support unit side on the downstream side in the moving direction of the recording head, the mist ejected from the recording head is atomized into the recording head. Make it easy to flow in the opposite direction. Further, by providing a fan for sucking the gas from the medium support side on the upstream side in the moving direction of the recording head, the mist flowing in the reverse direction to the recording head is discharged to the outside of the recording apparatus.
The mist flows in the reverse direction to the recording head and is discharged to the outside of the recording apparatus, so that the components of the recording apparatus and the medium on which the image is recorded are less likely to be contaminated by the mist, and the adverse effect of the mist is suppressed. Ru.

Furthermore, the components for discharging the mist to the outside of the recording apparatus (upstream fan, downstream fan) are fixed to the carriage together with the recording head, and are disposed between the recording head and the medium support (medium) Therefore, even if a component for discharging the mist to the outside of the recording apparatus is provided, the distance (flying distance of the ink) between the recording head and the medium support portion (medium) does not become long, and the recording head and medium As compared with the case where the distance between the ink jet head and the support portion becomes long, the ink ejected from the recording head can land more easily on the target position of the medium, and the quality of the image recorded on the medium can be improved.
Furthermore, in the portion for recording on the medium, the constituent elements for discharging the mist to the outside of the recording apparatus (upstream fan, downstream fan), the recording head and the carriage are integrated, so the recording apparatus for the mist Compared to the case where the component for discharging outside the recording head, the recording head, and the carriage are not integrated, the portion to be recorded on the medium can be made compact.

  Application Example 2 In the recording apparatus according to the application example, the upstream fan and the downstream fan have the first filter that can be moved in the third direction or the fourth direction in the fourth direction side. When the upstream fan and the downstream fan blow the gas in the third direction and the gas is sucked from the medium support unit side, the first filter filters the gas to form the gas. The upstream side fan and the downstream side fan blow the gas in the fourth direction so that the mist of the ink contained is removed, and the gas is supplied to the medium support unit side. In this case, it is preferable that the first filter swings in the fourth direction so that the gas can easily flow.

If the components for discharging the mist to the outside of the recording apparatus (upstream fan and downstream fan) supply gas to the medium support side on the downstream side in the moving direction of the recording head, the gas is likely to flow As described above, since the first filter vibrates, even if the first filter is provided, the supply of gas to the medium support portion side is not easily inhibited.
If the components for discharging the mist to the outside of the recording apparatus (upstream fan and downstream fan) on the upstream side in the moving direction of the recording head suck the gas from the medium support side, the first filter is a gas Since the contained ink mist is removed, the components for discharging the mist to the outside of the recording apparatus (upstream fan, downstream fan) are less likely to be contaminated by the mist, and a malfunction (for example, a failure) due to the mist occurs. Hateful.

  Application Example 3 In the recording apparatus according to the application example described above, the upstream fan is a first upstream fan that blows the gas in the third direction, and a second upstream that blows the gas in the fourth direction. A downstream fan, the downstream fan including a first downstream fan for blowing the gas in the third direction, and a second downstream fan for blowing the gas in the fourth direction; When the recording head discharges the ink while moving in the first direction, the first upstream fan blows the gas in the third direction and sucks the gas from the medium support unit side. The second downstream fan blows the gas in the fourth direction to supply the gas to the medium support unit side, and the recording head discharges the ink while moving in the second direction. The second upstream fan is configured to receive the gas in the fourth direction. Blowing and by supplying the gas to the medium support member side, the first downstream-side fan is preferably sucking the gas by blowing the gas to the third direction from said medium supporting portion.

  If the component for discharging the mist to the outside of the recording apparatus is a fan for blowing the gas in one direction (the third direction or the fourth direction), the component for discharging the mist to the outside of the recording apparatus The structure of the fan can be simplified as compared with the case where the (upstream fan, downstream fan) are configured by fans that blow the gas in both directions.

  Application Example 4 In the recording apparatus according to the application example described above, the first upstream fan has an upstream suction port for sucking the gas from the medium support side in the fourth direction, and the second upstream fan The upstream fan has an upstream supply port for supplying the gas to the medium support side on the fourth direction side, and the first downstream fan sucks the gas from the medium support side. A side suction port is provided on the fourth direction side, and the second downstream fan has a downstream side supply port for supplying the gas to the medium support unit side on the fourth direction side, and the upstream Preferably, the side suction port is disposed closer to the carriage than the upstream supply port, and the downstream suction port is disposed closer to the carriage than the downstream supply port.

  The suction port (upstream suction port, downstream suction port) for sucking the mist from the medium support unit is compared with the supply ports (upstream supply port, downstream supply port) for supplying the gas to the medium support unit. When the recording head is disposed closer to the recording head, the mist ejected from the recording head is more likely to be absorbed by the suction port than the case where the recording head is disposed far from the carriage (the recording head). It becomes easy to be discharged to the outside of the

  Application Example 5 In the recording apparatus according to the application example, the upstream suction port sucks the gas from the medium support unit side, and the downstream supply port supplies the gas to the medium support unit side. The upstream supply port supplies the gas to the medium support unit side, the downstream suction port sucks the gas from the medium support unit side, and the upstream supply port moves the gas to the medium support unit side In the case of supply, it is preferable that the downstream side supply port supply the gas to the medium support unit side.

When the upstream suction port sucks gas from the medium support side and the downstream supply port supplies gas to the medium support side, the upstream supply port supplies gas to the medium support side. The supplied gas becomes a kind of air curtain, and the gas is easily absorbed from the upstream suction port, and the mist atomized with the ink discharged from the recording head is easily absorbed from the upstream suction port together with the gas .
When the downstream suction port sucks gas from the medium support side and the upstream supply port supplies gas to the medium support side, the downstream supply port supplies gas to the medium support side. The gas supplied is a kind of air curtain, and the gas is easily absorbed from the downstream suction port, and the mist atomized by the ink ejected from the recording head is easily absorbed from the downstream suction port together with the gas. .

  Application Example 6 In the recording apparatus according to the application example, a second filter is attached to the upstream suction port and the downstream suction port, and the gas is supplied from the upstream suction port and the downstream suction port. When suctioning from the medium support unit side, it is preferable that the second filter filters the gas to remove the mist of the ink contained in the gas.

  Since the gas sucked from the upstream suction port and the downstream suction port is filtered by the second filter to remove the ink mist contained in the gas, a component for discharging the mist to the outside of the recording apparatus ( The upstream fan and the downstream fan are less likely to be contaminated by the mist, and the trouble (for example, failure) due to the mist is less likely to occur.

  Application Example 7 In the recording apparatus according to the application example described above, the support surface includes a first inclined portion that is inclined away from the medium support portion as it goes from the recording head to the first end, and the recording head Preferably, it has a second inclined portion which is inclined so as to be away from the medium support portion from the second to the second end.

  Since the gas is viscous, it tends to flow along the first and second slopes. When the first inclined portion and the second inclined portion are inclined to move away from the medium support portion on the side far from the recording head and to approach the medium support portion on the side close to the recording head, the medium support on the downstream side in the moving direction of the recording head The gas supplied to the unit is guided to the side of the recording head by the first inclined portion or the second inclined portion, and the gas tends to flow in the reverse direction to the recording head.

  Application Example 8 In the recording apparatus according to the application example described above, the support surface supports the medium support between the recording head and the first inclined portion, and between the recording head and the second inclined portion. It is preferable to have a plane parallel to the part.

  If a surface parallel to the medium support portion is provided between the recording head and the first inclined portion and between the recording head and the second inclined portion, the recording head moves relative to the recording head when the recording head moves in the movement direction. The counter-flowing gas will flow along parallel planes, and the flow of gas between the recording head and the media support can be a laminar flow flowing along the parallel planes. When the flow of gas between the recording head and the medium support unit is a laminar flow, the ink ejected from the recording head is compared with the case where the flow of the gas between the recording head and the medium support unit is a turbulent flow. It becomes easy to land on the target position of the medium, and the quality of the image recorded on the medium can be improved.

  Application Example 9 In the recording apparatus according to the application example described above, the ink is irradiated with light in the second direction side with respect to the upstream fan and in the first direction side with respect to the downstream fan. Preferably, an irradiation device is provided.

