JP2020028982A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an image forming device provided with a suction device that generates suction wind for closely attaching a work-piece to a conveyance guide member that guides conveyance of the work-piece from below, which can suppress deterioration in suction efficiency.SOLUTION: An image forming device 1 is provided with: a platen 121 that guides conveyance of a work-piece W from below; a suction enclosure 52 that has an upper surface part 521 to be covered with the platen 121 from above and can store a suction device 51; and a pair of movable plates 53 that can move along the upper surface part 521. The pair of moveable plates 53 move in interlock with a pair of cursors 123 for matching a width of the work-piece W to partition suction spaces 53A and 53B in which suction wind flows between the platen 121 and the upper surface part 521 of the suction enclosure 52 according to the width of the work-piece W.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a predetermined work.

  As an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a predetermined work, for example, in an ink jet printer, a liquid ejecting head (printing unit) that ejects a small amount of ink (liquid) to a printing target is used. When a workpiece is transported in a predetermined transport direction and ink is ejected while the liquid ejecting head is reciprocated in a scan direction orthogonal to the transport direction, characters and images are formed on the workpiece.

  Patent Document 1 discloses the above-described ink jet printer. This printer has a platen (conveyance guide member) that has a plurality of suction holes and guides the conveyance of a work from below, and sucks air in a space above the platen through the plurality of suction holes to transfer the work to the platen. And a suction device for bringing the device into close contact with.

JP 2005-67105A

  Various works having different widths are used as works to be printed by the printer. For example, when a wide work having a width corresponding to the entire area of the platen in the width direction is used, all suction holes of the platen that guides the conveyance of the work from below are covered by the work. On the other hand, when a narrow work having a width corresponding to a part of the platen in the width direction is used, a part of the plurality of suction holes is guided by the platen that guides the conveyance of the work from below. Will be covered. That is, the range of the suction hole covered by the work in the width direction of the platen changes depending on the width of the work.

  The suction air generated by the suction of the suction device passes through all the suction holes of the platen regardless of the width of the work. For this reason, when a narrow work is used as described above, the suction air also passes through the suction holes arranged in a range not covered by the work in the width direction of the platen, and the suction efficiency is reduced. Is reduced.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to generate a suction wind for causing a work to adhere to a conveyance guide member that guides the conveyance of the work from below. An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus provided with the image forming apparatus and capable of suppressing a decrease in suction efficiency.

  An image forming apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes an image forming unit that forms an image on a predetermined work, a conveyance unit that conveys the work in a predetermined conveyance direction toward the image forming unit, It has a plurality of suction holes formed in a plate shape having a predetermined length in a work width direction orthogonal to the transfer direction, and provided over the entire area in the work width direction, and the transfer of the work by the transfer unit is performed on a lower side. A conveyance guide member to guide from, and a suction wind is generated by suctioning air in a space above the conveyance guide member through the plurality of suction holes, which is disposed below the conveyance guide member, A suction unit for bringing the workpiece into close contact with the transport guide member; and a workpiece provided on the transport guide member so as to be movable in the work width direction and guided by the transport guide member. It comprises a pair of cursors for positioning the work width direction of the click, the. The suction unit has a suction device that generates the suction air and a box shape that can accommodate the suction device, and has an upper surface portion that is covered from above by the transport guide member, and the suction device has the suction device on the upper surface portion. A suction housing formed with a suction opening through which wind passes, and a transfer guide member provided between the transfer guide member and the upper surface portion so as to be movable in the work width direction in conjunction with the pair of cursors; And a pair of movable plates defining a suction space through which the suction air flows through the suction hole and the suction opening.

  According to this image forming apparatus, the pair of movable plates move in conjunction with the pair of cursors for adjusting the width of the work, so that the transport guide member and the upper surface of the suction housing are moved in accordance with the width of the work. A suction space through which suction air flows is defined. Thus, in the width direction of the transport guide member, the passage of the suction air through the suction holes arranged in a range not covered by the work can be restricted, so that a reduction in the suction efficiency can be suppressed.

  In the above image forming apparatus, the suction unit is formed of an elastic body that can be elastically deformed, and is attached to a surface of the pair of movable plates facing the conveyance guide member, and a sealing member that seals the suction space. May be further included.

