JP2021109744A - Medium holding mechanism, ink jet printer, and printing method for medium - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a printing method for medium capable of performing both-side printing on a medium even when a carrier mechanism is not installed which carries the medium between a printing position where a sheet of medium is printed and a medium holding mechanism which turns over the medium.SOLUTION: A printing method comprises: printing on a top surface 2a of a medium 2 placed on a position holding surface 14c; then rotating a mount member with the medium 2 positioned and held on the position holding surface 14c to turn over the medium 2, and placing the medium 2 on a medium mount surface 15e with the top surface 2a down; rotating the mount member with the medium 2 separated from the position holding surface 14c; after moving a pair of medium mount parts 15a to above the mount member, elevating and lowering a second mount member 15 relatively to the mount member to place the medium 2 on the position holding surface 14c with a reverse surface 2b up; and printing on the reverse surface 2b of the medium 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

The present invention relates to a media holding mechanism for holding media to be printed on both sides. The present invention also relates to an inkjet printer provided with such a media holding mechanism. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method of printing a medium for performing double-sided printing on the medium.

Conventionally, there is known an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a card by printing on a card such as a cash card or a credit card by an inkjet method and heat-treating the printed card (for example, Patent Documents). 1). The image forming apparatus described in Patent Document 1 includes a printing unit for printing on a card and a heater unit for heat-treating the printed card. The printing unit includes a head unit that prints on the card and a printing unit transporting device that transports the card along the transport path. The heater unit includes a heater unit that heat-treats the printed card and a heater unit transport device that transports the card along the transport path.

In the image forming apparatus described in Patent Document 1, an inversion transfer apparatus for inverting the front and back of the card is arranged between the print portion and the heater portion. The reversing transfer device includes two rotation operation plates that are arranged so as to face each other with a gap corresponding to the thickness of the card. In the reversing transfer device, with the card sandwiched between the two rotation operation plates, the two rotation operation plates are rotated 180 ° with the horizontal direction as the axial direction of rotation, so that the cards are turned upside down. There is.

In the image forming apparatus described in Patent Document 1, when double-sided printing of a card is performed, when printing of one side of the card by the head unit is completed, the printing unit conveying device transfers the card from the lower part of the head unit to the reversing transfer device. Transport. The reversing transfer device receives a card from the printing unit transporting device and flips the received card upside down. Further, the reversing transfer device delivers the card whose front and back sides have been reversed to the printing unit transporting device again. The print unit transport device transports the received card to the lower part of the head unit. The head unit then prints the other side of the card.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-205454

In the image forming apparatus described in Patent Document 1, since double-sided printing of the card is performed as described above, if there is no transport mechanism for transporting the card between the head unit and the reverse transfer device, the card Double-sided printing cannot be performed.

Therefore, the subject of the present invention is that, in the media holding mechanism that reverses the front and back of the sheet-fed media, a transport mechanism for transporting the media between the printing position where printing is performed on the media and the media holding mechanism is not installed. Another object of the present invention is to provide a media holding mechanism capable of performing double-sided printing of media. Another object of the present invention is to provide an inkjet printer provided with such a media holding mechanism. Further, according to the present invention, in a media printing method using a media holding mechanism that reverses the front and back of a sheet-fed media, a transport mechanism that transports the media between the printing position where printing is performed on the media and the media holding mechanism is provided. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a media printing method that enables double-sided printing of media even if it is not installed.