  By providing the irradiation device, a photocurable ink can be used as the ink ejected from the recording head. Further, in the portion for recording on the medium, since the irradiation device, the components for discharging the mist to the outside of the recording device (upstream fan, downstream fan), the recording head and the carriage are integrated, As compared with the case where they are not integrated, it is possible to make the part to be recorded on the medium compact.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a configuration of a recording apparatus according to an embodiment. The schematic which shows the cross section of the support stage along NN direction in FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing an internal state of a recording unit. FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing the state of the recording unit in an even number of main scans. FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing the state of the recording unit in odd-numbered main scanning. FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing the state of a recording unit mounted on the recording apparatus according to the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing the state of a recording unit mounted on the recording apparatus according to the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing the state of a recording unit mounted on the recording apparatus according to the third embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing the state of a recording unit mounted on the recording apparatus according to the third embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Such an embodiment shows one aspect of the present invention, does not limit the present invention, and can be arbitrarily changed within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. Further, in the following drawings, the scale of each layer or each part is made different from the actual scale in order to make each layer or each part recognizable in the drawing.

(Embodiment 1)
"Overview of Recording Device"
The recording apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment is a so-called flatbed type recording apparatus that performs recording on the medium M by moving the liquid discharge head (recording head 8) with respect to the medium M supported by the support stage 3. is there. The recording apparatus 1 records a desired image on the medium M by discharging a photocurable ink (hereinafter, referred to as ink) by an inkjet method. As the medium M, for example, a medium composed of thin paper, plastic sheet, cardboard, wood, tile, plastic board, styrene board, cardboard, molded member, stone or the like is assumed.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing the configuration of a recording apparatus according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing a cross section of the support stage along the N-N direction in FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing the internal state of the recording unit.
First, the outline of the recording apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.
As shown in FIG. 1, the recording apparatus 1 contains the recording unit 5, a support stage 3 which is an example of a “medium support unit”, an operation panel 35, an open / close door 351, a leg 33 and ink. A container (ink cartridge) 30 is provided.

The support stage 3 has a substantially rectangular medium support surface 31 elongated in one direction. The medium support surface 31 of the support stage 3 is provided with a plurality of suction ports (not shown), and the medium M can be adsorbed to the medium support surface 31 and held.
In the following description, the longitudinal direction of the medium support surface 31 is taken as the Y direction, the transverse direction of the medium support surface 31 is taken as the X direction, and the direction intersecting the X direction and the Y direction is taken as the Z direction. The X direction and the Y direction are disposed along the horizontal plane, and the Z direction is disposed along the vertical direction. Further, the ink cartridge 30 side in the X direction is taken as an X (+) direction, and the opposite side is taken as an X (−) direction. The operation panel 35 side in the Y direction is taken as a Y (+) direction, and the opposite side is taken as a Y (−) direction. Let the gravity direction side in Z direction be Z (-) direction, and let the opposite side be Z (+) direction.
The X (+) direction is an example of the “first direction”, the X (−) direction is an example of the “second direction”, and the Z (+) direction is an example of the “third direction”. The Z (-) direction is an example of the "fourth direction".

The legs 33 are portions that support the four corners of the support stage 3. At the lower end of the leg portion 33, a caster may be provided. When the caster is provided, the recording apparatus 1 can be easily moved.
The operation panel 35 is a part that receives an instruction from a worker.
The opening and closing door 351 is a portion provided for the operator to perform maintenance on the recording unit 5 by manual operation. By moving the recording unit 5 directly above the opening / closing door 351 (Z (+) direction side), the operator can open the opening / closing door 351 and perform maintenance of the inside of the recording unit 5 manually. .

  As shown in FIG. 2, the support stage 3 is provided with a sub scanning movement unit 4 which can move the recording unit 5 (carriage 20 (see FIG. 3)) in the sub scanning direction (Y (+) direction). The sub scanning movement unit 4 connects a pair of guide mechanisms 41 provided on both sides of the support stage 3 in the main scanning direction (X (+) direction, X (−) direction), the recording unit 5 and the guide mechanism 41 And a sub scanning movement mechanism 43 for driving the recording unit 5 in the sub scanning direction along the guide mechanism 41.

The guide mechanism 41 is configured by an LM guide (registered trademark). The guide mechanism 41 includes a guide rail 41a which extends in the sub scanning direction and is fixed to the lower side (Z (-) direction side) of the support stage 3, and a slider 41b which slides in the sub scanning direction with respect to the guide rail 41a. And The slider 41 b is attached to the recording unit 5 via the connection frame 42.
The sub scanning movement mechanism 43 includes a screw shaft 44 extended in the sub scanning direction and fixed to the support stage 3, a nut member 46 screwed with the screw shaft 44, and a sub scanning motor 47 rotating the nut member 46. And a support member 45 attached to the connection frame 42 so that the nut member 46 can rotate.
The sub scanning movement unit 4 can move the recording unit 5 together with the connection frame 42 in the sub scanning direction by rotating the nut member 46 by the sub scanning motor 47.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the recording unit 5 includes a recording unit 6, a main scanning moving unit 7 that moves the recording unit 6 in the main scanning direction (X (+) direction, X (−) direction), and the recording unit 6. And a main scanning movement unit 7 (see FIG. 1). Note that FIG. 3 shows a state in which the housing member 12 is removed.

The recording unit 6 includes an irradiation device 9, an upstream fan 50, a carriage 20, a recording head 8, a downstream fan 60, and an irradiation device 9 sequentially arranged along the X (+) direction.
The carriage 20 is a support member that supports the upstream fan 50, the downstream fan 60, the recording head 8, and the irradiation device 9. The carriage 20 is disposed in a third direction (Z (+) direction) intersecting with the support stage 3 in the first direction (X (+) direction) and the second direction (X (−) direction), −) A first end 21 disposed on the direction side, a second end 22 disposed on the X (+) direction side, and a support surface 23 opposed to the support stage 3.
The carriage 20 is movable in the main scanning direction (X (+) direction, X (−) direction) with respect to the support stage 3 by the main scanning movement unit 7. In other words, the carriage 20 is movable in the first direction (X (+) direction) and the second direction (X (-) direction) opposite to the first direction. The upstream fan 50, the downstream fan 60, the recording head 8, and the irradiation device 9 can move together with the carriage 20 in the main scanning direction (X (+) direction, X (-) direction).

The upstream fan 50 is fixed to a first end 21 of the carriage 20 in the X (−) direction. In other words, the upstream fan 50 is fixed to the first end 21 on the upstream side (X (−) direction side) of the carriage 20 in the first direction. Furthermore, in other words, the upstream fan 50 is fixed to the first end 21 of the carriage 20 on the second direction side (X (−) direction side).
The downstream fan 60 is fixed to a second end 22 on the X (+) direction side of the carriage 20. In other words, the downstream fan 60 is fixed to the second end 22 on the downstream side (X (+) direction side) of the carriage 20 in the first direction. Furthermore, in other words, the downstream fan 60 is fixed to the second end 22 of the carriage 20 on the first direction side (X (+) direction side).
The upstream fan 50 and the downstream fan 60 are bidirectional blower fans capable of blowing air in the Z (+) direction or the Z (−) direction.
The upstream fan 50 and the downstream fan 60 blow the gas in the Z (+) direction (third direction) and suck the gas from the support stage 3 side. Alternatively, the upstream fan 50 and the downstream fan 60 blow the gas in the Z (−) direction (fourth direction) to supply the gas to the support stage 3 side.

The recording head 8 is located between the upstream fan 50 and the downstream fan 60 and is fixed to a support surface 23 facing the support stage 3 of the carriage 20. The recording head 8 has a nozzle forming surface 8 a on which a nozzle (not shown) for discharging ink is formed on the side facing the support stage 3. That is, the recording head 8 is mounted on the carriage 20 and discharges the photocurable ink to the medium M.
Furthermore, the recording head 8 has a common liquid chamber (not shown), a pressure generating chamber (not shown), a piezoelectric element (not shown), etc., and discharges the ink onto the medium M supported by the support stage 3. The pressure generating chamber and the piezoelectric element correspond to the nozzles formed on the nozzle forming surface 8 a in a one-to-one manner. The piezoelectric element is a piezoelectric actuator in a flexural vibration mode or a piezoelectric actuator in a longitudinal vibration mode. While ink is supplied to the pressure generating chamber through the ink cartridge 30 and the common liquid chamber, the piezoelectric element vibrates a diaphragm forming a part of the pressure generating chamber to cause pressure fluctuation in the pressure generating chamber, The recording head 8 can eject the ink to the medium M from the nozzles by utilizing this pressure fluctuation.