  In this aspect, the suction space defined by the pair of movable plates is provided between the transport guide member and the upper surface of the suction housing by attaching a sealing member to a surface of the pair of movable plates facing the transport guide member. Can be sealed.

  In the above-described image forming apparatus, the pair of movable plates may be configured to be movable in conjunction with the pair of cursors by being fixed to the pair of cursors by a connecting member.

  In this aspect, the pair of movable plates can be fixed to the pair of cursors by the connecting member so as to be movable in conjunction with the pair of cursors. The pair of movable plates fixed to the pair of cursors by the connecting member are moved in conjunction with the pair of cursors, so that suction is performed between the transport guide member and the upper surface of the suction housing according to the width of the work. It defines a suction space through which the wind flows. Thus, in the width direction of the transport guide member, the passage of the suction air through the suction holes arranged in a range not covered by the work can be restricted, so that a reduction in the suction efficiency can be suppressed.

  In the above-described image forming apparatus, the pair of movable plates may be configured to be movable in conjunction with the pair of cursors by being fixed to the pair of cursors by magnetic force.

  In this aspect, the pair of movable plates can be fixed to the pair of cursors by magnetic force so as to be movable in conjunction with the pair of cursors. The pair of movable plates fixed to the pair of cursors by the magnetic force move in conjunction with the pair of cursors, so that the suction air flows between the transport guide member and the upper surface of the suction housing according to the width of the work. Divides the suction space through which the air flows. Thus, in the width direction of the transport guide member, the passage of the suction air through the suction holes arranged in a range not covered by the work can be restricted, so that a reduction in the suction efficiency can be suppressed.

  The image forming apparatus may further include a suction control unit that changes a suction force of the suction device based on a position of the pair of cursors on the transport guide member in the work width direction. Good.

  The volume of the suction space defined by the pair of movable plates between the transport guide member and the upper surface of the suction housing changes with the movement of the pair of movable plates according to the width of the work. For this reason, there is a possibility that the adhesion of the work to the transport guide member changes due to the suction air generated by the suction device and flowing through the suction space. Therefore, the suction control unit changes the suction force of the suction device according to the movement of the pair of cursors linked with the pair of movable plates. Thereby, it is possible to make the adhesion of the work to the conveyance guide member constant according to the width of the work while suppressing a decrease in the suction efficiency, and to reduce the work conveyance failure and the image quality due to the change in the adhesion. The decrease can be suppressed.

  According to the present invention, in an image forming apparatus including a suction device that generates a suction wind for bringing a workpiece into close contact with a transport guide member that guides the transport of the workpiece from below, an image capable of suppressing a reduction in suction efficiency. A forming device can be provided.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an appearance of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the image forming apparatus. FIG. 2 is a front view of the image forming apparatus with an outer cover removed. FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing a part of the image forming apparatus with an outer cover removed. FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating the vicinity of a suction unit in the image forming apparatus. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the vicinity of a suction unit in the image forming apparatus. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the vicinity of a suction unit in the image forming apparatus. It is a perspective view which expands and shows the vicinity of a movable plate in a suction part.

  Hereinafter, an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an appearance of an image forming apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus 1. FIG. 3 is a front view of the image forming apparatus 1 with the outer cover 102 removed, and FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing a part of the image forming apparatus 1 with the outer cover 102 removed. . FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view showing the vicinity of the suction unit 50 in the image forming apparatus 1. In addition, in FIG. 1 to FIG. 5 and the following figures, front, rear, left, right, up and down directions are attached, but this is for convenience of explanation, and does not intend to limit the direction in any way.

<Overall Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus>
The image forming apparatus 1 is an image forming apparatus that performs printing processing such as printing and printing on various works W such as paper sheets, resin sheets, and cloth materials of various sizes by an inkjet method. This is an image forming apparatus suitable for a printing process on the work W. The image forming apparatus 1 includes a base frame 101 with casters, and an apparatus main body 11 mounted on the base frame 101 and executing the printing process (image forming operation).