In order to solve the above problems, the media holding mechanism of the present invention is a media holding mechanism that holds the sheet-fed media to be printed and reverses the front and back of the media, and mounts the media at the time of printing. A mounting member, a rotating mechanism that rotates the mounting member by at least 180 ° with the horizontal direction as the axial direction of rotation, a second mounting member on which the media is mounted when the media is inverted, and a mounting member. In addition to providing an elevating mechanism that relatively raises and lowers the second mounting member, the axial direction of rotation of the mounting member is the left-right direction, and the direction orthogonal to the up-down direction and the left-right direction is the front-back direction. , A moving mechanism for moving the second mounting member relative to the mounting member in the front-rear direction is provided, and both ends of one medium in the left-right direction are mounted on the second mounting member. A pair of media mounting surfaces are formed, and only both ends of the media in the left-right direction are mounted, and the media is mounted and the mounted media is attracted and held on the mounting member. A suction surface is formed, and the suction surface faces upward when the media is printed, and the width of the suction surface in the left-right direction is the distance between the two media mounting surfaces constituting the pair of media mounting surfaces in the left-right direction. The rotation mechanism rotates the mounting member by 180 ° between the first rotation position in which the suction surface faces upward and the second rotation position in which the suction surface faces downward. The elevating mechanism has an upper position in which the suction surface facing upward is arranged above the media mounting surface and a lower position in which the suction surface facing upward is arranged below the media mounting surface. In between, at least one of the mounting member and the second mounting member is moved up and down, and the moving mechanism is the first position where the media mounting surface is arranged on one side in the front-rear direction rather than the suction surface facing upward. , At least one of the mounting member and the second mounting member is moved in the front-rear direction between the suction surface facing upward and the second position where the media mounting surface is arranged at the same position in the front-rear direction. When one surface of the media is the front surface and the other surface of the media is the back surface, the mounting member that the suction surface attracts and holds the back surface is rotated to the second rotation position by the rotation mechanism. After moving the media, the suction state of the media by the suction surface is released, and the media is placed on the media mounting surface so that the front surface faces downward, and then from the second rotation position by the rotation mechanism. The rotation operation of the mounting member to the first rotation position, the lifting operation of at least one of the mounting member and the second mounting member by the elevating mechanism, and the mounting member and the mounting member by the moving mechanism. By performing the movement operation of at least one of the second mounting members in the front-rear direction, the suction surface facing upward is arranged below the media mounting surface and at the same position as the media mounting surface in the front-rear direction. After the media is placed in the mounting member, at least one of the mounting member and the second mounting member is raised and lowered by the elevating mechanism to the upper position, and the media is placed on the mounting member so that the front surface faces downward. It is characterized by being placed.

In the media holding mechanism of the present invention, the mounting member is formed with a suction surface on which the media is mounted and the media to be mounted is sucked and held. Therefore, in the present invention, it is possible to print the front surface of the medium while the back surface of the medium is adsorbed and held on the suction surface. Further, in the present invention, the mounting member whose suction surface attracts and holds the back surface of the media is rotated to the second rotation position by the rotation mechanism, and then the suction state of the media by the suction surface is released. The media is placed on the media mounting surface so that the front surface of the media faces downward, and then the mounting member is rotated from the second rotation position to the first rotation position by the rotation mechanism. The operation, the elevating operation of at least one of the mounting member and the second mounting member by the elevating mechanism, and the moving operation of at least one of the mounting member and the second mounting member in the front-rear direction by the moving mechanism. Then, after the suction surface facing upward is arranged below the media mounting surface and at the same position as the media mounting surface in the front-rear direction, the mounting member is moved to the upper position by the elevating mechanism. The media is placed on the mounting member so that at least one of the second mounting member is raised and lowered so that the front surface faces downward.

That is, in the present invention, the media attracted and held by the mounting member is turned upside down and temporarily placed on the second mounting member, and then the rotation operation of the mounting member and the mounting member or the second mounting are performed. Since the media temporarily placed on the second mounting member is mounted again on the mounting member in a state where the front and back sides are reversed by using the moving motion and the raising / lowering motion of the mounting member in the front-rear direction. It is possible to print the back surface of the media while the front surface of the medium is attracted and held on the suction surface. As described above, in the present invention, it is possible to perform double-sided printing of the medium at the position where the mounting member is installed. Therefore, if the media holding mechanism of the present invention is used, even if the media holding mechanism for inverting the front and back of the media and the transport mechanism for transporting the media between the printing positions where printing is performed on the media are not installed, the media Double-sided printing becomes possible.

Further, in the present invention, the media attracted and held by the mounting member is inverted and temporarily placed on the second mounting member, and then the rotation operation of the mounting member and the mounting member or the second mounting are performed. Since the media temporarily placed on the second mounting member is mounted again on the mounting member in a state where the front and back sides are reversed by using the moving motion and the raising / lowering motion of the mounting member in the front-rear direction. It is possible to invert the media regardless of the thickness of the media to be inverted. Further, in the present invention, regardless of the thickness of the medium to be inverted, the mounting member and the second mounting member and the printed surface of the media do not come into contact with each other with an unnecessarily large contact pressure. It is possible to suppress the deterioration of print quality.