  The irradiation device 9 is provided on the X (−) direction side (second direction side) with respect to the upstream fan 50 and on the X (+) direction side (first direction side) with respect to the downstream fan 60 . The irradiation device 9 irradiates light (for example, ultraviolet light) to the ink discharged to the medium M, cures the ink discharged to the medium M, and fixes the ink to the medium M.

The main scanning moving unit 7 has a pair of upper and lower guide shafts 71 for supporting the recording unit 6 so as to be movable in the main scanning direction (X direction), and a main scanning for moving the recording unit 6 along the guide shaft 71 And a moving mechanism 73.
The main scanning movement mechanism 73 includes a timing belt 74 extended in the main scanning direction (X direction) along the guide shaft 71, a driving pulley 75 and a driven pulley 76 for bridging the timing belt 74, and a driving pulley 75. And a main scanning motor 77 for driving the The main scanning moving unit 7 can move the recording unit 6 connected to the timing belt 74 in the main scanning direction (X direction) by driving the driving pulley 75 by the main scanning motor 77.

With this configuration, in the recording apparatus 1, the recording head 8 moves in the main scanning direction (X (+) direction, X (-) direction) (main scanning) and in the sub scanning direction (Y (+) direction) (Sub scanning) is repeated to record an image on the medium M.
Specifically, the first main scan in which the recording head 8 is moved once in the X (-) direction while discharging the ink from the nozzles to the medium M is performed, and the first main scan is recorded. Next, sub-scanning is performed to move the recording head 8 in the Y (+) direction, and the recording head 8 is disposed at the next main scanning start position. Subsequently, a second main scan is performed to move the recording head 8 once in the X (+) direction while discharging ink from the nozzles to the medium M from the position, and the second main scan is recorded . Subsequently, sub-scanning is performed to move the recording head 8 in the Y (+) direction, and the recording head 8 is disposed at the next main scanning start position. Thereafter, the main scan and the sub-scan are similarly repeated, and the n-th main scan is recorded.
In the following description, the n-th main scan in which n is an odd number is referred to as “odd main scan”, and the n-th main scan in which n is an even number is referred to as “even main scan”. Also, the n-th main scan in which n is an odd number and the n-th main scan in which n is an even number are simply referred to as "main scan".
That is, the odd main scan is to move the recording head 8 once in the X (-) direction while discharging the ink from the nozzle to the medium M, and the even main scan is from the nozzle to the medium M While the recording head 8 is moved once in the X (+) direction while discharging ink.
The even-numbered main scan in which the recording head 8 discharges ink while moving in the X (+) direction is an example of “when the recording head discharges ink while moving in the first direction”. The odd-numbered main scanning in which the recording head 8 discharges ink while moving in the X (−) direction is an example of “when the recording head discharges ink while moving in the second direction”.

"Recording unit"
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line QQ in FIG. 3 and is a schematic view showing the state of the recording unit in an even number of main scans. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line QQ in FIG. 3 and is a schematic view showing the state of the recording unit in the odd-numbered main scanning. In FIGS. 4 and 5, the support stage 3 and the medium M are illustrated by a two-dot chain line.
The recording head 8 moves in the X (+) direction or the X (−) direction with respect to the support stage 3 in the even main scan and the odd main scan. In this case, the support stage 3 moves relative to the recording head 8 in the X (+) direction or the X (−) direction. Furthermore, the gas between the support stage 3 and the recording head 8 (hereinafter referred to as the gas near the recording head 8) is the same as the support stage 3 with respect to the recording head 8 in the X (+) direction or -) Move relative to the direction.
For example, when the recording head 8 moves in the X (+) direction with respect to the support stage 3 in even main scanning, the gas near the recording head 8 flows in the X (−) direction with respect to the recording head 8 Do. When the recording head 8 moves in the X (−) direction with respect to the support stage 3 in the odd main scanning, the gas near the recording head 8 flows in the X (+) direction with respect to the recording head 8.
In FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, white arrows indicate the moving direction of the carriage 20 (recording head 8), and solid black arrows indicate the flow direction of the gas with respect to the recording head 8.
Next, the state of the recording unit 6 in the main scan will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the recording unit 6 includes the irradiation device 9, the upstream fan 50, the carriage 20 and the recording head 8, and the downstream fan 60 along the X (+) direction. The irradiation device 9 is arranged in order.
The upstream fan 50 has an intake / exhaust port 50 a on the side of the support stage 3 (the Z (−) direction side). Furthermore, the filter part 15 is attached to the air suction / discharge port 50a. The downstream fan 60 has an intake / exhaust port 60 a on the side of the support stage 3 (the Z (−) direction side). Furthermore, the filter part 15 is attached to the air suction / discharge port 60a.
The filter unit 15 has a pivoting shaft 16 and a filter 17 which is an example of a “first filter”. The filter 17 pivots around the pivoting shaft 16 in the Z (−) direction or the Z (+) direction. (Rotation) is possible.
That is, the upstream fan 50 and the downstream fan 60 have the filter 17 which can be oscillated in the Z (+) direction or the Z (−) direction on the Z (−) direction side.

The support surface 23 of the carriage 20 has a first inclined portion 24 on the side of the first end 21 which is inclined away from the support stage 3 as it goes from the recording head 8 to the first end 21. Furthermore, the support surface 23 of the carriage 20 has a surface 25 parallel to the support stage 3 between the recording head 8 and the first inclined portion 24.
The support surface 23 of the carriage 20 has a second inclined portion 26 on the side of the second end 22 inclined away from the support stage 3 as it goes from the recording head 8 to the second end 22. Furthermore, the support surface 23 of the carriage 20 has a surface 27 parallel to the support stage 3 between the recording head 8 and the second inclined portion 26.
In other words, the support surface 23 supports the first inclined portion 24 inclined away from the support stage 3 as it goes from the recording head 8 to the first end 21 and the support as it goes from the recording head 8 to the second end 22 And a second inclined portion 26 inclined away from the stage 3. Furthermore, the support surface 23 has surfaces 25 and 27 parallel to the support stage 3 between the recording head 8 and the first inclined portion 24 and between the recording head 8 and the second inclined portion 26.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the recording head 8 ejects ink to the medium M while moving in the X (+) direction (the direction of the white arrow in the drawing) by the even main scanning, the upstream fan 50 The gas is blown in the Z (+) direction and the gas is sucked from the support stage 3 side, and the downstream fan 60 blows the gas in the Z (-) direction to supply the gas to the support stage 3 side. In other words, the gas is supplied to the support stage 3 on the downstream side in the moving direction (X (+) direction) of the recording head 8 and the support stage on the upstream side in the moving direction (X (+) direction) of the recording head 8 The recording head 8 discharges the ink to the medium M while moving while the gas is sucked from the three sides.
When the downstream fan 60 blows the gas in the Z (-) direction and supplies the gas to the support stage 3 side, the filter 17 attached to the intake and exhaust port 60a is pressed by the gas flowing in the Z (-) direction It moves from the position shown by the broken line in the figure to the position shown by the solid line in the figure and is separated from the intake and exhaust port 60a. That is, when the downstream fan 60 supplies the gas to the support stage 3 side, the filter 17 attached to the intake / exhaust port 60 a oscillates in the Z (-) direction, and the gas does not pass through the filter 17 and is directly The gas is supplied to the support stage 3 side, and the gas supply to the support stage 3 side is less likely to be inhibited. In other words, when the downstream fan 60 blows the gas in the Z (-) direction and supplies the gas to the support stage 3 side, the gas attached to the intake and exhaust port 60a is likely to flow , In the Z (-) direction.