  The apparatus main body 11 includes a work transfer path 12, a transfer roller 13, a plurality of pinch roller units 14, a carriage 2, and a suction unit 50. The work transport path 12 is a transport path extending in the front-rear direction for loading the work W to be subjected to the printing process into the apparatus main body 11 from the rear side and unloading the work W from the front side.

  The transport roller 13 is a transport unit that extends in the left-right direction and generates a driving force for intermittently feeding the workpiece W in the workpiece transport path 12. In other words, the transport roller 13 is rotated about a predetermined axis extending in the left-right direction, and moves the work W in the forward direction so that the work W passes through an image forming position facing the head unit 21 (image forming unit). (In the predetermined transport direction H1). 4 and 5, the transport roller 13 is supported from below by a first bearing 131 and a second bearing 132 attached to a frame 122 fixed to both left and right ends of a suction housing 52 described later. ing. The first bearing 131 and the second bearing 132 assist the rotation of the transport roller 13 by supporting the transport roller 13 from below.

  The pinch roller unit 14 includes a pinch roller 140 that is disposed to face the transport roller 13 from above and forms a transport nip with the transport roller 13. The plurality of pinch roller units 14 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the left-right direction along the transport roller 13. Each of the pinch rollers 140 included in each of the plurality of pinch roller units 14 is rotatably arranged at an interval along the transport roller 13 and forms a transport nip portion that sandwiches the work W with the transport roller 13. . In addition, the plurality of pinch roller units 14 can respectively hold the pinch rollers 140 and can adjust the nip pressure of the pinch rollers 140 with respect to the transport roller 13.

  The carriage 2 is a movable body on which a unit for performing a printing process on the work W is mounted, and is capable of reciprocating on the base frame 101 in a left-right direction (a predetermined direction). Above the base frame 101, a carriage guide 15 provided with a guide rail for guiding the reciprocating movement of the carriage 2 is provided so as to extend in the left-right direction. A timing belt 16 is attached to the carriage guide 15 so as to be able to move in the left-right direction. The carriage 2 has a fixed portion with respect to the timing belt 16, and moves in the left-right direction while being guided by the guide rails as the timing belt 16 rotates forward or backward.

  The printing process is performed in such a manner that the conveyance roller 13 and the pinch roller unit 14 intermittently feed the work W, and the carriage 2 moves in the left-right direction while the work W is stopped, and scans the work W.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a platen 121 as a conveyance guide member for guiding the conveyance of the work W by the conveyance roller 13 from below is disposed below the passage of the carriage 2 in the work conveyance path 12. I have. That is, an image forming position for the work W is arranged on the platen 121. The platen 121 is formed in a plate shape having a predetermined length in a work width direction H2 (left-right direction) orthogonal to the work W conveyance direction H1, and has a plurality of suction holes 121H provided throughout the work width direction H2. Have.

  Further, below the platen 121, a suction unit 50 is arranged as shown in FIGS. The suction unit 50 generates suction air by sucking air in a space above the platen 121 through the plurality of suction holes 121H, and causes the work W to be in close contact with the platen 121. At the time of the printing process, the carriage 2 performs the printing scan in a state where the work W is in close contact with the platen 121 by the suction air generated by the suction unit 50. The detailed configuration of the suction unit 50 will be described later.

  The device main body 11 is covered by an outer cover 102. A side station 103 is disposed in a region on the right side of the outer cover 102. Inside the side station 103, an immobile ink cartridge shelf 17 that holds an ink cartridge (not shown) that stores ink for printing (a predetermined liquid) is accommodated.

  The front portion of the side station 103 is a carriage retreat area 104 serving as a retreat space for the carriage 2. As shown in FIG. 3, a left frame 105 and a right frame 106 are erected on the base frame 101 at intervals corresponding to the work transport path 12 in the left-right direction. A space between these left and right frames 105 and 106 is a print area where the print processing can be executed. The carriage guide 15 has a lateral width longer than the print area, and the carriage 2 can move to the right outside of the print area. When the printing process is not performed, the carriage 2 retreats to the carriage retreat area 104.

  On the rear side of the base frame 101, there is provided a delivery unit 107 for accommodating a delivery roll Wa, which is a wound body of the work W to be subjected to print processing. The feeding unit 107 feeds the work W while applying a predetermined tension to the work W with the tension roller 109A. Further, on the front side of the base frame 101, there is provided a winding unit 108 for storing a winding roll Wb which is a wound body of the work W after the printing process. The winding unit 108 includes a drive source (not shown) that rotationally drives the winding shaft of the winding roll Wb, and winds the work W while applying a predetermined tension to the work W with the tension roller 109B.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a head unit 21 (liquid ejecting head, image forming unit) for ejecting ink (liquid) to the work W to form an image on the carriage 2 and an ink cartridge to the head unit 21 A liquid supply unit 3 for supplying ink is mounted. FIG. 4 shows an example in which two head units 21 and eight liquid supply units 3 are mounted on the carriage 2. That is, four liquid supply units 3 are provided to supply cyan, magenta, yellow, and black inks per head unit 21. The carriage 2 reciprocates in the left-right direction along the carriage guide 15. The liquid supply units 3 may be filled with inks of different colors, and the two head units 21 may eject a maximum of eight colors of ink.

<Detailed configuration of suction unit>
Next, the configuration of the suction unit 50 provided in the image forming apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8 in addition to FIGS. 4 and 5. 6 and 7 are perspective views showing the vicinity of the suction unit 50 in the image forming apparatus 1 and show a state where the platen 121 is removed. FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view showing the vicinity of the pair of movable plates 53 in the suction unit 50, and shows a state where the platen 121 is removed.

  The suction unit 50 is a mechanism that generates a suction wind for bringing the work W into close contact with the platen 121 that guides the conveyance of the work W from below during the printing process by the image forming apparatus 1. The suction unit 50 is disposed below the platen 121, and generates suction air by sucking air in a space above the platen 121 through a plurality of suction holes 121H of the platen 121. The suction unit 50 includes a suction device 51 that generates suction air, a box-shaped suction housing 52 that can accommodate the suction device 51, a pair of movable plates 53, and a fixed plate 54.

  The suction device 51 includes a suction fan 511 that is disposed in the suction housing 52 and generates suction air by rotating, and a fan motor 512 that is a driving source for rotating the suction fan 511. The number of the suction devices 51 arranged in the suction housing 52 is not particularly limited, and may be one or a plurality. In the present embodiment, two suction devices 51 are arranged in the suction housing 52 at predetermined intervals in the work width direction H2. In each of the suction devices 51, the suction motor 511, which is controlled by a suction control unit 60 described later, rotates to rotate the suction fan 511 to generate suction air. The fan motor 512 and the suction fan 511 may be integrally formed.

  The suction housing 52 is a box-shaped housing having an internal space and a rectangular parallelepiped appearance. The suction housing 52 has substantially the same length as the platen 121 in the work width direction H2, and has an upper surface portion 521 covered by the platen 121 from above. In other words, the suction housing 52 and the platen 121 have substantially the same width in the work width direction H2, and the entire upper surface 521 of the suction housing 52 is covered by the platen 121 from above. I have.

  A suction opening 521H through which the suction air generated by the suction device 51 disposed in the suction housing 52 can pass is formed in the upper surface portion 521 of the suction housing 52. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, two suction openings 521H are formed in the upper surface portion 521 of the suction housing 52 at predetermined intervals in the work width direction H2. The suction device 51 is arranged in the suction housing 52 such that the suction fan 511 is located directly below the suction opening 521H. A guide groove 522 is formed at a front edge of the upper surface 521 of the suction housing 52. The guide grooves 522 guide the movement of a pair of movable plates 53 described later.

  The fixed plate 54 is a plate fixed between the platen 121 and the upper surface 521 of the suction housing 52 with respect to the upper surface 521. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the fixing plate 54 is disposed at the center position in the work width direction H2 so as to be sandwiched between the two suction openings 521H on the upper surface portion 521 of the suction housing 52.