  When the upstream fan 50 blows the gas in the Z (+) direction and sucks the gas from the support stage 3 side, the filter 17 attached to the suction and discharge port 50a is pressed by the gas flowing in the Z (+) direction Then, it moves from the position shown by the broken line in the figure to the position shown by the solid line in the figure and closes the air intake / exhaust port 50a. That is, when the upstream fan 50 sucks gas from the support stage 3 side, the filter 17 attached to the intake / exhaust port 50a swings in the Z (+) direction to close the intake / exhaust port 50a, and the Z (+) direction The flowing gas is filtered by the filter 17 and the ink mist contained in the gas is removed by the filter 17. As a result, the upstream fan 50 is not contaminated by the mist, and a failure (for example, a failure) due to the mist does not easily occur. In other words, when the upstream fan 50 blows the gas in the Z (+) direction and sucks the gas from the support stage 3 side, the filter 17 filters the gas and removes the mist of the ink contained in the gas In the Z (+) direction.

In the even main scanning, the gas supplied from the downstream fan 60 to the support stage 3 flows in the X (-) direction between the carriage 20 (recording head 8) and the support stage 3 and the upstream fan 50 Are discharged in the direction of Z (+).
For example, even if the downstream fan 60 is not provided, and the carriage 20 (recording head 8) is moved in the X (+) direction, the gas near the recording head 8 is transferred to the carriage 20 (recording head 8) and the support stage 3 Flow in the X (-) direction. If the downstream fan 60 is provided on the X (+) direction side with respect to the recording head 8 so that the downstream fan 60 supplies the gas to the support stage 3 side, the support in addition to the gas near the recording head 8 Since the gas supplied to the stage 3 also flows in the X (-) direction between the carriage 20 (recording head 8) and the support stage 3, the carriage 20 (compared to the case where the downstream fan 60 is not provided). The flow velocity of the gas flowing in the X (-) direction between the recording head 8) and the support stage 3 can be increased to facilitate the flow of the gas containing the mist in the X (-) direction with respect to the recording head 8 it can.
Furthermore, when the downstream fan 60 supplies gas to the support stage 3 side, the filter 17 attached to the intake / exhaust port 60a oscillates in the Z (-) direction so that the gas easily flows, so the intake / exhaust Even if the filter 17 is attached to the port 60a, the flow of gas supplied from the downstream fan 60 to the support stage 3 side is unlikely to be blocked.

The recording head 8 discharges the ink to the medium M while moving in the X (+) direction. Most of the ink ejected from the recording head 8 lands on the medium M. However, a part of the ink ejected from the recording head 8 is atomized to form mist, which floats between the support stage 3 and the recording head 8. The mist floating between the support stage 3 and the recording head 8 flows in the X (−) direction together with the gas. Then, the irradiation device 9 and other members (not shown) disposed on the X (-) direction side with respect to the recording head 8 may be contaminated by the mist.
If the irradiation device 9 is contaminated by the mist, the intensity of the light irradiated from the irradiation device may decrease, and the ink discharged to the medium M may be difficult to cure. If the other members are contaminated by the mist, the other members may be damaged (for example, broken).

On the upstream side (X (−) direction side) in the moving direction (X (+) direction) of the recording head 8, an upstream fan 50 for sucking gas from the support stage 3 side is provided. The mist floating between the recording head 8 and the recording head 8 flows in the X (-) direction with respect to the recording head 8 together with the gas, and is discharged in the Z (+) direction by the upstream fan 50. Furthermore, when the upstream fan 50 sucks the gas from the support stage 3 side, the filter 17 oscillates in the Z (+) direction so that the mist of the ink contained in the gas is removed, so the mist is removed by the filter 17 Be
Since the mist is removed by the filter 17, the irradiation device 9 and other members (not shown) disposed on the X (-) direction side with respect to the recording head 8 are less likely to be contaminated by the mist, causing a problem due to the mist. It becomes difficult. Furthermore, since the mist is removed by the filter 17, even if the upstream fan 50 sucks gas containing the mist from the support stage 3 side, the upstream fan 50 is less likely to be contaminated by the mist, and the upstream fan 50 generates the mist. Problems are less likely to occur.

Furthermore, since the gas is a kind of viscous fluid and has viscosity, the gas supplied from the downstream fan 60 to the support stage 3 tends to flow along the support surface 23. For this reason, the gas supplied from the downstream fan 60 to the support stage 3 side tends to flow along the second inclined portion 26, the surfaces 27 and 25, and the first inclined portion 24.
Since the gas tends to flow along the second inclined portion 26, the gas supplied from the downstream fan 60 to the support stage 3 side is guided to the side of the surface 27 by the second inclined portion 26, and the surface 27 and the support are supported. It becomes easy to flow between stage 3. Therefore, by providing the second inclined portion 26, the flow velocity of the gas flowing between the surface 27 and the support stage 3 can be increased, and the gas containing mist can easily flow in the X (-) direction with respect to the recording head 8. can do.

Since the gas tends to flow along the first inclined portion 24, the gas flowing in the X (−) direction between the surfaces 27 and 25 and the support stage 3 is transmitted to the upstream fan 50 by the first inclined portion 24. The gas is guided to the side of the intake and exhaust port 50 a and easily discharged from the intake and exhaust port 50 a of the upstream fan 50.
Thus, on the downstream side in the moving direction (X (+) direction) of the recording head 8, the downstream fan 60 supplies gas to the support stage 3 side, and the support surface 23 of the carriage 20 is inclined. Thus, the gas and the mist contained in the gas can easily flow on the upstream side (X (−) direction) of the moving direction (X (+) direction) of the recording head 8. Then, on the upstream side of the moving direction (X (+) direction) of the recording head 8, the gas and the mist contained in the gas are discharged in the Z (+) direction by the upstream fan 50, and the mist is removed by the filter 17. , The trouble of mist is suppressed.

Further, since the surfaces 27 and 25 and the support stage 3 are parallel to each other and arranged along the X (-) direction, the gas is in the X (-) direction between the surfaces 27 and 25 and the support stage 3 Will flow along the That is, the flow of gas between the surfaces 27 and 25 and the support stage 3 becomes a laminar flow flowing along the X (−) direction. When the gas flow between the surfaces 27 and 25 and the support stage 3 becomes a laminar flow along the X (-) direction, the gas flow between the recording head 8 and the support stage 3 is also in the X (-) direction. Flow along the ocean.
As described above, the surfaces 27 and 25 parallel to the support stage 3 disposed around the recording head 8 control the flow direction of the gas, and the gas flow between the recording head 8 and the support stage 3 is X Laminar flow along the (-) direction.

If the flow of gas is disturbed between the recording head 8 and the support stage 3, the ink ejected from the recording head 8 lands at a position deviated from the target position of the medium M, and the image recorded on the medium M is recorded. For example, density unevenness such as a wind pattern may occur, which may lead to the deterioration of the quality of the image recorded on the medium M.
When the gas flow between the recording head 8 and the support stage 3 is a laminar flow, it is discharged from the recording head 8 compared to the case where the gas flow between the recording head 8 and the support stage 3 is a turbulent flow. This makes it easy for the ink to land at the target position of the medium M, makes it difficult to cause uneven density like windprint in the image recorded on the medium M, and can improve the quality of the image recorded on the medium M.

As described above, when the recording head 8 discharges the ink to the medium M while moving in the X (+) direction in the even main scanning, the upstream fan 50 blows the gas in the Z (+) direction to support the medium The gas is sucked from the stage 3 side, and the downstream fan 60 blows the gas in the Z (−) direction to supply the gas to the support stage 3 side. Furthermore, the support surface 23 of the carriage 20 has inclined portions 24 and 26 inclined away from the support stage 3 and surfaces 25 and 27 parallel to the support stage 3. With this configuration, the gas containing mist can be made to easily flow to the upstream fan 50 side, and the flow of the gas between the recording head 8 and the support stage 3 can be a laminar flow, and the ink discharged from the recording head 8 can be For example, the target position of the medium M can be landed to suppress uneven density such as wind pattern, and the quality of the image recorded on the medium M can be enhanced.
Furthermore, since the mist is removed by the filter 17, it is possible to suppress the trouble of the mist (the trouble of the irradiation device 9 and other members).