  The pair of movable plates 53 are plates provided between the platen 121 and the upper surface 521 of the suction housing 52 so as to be movable in the work width direction H2 along the guide grooves 522 of the upper surface 521. The pair of movable plates 53 are disposed on the upper surface 521 of the suction housing 52 so as to face each other with the fixed plate 54 interposed therebetween. That is, one movable plate 53 of the pair of movable plates 53 faces the fixed plate 54 on the left side of the fixed plate 54, and the other movable plate 53 contacts the fixed plate 54 on the right side of the fixed plate 54. Are facing each other.

  The pair of movable plates 53 are movable in the work width direction H2 in conjunction with a pair of cursors 123 disposed on the platen 121. Here, the pair of cursors 123 is a cursor for adjusting the width of the work W. The pair of cursors 123 are opposed to each other on the platen 121 in the work width direction H2. The pair of cursors 123 is provided on the platen 121 so as to be movable in the work width direction H2, and positions the work W guided by the platen 121 in the work width direction H2.

  The pair of movable plates 53 move in the work width direction H2 in conjunction with the pair of cursors 123 between the platen 121 and the upper surface portion 521 of the suction housing 52, and thereby move between the platen 121 and the upper surface portion 521. , A first suction space 53A and a second suction space 53B. The first suction space 53A is a space between the platen 121 and the upper surface 521 of the suction housing 52, which is partitioned by the left movable plate 53 and the fixed plate 54 of the pair of movable plates 53. . The first suction space 53 </ b> A is formed of a plurality of suction holes 121 </ b> H formed in the platen 121, a suction hole 121 </ b> H in a range between the left movable plate 53 and the fixed plate 54, and an upper surface of the suction housing 52. A suction space through which suction air flows flows through the suction opening 521H formed on the left side of the fixed plate 54 in the portion 521. On the other hand, the second suction space 53B is a space defined between the platen 121 and the upper surface 521 of the suction housing 52 by the right movable plate 53 and the fixed plate 54 of the pair of movable plates 53. It is. The second suction space 53 </ b> B includes a suction hole 121 </ b> H in a range between the right movable plate 53 and the fixed plate 54 among the plurality of suction holes 121 </ b> H formed in the platen 121, and an upper surface of the suction housing 52. A suction space through which suction air flows flows through the suction opening 521H formed on the right side of the fixed plate 54 in the portion 521.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the pair of movable plates 53 are movable with the pair of cursors 123 by being fixed to the pair of cursors 123 by the connecting member 56. The movable range of the movable plate 53 on the left side of the pair of movable plates 53 in the work width direction H2 along the guide groove 522 of the upper surface 521 of the suction housing 52 is the left end of the upper surface 521. To the left side of the suction opening 521H (see FIG. 7). The movable range of the movable plate 53 on the right side of the pair of movable plates 53 in the work width direction H2 along the guide groove 522 of the upper surface 521 of the suction housing 52 is the right end of the upper surface 521. To the right side of the suction opening 521H (see FIG. 7).

  As described above, in the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the pair of movable plates 53 move in conjunction with the pair of cursors 123 for adjusting the width of the work W, thereby moving the movable plate 53 in accordance with the width of the work W. Thus, a first suction space 53A and a second suction space 53B through which suction air flows are defined between the platen 121 and the upper surface portion 521 of the suction housing 52. Thereby, in the width direction of the platen 121 (the same direction as the work width direction H2), it is possible to regulate the passage of the suction air through the suction holes 121H arranged in a range not covered by the work W. A decrease in efficiency can be suppressed.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 8, the suction unit 50 may include a sealing member 55. The sealing member 55 is formed of an elastic body that can be elastically deformed. The sealing member 55 is attached to the surface 531 of the pair of movable plates 53 facing the platen 121, so that the sealing member 55 is partitioned by the pair of movable plates 53 between the platen 121 and the upper surface 521 of the suction housing 52. The first suction space 53A and the second suction space 53B can be sealed.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the pair of movable plates 53 is configured to have an engagement recess 532 (first engagement portion) formed on the opposing surface 531, and the platen 121 is connected to the engagement recess 532. It may be configured to have an engaging protrusion 121G (second engaging portion) to be engaged. By the engagement between the engagement concave portion 532 and the engagement convex portion 121G, the posture of the pair of movable plates 53 is maintained in the upright posture between the platen 121 and the upper surface portion 521 of the suction housing 52.