As shown in FIG. 5, when the recording head 8 ejects the ink to the medium M while moving in the X (-) direction (the direction of the white arrow in the drawing) by the odd main scanning, the upstream fan 50 The gas is blown in the Z (-) direction, and the gas is supplied to the support stage 3 side, and the downstream fan 60 blows the gas in the Z (+) direction and sucks the gas from the support stage 3 side. In other words, the gas is supplied to the support stage 3 on the downstream side in the moving direction (X (-) direction) of the recording head 8 and the support stage on the upstream side in the moving direction (X (-) direction) of the recording head 8 The recording head 8 discharges the ink to the medium M while moving while the gas is sucked from the three sides.
When the downstream fan 60 blows the gas in the Z (+) direction and sucks the gas from the support stage 3 side, the filter 17 attached to the suction and discharge port 60a is pressed by the gas flowing in the Z (+) direction It moves from the position shown by the broken line in the figure to the position shown by the solid line in the figure and closes the air intake / exhaust port 60a. That is, when the downstream fan 60 sucks gas from the support stage 3 side, the filter 17 attached to the intake / exhaust port 60 a pivots in the Z (+) direction to close the intake / exhaust port 60 a, and the Z (+) direction The flowing gas is filtered by the filter 17 and the ink mist contained in the gas is removed by the filter 17. As a result, the downstream fan 60 is not contaminated by the mist, and a defect (for example, a failure) due to the mist does not easily occur. In other words, when the downstream fan 60 blows the gas in the Z (+) direction and sucks the gas from the support stage 3 side, the filter 17 filters the gas and removes the mist of the ink contained in the gas In the Z (+) direction.

  When the upstream fan 50 blows the gas in the Z (-) direction and supplies the gas to the support stage 3 side, the filter 17 attached to the intake / exhaust port 50a is pressed by the gas flowing in the Z (-) direction It moves from the position shown by the broken line in the figure to the position shown by the solid line in the figure and separates from the air suction and discharge port 50a. That is, when the upstream fan 50 supplies the gas to the support stage 3 side, the filter 17 attached to the intake / exhaust port 50a oscillates in the Z (-) direction, and the gas does not pass through the filter 17, but directly The gas is supplied to the support stage 3 side and the gas supply to the support stage 3 side is not inhibited. In other words, when the upstream fan 50 blows the gas in the Z (-) direction and supplies the gas to the support stage 3 side, the gas attached to the intake and exhaust port 50a is likely to flow , In the Z (-) direction.

In the odd main scan, the upstream fan 50 supplies the gas to the support stage 3 side, and the gas supplied from the upstream fan 50 moves between the carriage 20 (recording head 8) and the support stage 3 by X (+ The fluid flows in the) direction and is discharged from the downstream fan 60 in the Z (+) direction.
For example, even if the upstream fan 50 is not provided and the carriage 20 (recording head 8) is moved in the X (-) direction, the gas near the recording head 8 can be transferred to the carriage 20 (recording head 8) and the support stage 3 Flow in the X (+) direction. If the upstream fan 50 is provided on the X (-) direction side with respect to the recording head 8 so that the upstream fan 50 supplies the gas to the support stage 3 side, the support in addition to the gas near the recording head 8 Since the gas supplied to the stage 3 also flows in the X (+) direction between the carriage 20 (recording head 8) and the support stage 3, the carriage 20 (compared to the case where the upstream fan 50 is not provided). To increase the flow velocity of the gas flowing in the X (+) direction between the recording head 8) and the support stage 3 to make it easy for the gas containing mist to flow in the X (+) direction with respect to the recording head 8 it can.
Furthermore, in the case where the upstream fan 50 blows the gas in the Z (-) direction and supplies the gas to the support stage 3 side, the filter 17 attached to the intake and exhaust port 50a is such that the gas easily flows. Since it vibrates in the (−) direction, the flow of the gas supplied from the upstream fan 50 to the support stage 3 side is unlikely to be obstructed even if the filter 17 is attached to the intake / exhaust port 50 a.

The recording head 8 discharges the ink to the medium M while moving in the X (−) direction. Most of the ink ejected from the recording head 8 lands on the medium M. However, a part of the ink ejected from the recording head 8 is atomized to form mist, which floats between the support stage 3 and the recording head 8. The mist floating between the support stage 3 and the recording head 8 flows in the X (+) direction together with the gas relatively moving in the X (+) direction. Then, the irradiation device 9 and other members (not shown) disposed on the X (+) direction side with respect to the recording head 8 may be contaminated by the mist.
If the irradiation device 9 is contaminated by the mist, the intensity of the light irradiated from the irradiation device may decrease, and the ink discharged to the medium M may be difficult to cure. If the other members are contaminated by the mist, the other members may be damaged (for example, broken).

Since the downstream fan 60 for sucking the gas from the support stage 3 side is provided on the upstream side (X (+) direction side) in the moving direction (X (−) direction) of the recording head 8, the support stage 3 is The mist floating between the recording head 8 and the recording head 8 is discharged in the Z (+) direction by the downstream fan 60 together with the gas. Furthermore, when the downstream fan 60 sucks gas from the support stage 3 side, the filter 17 oscillates in the Z (+) direction so that the mist of the ink contained in the gas is removed, so the mist is removed by the filter 17 Be
Since the mist is removed by the filter 17, the irradiation device 9 and other members disposed on the X (+) direction side with respect to the recording head 8 are less likely to be contaminated by the mist, and a defect due to the mist is less likely to occur. Furthermore, since the mist is removed by the filter 17, even if the downstream fan 60 sucks the gas containing the mist from the support stage 3, the downstream fan 60 is less likely to be contaminated by the mist, and the downstream fan 60 generates the mist. Problems are less likely to occur.

Furthermore, since the gas is a kind of viscous fluid and has viscosity, the gas supplied from the upstream fan 50 to the support stage 3 tends to flow along the support surface 23. Therefore, the gas supplied from the upstream fan 50 to the support stage 3 tends to flow along the first inclined portion 24, the surfaces 25 and 27, and the second inclined portion 26.
Since the gas tends to flow along the first inclined portion 24, the gas supplied from the upstream fan 50 to the support stage 3 side is guided to the side of the surface 25 by the first inclined portion 24, and the surface 25 and the support are supported. It becomes easy to flow between stage 3. Therefore, by providing the first inclined portion 24, the flow velocity of the gas flowing between the surface 25 and the support stage 3 can be increased, and the gas containing mist can easily flow in the X (+) direction with respect to the recording head 8. can do.

Since the gas tends to flow along the second inclined portion 26, the gas flowing in the X (+) direction between the surfaces 25 and 27 and the support stage 3 is transmitted to the downstream fan 60 by the second inclined portion 26. The gas is guided to the side of the intake and exhaust port 60 a and easily discharged from the side of the intake and exhaust port 60 a of the downstream fan 60.
Thus, the gas is supplied from the upstream fan 50 to the support stage 3 side on the downstream side (X (-) direction) in the moving direction (X (-) direction) of the recording head 8, and the support surface of the carriage 20 By providing the inclined portions 24 and 26 at 23, the gas and the mist contained in the gas can easily flow upstream in the moving direction (X (−) direction) of the recording head 8. Then, on the upstream side of the moving direction (X (-) direction) of the recording head 8, the gas and the mist contained in the gas are discharged in the Z (+) direction by the downstream fan 60 and discharged to the outside of the recording apparatus 1 And the malfunction of the mist is suppressed.

Furthermore, since the surfaces 25 and 27 and the support stage 3 are parallel to each other and arranged along the X (+) direction, the gas is in the X (+) direction between the surfaces 25 and 27 and the support stage 3 Will flow along the That is, the flow of gas between the surfaces 25 and 27 and the support stage 3 is a laminar flow flowing along the X (+) direction. When the gas flow between the surfaces 25 and 27 and the support stage 3 becomes a laminar flow along the X (+) direction, the gas flow between the recording head 8 and the support stage 3 is also in the X (+) direction Flow along the ocean.
As described above, the planes 25 and 27 parallel to the support stage 3 disposed around the recording head 8 control the flow direction of the gas, and the gas flow between the recording head 8 and the support stage 3 Laminar flow along the (+) direction.

If the flow of gas is disturbed between the recording head 8 and the support stage 3, the ink ejected from the recording head 8 lands at a position deviated from the target position of the medium M, and the image recorded on the medium M is recorded. For example, density unevenness such as a wind pattern may occur, which may lead to the deterioration of the quality of the image recorded on the medium M.
When the gas flow between the recording head 8 and the support stage 3 is a laminar flow, it is discharged from the recording head 8 compared to the case where the gas flow between the recording head 8 and the support stage 3 is a turbulent flow. This makes it easy for the ink to land at the target position of the medium M, makes it difficult to cause uneven density like windprint in the image recorded on the medium M, and can improve the quality of the image recorded on the medium M.

As described above, when the recording head 8 discharges the ink to the medium M while moving in the X (-) direction in the odd main scanning, the downstream fan 60 blows the gas in the Z (+) direction to support the support stage. The gas is sucked from the 3 side, and the upstream fan 50 blows the gas in the Z (-) direction to supply the gas to the support stage 3 side. Furthermore, the support surface 23 of the carriage 20 has inclined portions 24 and 26 inclined away from the support stage 3 and surfaces 25 and 27 parallel to the support stage 3. With this configuration, the gas containing mist can be made to easily flow to the downstream fan 60 side, and the flow of the gas between the recording head 8 and the support stage 3 can be a laminar flow, and the ink ejected from the recording head 8 can be For example, the target position of the medium M can be landed to suppress uneven density such as wind pattern, and the quality of the image recorded on the medium M can be enhanced.
Furthermore, since the mist is removed by the filter 17, it is possible to suppress the trouble of the mist (the trouble of the irradiation device 9 and other members).

As described above, in this embodiment, the mist floating between the support stage 3 and the recording head 8 (recording unit 6) is removed by the filter 17 and irradiated in both the even main scanning and the odd main scanning. It is possible to make the device 9 and other members less likely to be contaminated by the mist, and to make it difficult for the trouble due to the mist to occur. In addition, the flow of gas between the recording head 8 and the support stage 3 is made to be a laminar flow, and the ink ejected from the recording head 8 can be made to easily land on the target position of the medium M, for example. Thus, the quality of the image recorded on the medium M can be enhanced.
That is, the adverse effect of the mist can be suppressed while enhancing the quality of the image recorded on the medium M.

Second Embodiment
6 and 7 are schematic views showing the state of the recording unit mounted in the recording apparatus according to the second embodiment. Specifically, FIG. 6 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 4 and is a schematic diagram showing the state of the recording unit 6A in the even-numbered main scanning. FIG. 7 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 5 and is a schematic diagram showing the state of the recording unit 6A in the odd main scanning.
In the first embodiment, the upstream fan 50 and the downstream fan 60 are bidirectional fans capable of blowing air in the Z (+) direction or the Z (−) direction. In the present embodiment, the upstream fan 50A and the downstream fan 60A are a unidirectional fan (first fans 51 and 61) capable of blowing air in the Z (+) direction and a unidirectional fan capable of blowing air in the Z (-) direction. (Second fan 52, 62). This point is the main difference between the present embodiment and the first embodiment. In addition, a unidirectional fan that can blow air in one direction has a simplified structure as compared to a bidirectional fan that can blow air in both directions, and for example, a failure is less likely to occur.
6 and 7, in order to make the states of the fans 51, 52, 61, 62 easy to understand, the casings of the fans 51, 52, 61, 62 are shown by broken lines.
Hereinafter, the outline of the recording apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, focusing on differences from the first embodiment. The same components as in the first embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals and redundant explanations will be omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, in the recording unit 6A mounted on the recording apparatus according to the present embodiment, the irradiation device 9, the upstream fan 50A, the carriage 20, and the recording along the X (+) direction. The head 8, the downstream fan 60A, and the irradiation device 9 are disposed in order.
The upstream fan 50A includes a first upstream fan 51 that blows gas in the Z (+) direction, and a second upstream fan 52 that blows gas in the Z (-) direction. The first upstream fan 51 is disposed closer to the carriage 20 than the second upstream fan 52.
The first upstream fan 51 has an upstream suction port 51a disposed on the support stage 3 side (the Z (-) direction side), a fan main body 51 c disposed on the Z (+) direction side, and an upstream suction It has the duct part 51b which connects the opening 51a and the fan main body 51c. The first upstream fan 51 can suck gas from the upstream suction port 51 a by driving the fan main body 51 c.
The second upstream fan 52 includes an upstream supply port 52a disposed on the support stage 3 side (the Z (-) direction side), a fan main body 52c disposed on the Z (+) direction side, and an upstream side supply It has the duct part 52b which connects the opening 52a and the fan main body 52c. The second upstream fan 52 can supply gas from the upstream supply port 52a by driving the fan main body 52c.
The upstream suction port 51a is disposed closer to the carriage 20 than the upstream supply port 52a. A filter 18 which is an example of a "second filter" is attached to the upstream suction port 51a. The filter 18 does not swing in the Z (+) direction or the Z (−) direction, and is fixed to the upstream suction port 51 a. This point is also a difference from the first embodiment.

The downstream fan 60A is configured of a first downstream fan 61 that blows gas in the Z (+) direction and a second downstream fan 62 that blows gas in the Z (-) direction. The first downstream fan 61 is disposed closer to the carriage 20 than the second downstream fan 62.
The first downstream fan 61 has a downstream suction port 61a on the side of the support stage 3 (Z (-) direction side), a fan main body 61c disposed on the Z (+) direction side, and a downstream suction port 61a And a duct portion 61b connecting the fan main body 61c. The first downstream fan 61 can suck gas from the downstream suction port 61 a by driving the fan main body 61 c.
The second downstream fan 62 includes a downstream supply port 62a disposed on the side of the support stage 3 (the Z (-) direction side), a fan main body 62c disposed on the Z (+) direction side, and a downstream supply It has the duct part 62b which connects the opening 62a and the fan main body 62c. The second downstream fan 62 can supply gas from the downstream supply port 62 a by driving the fan main body 62 c.
The downstream suction port 61 a is disposed closer to the carriage 20 than the downstream supply port 62 a. A filter 18 is attached to the downstream suction port 61a. The filter 18 does not swing in the Z (+) direction or the Z (−) direction, and is fixed to the downstream suction port 61 a. This point is also a difference from the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 6, when the recording head 8 ejects ink onto the medium M while moving in the X (+) direction (the direction of the white arrow in the figure) by the even main scanning, the first upstream fan 51 blows the gas in the Z (+) direction and sucks the gas from the support stage 3 side, and the second downstream fan 62 blows the gas in the Z (-) direction and supplies the gas to the support stage 3 side Do. That is, the upstream suction port 51 a sucks gas from the support stage 3 side, and the downstream supply port 62 a supplies the gas to the support stage 3 side.
In addition, the second upstream fan 52 blows the gas in the Z (-) direction and supplies the gas to the support stage 3 side. That is, when the upstream suction port 51a sucks gas from the support stage 3 side and the downstream supply port 62a supplies gas to the support stage 3 side, the upstream supply port 52a supplies gas to the support stage 3 side.

In the even main scanning, the second downstream fan 62 supplies gas to the support stage 3 side, and the gas supplied from the second downstream fan 62 is between the carriage 20 (recording head 8) and the support stage 3 Are relatively moved in the X (-) direction, and are discharged from the first upstream fan 51 in the Z (+) direction.
When the second downstream fan 62 is provided on the X (+) direction side with respect to the recording head 8 and the second downstream fan 62 supplies gas to the support stage 3 side, the second downstream fan 62 is provided. The flow velocity of the gas flowing in the X (-) direction between the carriage 20 (recording head 8) and the support stage 3 is made faster than in the case where there is no It can be made easy to flow in the) direction.

The mist floating between the support stage 3 and the recording head 8 is discharged together with the gas in the Z (+) direction by the first upstream fan 51 and removed by the filter 18. Therefore, the irradiation device 9 and other members disposed on the X (-) direction side with respect to the recording head 8 are less likely to be contaminated by the mist, and the trouble due to the mist is less likely to occur.
The suction port (upstream suction port 51a) for sucking the mist from the support stage 3 is closer to the carriage 20 (recording head 8) than the supply port (upstream supply port 52a) for supplying the gas to the support stage 3 As compared with the case where the ink jet recording apparatus is disposed on the side far from the carriage 20 (recording head 8), the mist generated by atomizing the ink ejected from the recording head 8 is easily attracted by the upstream suction port 51a. Become.
Furthermore, when the first upstream fan 51 sucks (exhales) the gas from the support stage 3 side, since the mist contained in the gas is removed by the filter 18, the first upstream fan 51 is less likely to be contaminated by the mist, It becomes difficult for the malfunction due to the mist to occur in the first upstream fan 51.