<Regarding control of suction force of suction device>
As shown in FIG. 5, the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment further includes a suction control unit 60, a detection unit 61, and an operation unit 62.

  The suction controller 60 changes the suction force of the suction device 51 based on the position of the pair of cursors 123 on the platen 121 in the work width direction H2. Specifically, the suction control unit 60 controls the rotation speed of the suction fan 511 of the suction device 51 per unit time, that is, the rotation speed of the fan motor 512 that rotates the suction fan 511, thereby controlling the suction device 51. Change the suction force.

  The position of the pair of cursors 123 that the suction control unit 60 refers to when changing the suction force of the suction device 51 may be based on the detection result of the detection unit 61, or may be based on a user operation on the operation unit 62. It may be based on a set value relating to the input width of the work W (length in the work width direction H2). The detection unit 61 is a sensor that detects the position of the pair of cursors 123 on the platen 121 in the work width direction H2.

  The volumes of the first suction space 53A and the second suction space 53B defined by the pair of movable plates 53 between the platen 121 and the upper surface 521 of the suction housing 52 are determined by the width of the work W (the length in the work width direction H2). ) Changes in accordance with the movement of the pair of movable plates 53 in conjunction with the pair of cursors 123 in accordance with (a). That is, in the width direction of the platen 121 (the same direction as the work width direction H2), the ratio of the suction holes 121H arranged in the range covered by the work W to all the suction holes 121H (hereinafter, “suction hole coverage ratio”) ) Changes with the movement of the pair of movable plates 53 according to the width of the work W. For this reason, the adhesion of the work W to the platen 121 due to the suction air generated by the suction device 51 and flowing through the first suction space 53A and the second suction space 53B through the suction hole 121H and the suction opening 521H indicates the work W May vary depending on the width of

  Two types of workpieces W, a wide workpiece W having a first width (for example, 1900 mm) and a narrow workpiece W having a second width (for example, 950 mm) which is half of the first width, are taken as examples. Will be explained.

  In the width direction of the platen 121, when the suction hole coverage ratio when using a wide work W is “100%”, the suction hole coverage ratio when using a narrow work W is “50%”. Becomes For this reason, when the suction fan 511 of the suction device 51 is rotated at a constant rotation speed, when a narrow work W is used, the suction air generated by the suction device 51 is larger than when the work W is wide. Is doubled. When the work W is brought into close contact with the platen 121 with twice the suction force, the transfer load of the work W on the platen 121 is doubled, so that a transfer failure of the work W may occur, and the work due to the transfer failure may occur. The image quality on W may be degraded.

  Thus, the suction control unit 60 adjusts the width of the work W on the platen 121 between the pair of cursors 123 that move in conjunction with the pair of movable plates 53 that partition the first suction space 53A and the second suction space 53B. The suction force of the suction device 51 is changed based on the position. For example, the number of rotations of the fan motor 512 when a wide work W having the suction hole covering ratio of “100%” on the platen 121 is used and the pair of cursors 123 are moved according to the width of the work W is set. , A first rotation speed (for example, 6000 rotations). On the other hand, the fan motor 512 in the case where the work W having a narrow width of “50%” on the platen 121 is used and the pair of cursors 123 are moved according to the width of the work W is used. The rotation speed is changed to a second rotation speed (for example, 3000 rotations) which is half of the first rotation speed.

  As described above, by changing the suction force of the suction device 51 based on the position of the pair of cursors 123 for adjusting the width of the work W, which moves in conjunction with the pair of movable plates 53, the suction force becomes excessive. In addition, it is possible to keep the work W in close contact with the platen 121 according to the width of the work W while suppressing the occurrence of the work W. For this reason, it is possible to suppress a failure in transporting the work W and a decrease in image quality due to a change in adhesion to the platen 121.

  As described above, the embodiment of the present invention has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the following modified embodiment can be adopted.

  (1) In the above embodiment, a description will be given of a configuration in which the pair of movable plates 53 in the suction unit 50 move in conjunction with the pair of cursors 123 by being fixed to the pair of cursors 123 by the connecting member 56. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The pair of movable plates 53 may be configured to move in conjunction with the pair of cursors 123 by being fixed to the pair of cursors 123 by magnetic force. In this case, one of the movable plate 53 and the cursor 123 may be formed of a magnet, and the other may be formed of a magnetic material.