Furthermore, when the first upstream fan 51 sucks (exhales) gas from the support stage 3 side, that is, when the upstream suction port 51 a sucks gas from the support stage 3 side, the main flow relative to the upstream suction port 51 a The upstream supply port 52a located on the upstream side in the scanning direction (X (+) direction) supplies gas to the support stage 3 side. The gas supplied from the upstream supply port 52a is a kind of air curtain, and the gas containing mist is the upstream side (X (-) in the main scanning direction (X (+) direction) with respect to the upstream supply port 52a. The direction side is less likely to move, and is guided to the upstream suction port 51a, so that the gas containing mist is easily sucked from the upstream suction port 51a, and the mist is easily removed by the filter 18.
Therefore, the trouble due to the mist is further less likely to occur on the upstream side (X (−) direction side) in the main scanning direction (X (+) direction).

  Furthermore, the surfaces 25 and 27 parallel to the support stage 3 disposed around the recording head 8 make the gas flow between the recording head 8 and the support stage 3 a laminar flow along the X (-) direction. Therefore, compared with the case where the flow of gas between the recording head 8 and the support stage 3 is turbulent flow, the ink ejected from the recording head 8 tends to land on the target position of the medium M, for example, Such density unevenness can be suppressed, and the quality of the image recorded on the medium M can be improved.

As shown in FIG. 7, when the recording head 8 ejects ink onto the medium M while moving in the X (-) direction (the direction of the white arrow in the figure) by the odd main scanning, the first downstream fan 61 blows the gas in the Z (+) direction and sucks the gas from the support stage 3 side, and the second upstream fan 52 blows the gas in the Z (-) direction to blow the gas to the support stage 3 side Supply. That is, the downstream suction port 61 a sucks gas from the support stage 3 side, and the upstream supply port 52 a supplies the gas to the support stage 3 side.
In addition, the second downstream fan 62 blows the gas in the Z (-) direction and supplies the gas to the support stage 3 side. That is, when the downstream suction port 61 a sucks gas from the support stage 3 side and the upstream supply port 52 a supplies gas to the support stage 3 side, the downstream supply port 62 a supplies gas to the support stage 3 side.

In the odd main scan, the second upstream fan 52 supplies gas to the support stage 3 side, and the gas supplied from the second upstream fan 52 is between the carriage 20 (recording head 8) and the support stage 3 And flows in the X (+) direction, and is discharged from the first downstream fan 61 in the Z (+) direction.
When the second upstream fan 52 is provided on the X (-) direction side with respect to the recording head 8 and the second upstream fan 52 supplies the gas to the support stage 3 side, the second upstream fan 52 is provided. The flow velocity of the gas flowing in the X (+) direction between the carriage 20 (recording head 8) and the support stage 3 is made faster than in the case where it does not exist. It can be made easy to flow in the) direction.

The mist floating between the support stage 3 and the recording head 8 is discharged together with the gas in the Z (+) direction by the first downstream fan 61 and removed by the filter 18. Therefore, the irradiation device 9 and other members disposed on the X (+) direction side with respect to the recording head 8 are less likely to be contaminated by the mist, and the trouble due to the mist is less likely to occur.
The suction port (downstream suction port 61a) for sucking the mist from the support stage 3 is closer to the carriage 20 (recording head 8) than the supply port (downstream supply port 62a) for supplying the gas to the support stage 3 As compared with the case where the ink jet recording apparatus is disposed on the side far from the carriage 20 (recording head 8), the mist generated by atomizing the ink discharged from the recording head 8 is easily attracted by the downstream suction port 61a. Become.
Furthermore, when the first downstream fan 61 sucks (exhales) the gas from the support stage 3 side, the mist contained in the gas is removed by the filter 18, so the first downstream fan 61 is less likely to be contaminated by the mist, It becomes difficult for the malfunction due to the mist to occur in the first downstream fan 61.

Furthermore, when the first downstream fan 61 sucks (exhales) gas from the support stage 3 side, that is, when the downstream suction port 61 a sucks gas from the support stage 3 side, the main flow relative to the downstream suction port 61 a The downstream side supply port 62 a located on the upstream side in the scanning direction (X (−) direction) supplies the gas to the support stage 3 side. The gas supplied from the downstream supply port 62a is a kind of air curtain, and the gas containing mist is the upstream side (X (+) in the main scanning direction (X (-) direction) with respect to the downstream supply port 62a. It becomes difficult for the direction side to move, and it is easy to be guided to the downstream suction port 61a and discharged from the downstream suction port 61a.
Therefore, the problem due to the mist is further less likely to occur on the upstream side (X (+) direction side) in the main scanning direction (X (−) direction).

  Furthermore, the surfaces 25 and 27 parallel to the support stage 3 disposed around the recording head 8 make the gas flow between the recording head 8 and the support stage 3 laminar along the X (+) direction. Therefore, compared with the case where the flow of gas between the recording head 8 and the support stage 3 is turbulent flow, the ink ejected from the recording head 8 tends to land on the target position of the medium M, for example, Such density unevenness can be suppressed, and the quality of the image recorded on the medium M can be improved.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, in addition to the effects obtained in the first embodiment, when the suction ports 51a and 61a suck gas from the support stage 3 side, the main scanning direction (with respect to the suction ports 51a and 61a) The gas is supplied from the supply ports 52a and 62a located on the upstream side in the X (+) direction or the X (-) direction to the support stage 3 side, and the gas supplied from the supply ports 52a and 62a is a kind of air curtain As a result, the excellent effect that the trouble due to the mist is further less likely to occur on the upstream side in the main scanning direction can be obtained.

(Embodiment 3)
8 and 9 are schematic views showing the state of the recording unit mounted in the recording apparatus according to the third embodiment. Specifically, FIG. 8 is a plan view of the recording unit 6B when the recording unit 6B is viewed from the Z (+) direction side (the side opposite to the support stage 3). FIG. 9 is a plan view of the recording unit 6B when the recording unit 6B is viewed from the Z (−) direction side (the support stage 3 side).
In FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, in order to make the states of the fans 51B, 52B, 61B, 62B intelligible, the housings of the fans 51B, 52B, 61B, 62B are shown by broken lines. Furthermore, in FIG. 9, the illustration of the filter 18 (see FIG. 6) is omitted.

In the second embodiment, the fan main body 52 c of the second upstream fan 52 and the fan main body 51 c of the first upstream fan 51 are sequentially arranged along the X (+) direction, and the fan main body 61 c of the first downstream fan 61 And the fan main body 62c of the second downstream fan 62 are arranged in order along the X (+) direction (see FIG. 6). In the present embodiment, the fan main body 51c of the first upstream fan 51B and the fan main body 52c of the second upstream fan 52B are sequentially arranged along the Y (+) direction, and the fan main body 61c of the first downstream fan 61B. And the fan main body 62c of the second downstream fan 62B are arranged in order along the Y (+) direction (see FIG. 8).
This point is the main difference between the present embodiment and the second embodiment.
Hereinafter, the outline of the recording apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9, focusing on differences from the second embodiment. Moreover, about the component site | part same as Embodiment 2, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted.

  Although not shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a duct portion 51b (see FIG. 6) connecting the fan body 51c and the upstream suction port 51a, and a duct portion 52b connecting the fan body 52c and the upstream supply port 52a. (See FIG. 6), A duct portion 61b connecting the fan main body 61c and the downstream suction port 61a (see FIG. 6), and a duct portion 62b connecting the fan main body 62c and the downstream supply port 62a (see FIG. 6) Is a flexible duct and can be bent in any direction.

As shown in FIG. 8, when the recording unit 6B is viewed from the Z (+) direction side, the irradiation device 9, the fan body 52c of the second upstream fan 52B and the fan body 51c of the first upstream fan 51B; The carriage 20, the fan main body 61c of the first downstream fan 61B, the fan main body 62c of the second downstream fan 62B, and the irradiation device 9 are arranged in order along the X (+) direction.
In the main scanning direction (X (+) direction, X (-) direction), the fan main body 51c and the fan main body 52c are disposed at the same position, and the fan main body 61c and the fan main body 62c are disposed at the same position. This point is different between the present embodiment and the second embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 9, when the recording unit 6B is viewed from the Z (-) direction side, the irradiation device 9, the upstream supply port 52a of the second upstream fan 52B, and the upstream side of the first upstream fan 51B The suction port 51a, the carriage 20 and the recording head 8, the downstream suction port 61a of the first downstream fan 61B, the downstream supply port 62a of the second downstream fan 62B, and the irradiation device 9 are X (+) It is arranged in order along the direction.
Further, the upstream suction port 51a is disposed closer to the carriage 20 than the upstream supply port 52a, and the downstream suction port 61a is disposed closer to the carriage 20 than the downstream supply port 62a. There is. This point is the same between the present embodiment and the second embodiment.

When the first upstream fan 51B is viewed from the Z (+) direction side, the fan main body 51c and the upstream suction port 51a are disposed at different positions and bend the duct portion 51b to draw the fan main body 51c and the upstream suction The port 51a is connected. When the second upstream fan 52B is viewed from the Z (+) direction side, the fan main body 52c and the upstream supply port 52a are disposed at different positions, and the duct portion 52b is bent to thereby supply the fan main body 52c and the upstream side supply The mouth 52a is connected.
When the first downstream fan 61B is viewed from the Z (+) direction, the fan body 61c and the downstream suction port 61a are disposed at different positions, and the duct portion 61b is bent to draw the fan body 61c and the downstream suction. The port 61a is connected. When the second downstream fan 62B is viewed from the Z (+) direction side, the fan body 62c and the downstream supply port 62a are disposed at different positions, and the duct portion 62b is bent to thereby supply the fan body 62c and the downstream side supply. The mouth 62a is connected.

  The layout regarding the gas intake and exhaust ports, that is, the layout regarding the upstream suction port 51a, the upstream supply port 52a, the downstream suction port 61a, and the downstream supply port 62a, is the same as that of the second embodiment. . Therefore, the state of the gas sucked from the support stage 3 side by the suction ports 51a and 61a and the state of the gas supplied to the support stage 3 by the supply ports 52a and 62a are the same, and the suction ports 51a and 61a The same effects as those of the second embodiment can be obtained by suctioning the gas from the air supply port and supplying the gas from the supply ports 52a and 62a.

On the other hand, the layout concerning the fan main bodies 51c, 52c, 61c, 62c is different between the present embodiment and the second embodiment. Specifically, in the present embodiment, the fan main body 51c and the fan main body 52c are disposed at the same position in the main scanning direction (X (+) direction, X (-) direction), and the fan main body 61c and the fan main body 62c are It is arranged at the same position. In the second embodiment, the fan main body 51c and the fan main body 52c are disposed at different positions in the main scanning direction (X (+) direction, X (-) direction), and the fan main body 61c and the fan main body 62c are at different positions. It is arranged (see FIG. 6).
For this reason, the dimensions of the recording unit 6B according to the present embodiment in the main scanning direction (X (+) direction, X (-) direction) are shorter than the dimensions of the recording unit 6A according to the embodiment in the main scanning direction. The dimensions in the main scanning direction are made compact. As described above, this embodiment achieves the same effects as the second embodiment (suppression of defects due to mist, improvement of image quality, etc.) while achieving downsizing of the recording unit 6B in the main scanning direction as compared with the second embodiment. You can get

  In the embodiment described above, the recording unit 6 (the recording head 8, the upstream fans 50, 50A, 50B, the downstream fans 60, 60A, 60B, the irradiation device 9) is moved in the X direction and the Y direction. It is not limited. For example, the recording unit 6 may move in the X direction, and the medium M may move in the Y direction. For example, the medium M may move in the X direction and the Y direction. That is, the recording unit 6 and the medium M may be configured to be relatively movable in the X direction and the Y direction.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Recording device, 3 ... Support stage, 5 ... Recording part, 6 ... Recording unit, 7 ... Main scanning movement part, 8 ... Recording head, 9 ... Irradiation apparatus, 15 ... Filter part, 16 ... Rotation axis, 17 ... Filter 20 20 Carriage 21 First end 22 22 Second end 23 Support surface 24 First inclined portion 25 27 27 surface 26 Second inclined portion 31 Medium support surface , 50: upstream fan, 50a: intake and exhaust ports, 60: downstream fan, 60a: intake and exhaust ports.

Claims (9)

A media support for supporting the media;
A carriage movable in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction, and intersecting the first direction and the second direction with respect to the medium support portion;
An upstream fan fixed to an upstream first end of the carriage in the first direction;
A downstream fan fixed to a downstream second end of the carriage in the first direction;
A recording head positioned between the upstream fan and the downstream fan, fixed to a support surface of the carriage facing the medium support portion, and discharging ink onto the medium;
Have
When the recording head ejects the ink while moving in the first direction:
The upstream fan blows gas in a third direction, and sucks the gas from the medium support unit side.
The downstream fan sends the gas in a fourth direction opposite to the third direction, and supplies the gas to the medium support unit side.
When the recording head ejects the ink while moving in the second direction,
The upstream fan blows the gas in the fourth direction and supplies the gas to the medium support unit side.
The recording apparatus, wherein the downstream fan blows the gas in the third direction and sucks the gas from the side of the medium support unit. The upstream fan and the downstream fan have a first filter capable of swinging in the third direction or the fourth direction on the fourth direction side,
When the upstream fan and the downstream fan blow the gas in the third direction and suction the gas from the medium support side, the first filter filters the gas and is included in the gas. Swing in the third direction so that the ink mist is removed,
When the upstream fan and the downstream fan blow the gas in the fourth direction and supply the gas to the medium support unit, the first filter is configured to facilitate the flow of the gas. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording apparatus vibrates in the fourth direction. The upstream fan includes a first upstream fan for blowing the gas in the third direction, and a second upstream fan for blowing the gas in the fourth direction.
The downstream fan includes a first downstream fan for blowing the gas in the third direction, and a second downstream fan for blowing the gas in the fourth direction.
When the recording head discharges the ink while moving in the first direction, the first upstream fan blows the gas in the third direction and sucks the gas from the medium support unit side. The second downstream fan blows the gas in the fourth direction to supply the gas to the medium support unit side.
When the recording head discharges the ink while moving in the second direction, the second upstream fan blows the gas in the fourth direction to supply the gas to the medium support unit side. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first downstream fan blows the gas in the third direction and sucks the gas from the medium support unit side. The first upstream fan has an upstream suction port for sucking the gas from the medium support side on the fourth direction side.
The second upstream fan has an upstream supply port for supplying the gas to the medium support side on the fourth direction side.
The first downstream fan has a downstream suction port for sucking the gas from the medium support side on the fourth direction side.
The second downstream fan has a downstream supply port for supplying the gas to the medium support side on the fourth direction side.
The upstream suction port is disposed closer to the carriage than the upstream supply port,
The recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the downstream suction port is disposed closer to the carriage than the downstream supply port. When the upstream suction port sucks the gas from the side of the medium support unit and the downstream supply port supplies the gas to the side of the medium support unit, the upstream side supply port communicates the gas to the side of the medium support unit Supply to
When the downstream suction port sucks the gas from the side of the medium support unit and the upstream supply port supplies the gas to the side of the medium support unit, the downstream side supply port communicates the gas to the side of the medium support unit The recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein A second filter is attached to the upstream suction port and the downstream suction port,
When the gas is sucked from the medium support portion side from the upstream suction port and the downstream suction port, the second filter filters the gas to remove the mist of the ink contained in the gas. The recording apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein   The support surface is a first inclined portion that is inclined away from the medium support as it goes from the recording head to the first end, and from the medium support as it goes from the recording head to the second end. The recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a second inclined portion inclined to be separated.   The support surface has a surface parallel to the medium support portion between the recording head and the first inclined portion, and between the recording head and the second inclined portion. The recording device according to 7.   An irradiation device for irradiating the ink with light is provided on the second fan side with respect to the upstream fan and the first direction side with respect to the downstream fan. The recording apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 8.

Images