  The pair of movable plates 53 move in conjunction with the pair of cursors 123, so that the suction air flows between the platen 121 and the upper surface 521 of the suction housing 52 according to the width of the work W. A space 53A and a second suction space 53B are defined. Thereby, in the width direction of the platen 121 (the same direction as the work width direction H2), it is possible to regulate the passage of the suction air through the suction holes 121H arranged in a range not covered by the work W. A decrease in efficiency can be suppressed.

  Here, the volumes of the suction spaces 53A and 53B defined by the pair of movable plates 53 between the platen 121 and the upper surface 521 of the suction housing 52 are determined by the movement of the pair of movable plates 53 according to the width of the work W. It changes with. For this reason, the adhesion of the work W to the platen 121 changes, but the suction force of the suction device 51 according to the movement of the pair of cursors 123 interlocked with the pair of movable plates 53, as in the above embodiment. May be changed. This makes it possible to keep the work W in close contact with the platen 121 in accordance with the width of the work W while preventing the suction force from becoming excessive. Deterrence becomes possible.

  (2) In the above embodiment, the configuration in which the pair of movable plates 53 is provided as the movable plate movable between the platen 121 and the upper surface portion 521 of the suction housing 52 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. Not something. In addition to the pair of movable plates 53 fixed to the pair of cursors 123, one or more other movable plates may be provided. Such another movable plate may be connected to the pair of movable plates 53 by a moving mechanism including a combination of a rack and a pinion gear, for example. Thereby, the other movable plates can be moved together with the pair of movable plates 53 in conjunction with the pair of cursors 123.

1 Image Forming Apparatus 11 Apparatus Main Body 12 Work Transport Path 121 Platen (Transport Guide Member)
121H Suction hole 123 A pair of cursors 13 Transport roller (transport unit)
2 Carriage 21 Head unit (image forming unit)
Reference Signs List 50 suction unit 51 suction device 511 suction fan 512 fan motor 52 suction housing 521 upper surface portion 521H suction opening 53 pair of movable plates 53A first suction space 53B second suction space 54 fixing plate 55 sealing member 56 connecting member 60 suction control Unit 61 Detection unit 62 Operation unit

Claims (5)

An image forming unit that forms an image on a predetermined work,
A transport unit that transports the work in a predetermined transport direction toward the image forming unit,
The work is formed in a plate shape having a predetermined length in a work width direction orthogonal to the transfer direction of the work, and has a plurality of suction holes provided over the entire area in the work width direction. A conveyance guide member for guiding conveyance from below,
The work is disposed on the conveyance guide member by generating suction air by suctioning air in a space above the conveyance guide member through the plurality of suction holes, which is disposed below the conveyance guide member. A suction unit to be in close contact with,
A pair of cursors provided on the conveyance guide member so as to be movable in the work width direction, and for positioning the work guided by the conveyance guide member in the work width direction,
The suction unit,
A suction device for generating the suction wind,
A suction housing formed in a box shape capable of accommodating the suction device, having an upper surface portion that is covered from above by the transport guide member, and a suction opening through which the suction air passes is formed in the upper surface portion;
The suction hole and the suction hole are provided between the transport guide member and the upper surface so as to be movable in the work width direction in conjunction with the pair of cursors. An image forming apparatus, comprising: a pair of movable plates that partition a suction space through which the suction air flows through an opening.   The said suction part is further formed with the sealing member which is formed with the elastic body which can be elastically deformed, is attached to the opposing surface with respect to the said conveyance guide member of this pair of movable plates, and seals the said suction space. 2. The image forming apparatus according to 1.   3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pair of movable plates are movable with the pair of cursors by being fixed to the pair of cursors by a connecting member. 4.   3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pair of movable plates are movable with the pair of cursors by being fixed to the pair of cursors by magnetic force. 4.   The suction controller according to claim 1, further comprising: a suction controller configured to change a suction force of the suction device based on positions of the pair of cursors on the transport guide member in the work width direction. The image forming apparatus as described in the above.