In the present invention, for example, the rotation center of the mounting member is arranged on one side in the front-rear direction with respect to the suction surface facing upward, the mounting member is arranged at the first rotation position, and the mounting member moves up and down. When at least one of the second mounting members is arranged in the upper position, and at least one of the mounting member moving in the front-rear direction and the second mounting member is arranged in the first position. The media is in a printable state in which printing is possible, and when the mounting member rotates from the first rotation position to the second rotation position in the printable state, the mounting member moves to the second mounting member. The media can be delivered. In the printable state, the rotating mechanism moves the mounting member held by the suction surface by sucking the back surface from the first rotation position to the second rotation position. The media is rotated so that the media can be delivered, and then the mounting member releases the suction state of the media and mounts the media on the media mounting surface so that the front surface faces downward, and then rotates. The dynamic mechanism rotates the mounting member from the second rotation position to the first rotation position, and then the elevating mechanism moves at least one of the elevating mounting member and the second mounting member from the upper position. The elevating mechanism moves the mounting member and the second mounting member moving in the front-rear direction from the first position to the second position, and then the elevating mechanism moves the mounting member and the second mounting member. At least one of the elevating mounting member and the second mounting member is raised and lowered from the lower position to the upper position, and the media is placed on the mounting member so that the front surface faces downward.

In the present invention, the media holding mechanism includes a plurality of mounting members, and the rotating mechanism includes a rotating shaft that is a rotation center of the plurality of mounting members and a driving mechanism that rotates the rotating shaft. , It is preferable that a plurality of mounting members are connected to the rotating shaft. With this configuration, it is possible to flip the front and back of a plurality of media at the same time.

In the present invention, the second mounting member includes a first inclined surface that is connected to the front end of the media mounting surface and is inclined upward toward the front side, and is connected to the rear end of the media mounting surface and is rear side. It is preferable that a second inclined surface that inclines upward toward the surface is formed. With this configuration, the media transferred from the mounting member to the media mounting surface can be arranged at a predetermined position in the front-rear direction.

In the present invention, the second mounting member is arranged on each of the outer sides of the pair of media mounting surfaces on which one medium is mounted in the left-right direction, and toward the upper side toward the outside in the left-right direction. It is preferable that a third inclined surface to be inclined is formed. With this configuration, the media transferred from the mounting member to the media mounting surface can be arranged at a predetermined position in the left-right direction.

The media holding mechanism of the present invention can be used in an inkjet printer including an inkjet head that ejects ink onto the media. In this inkjet printer, the media can be inverted regardless of the thickness of the medium to be inverted, and the deterioration of the print quality of the inverted media can be suppressed.

Further, in order to solve the above problems, the media printing method of the present invention is a media printing method using a media holding mechanism that holds the sheet-fed media to be printed and inverts the front and back of the media. The media holding mechanism includes a mounting member on which the media at the time of printing is mounted, a rotating mechanism that rotates the mounting member with the horizontal direction as the axial direction of rotation, and a media on which the media is placed after the media is inverted. A second mounting member to be mounted and an elevating mechanism for raising and lowering the second mounting member relative to the mounting member are provided, and the axial direction of rotation of the mounting member is the left-right direction, which is the vertical direction. Assuming that the direction orthogonal to the left-right direction is the front-rear direction, a moving mechanism for moving the second mounting member relative to the mounting member in the front-rear direction is provided, and the second mounting members are separated from each other in the left-right direction. A pair of media mounting portions are provided, and each of the pair of media mounting portions is formed with a media mounting surface on which both ends of one medium in the left-right direction are placed. The mounting member is formed with a position-holding surface for mounting the media and holding the position of the mounted media, and the position-holding surface faces upward when the media is printed, and the position-holding surface is oriented in the left-right direction. The width of is narrower than the distance between the pair of media mounting portions in the left-right direction, the position of the mounting member when the position-holding surface faces upward is set as the first rotation position, and the position-holding surface is on the lower side. Assuming that the position of the mounting member when facing is the second rotation position, one side of the media is the front surface, and the other side of the media is the back surface, the mounting member is the second in the media printing method. When in one rotation position, printing is performed on the front surface of the media placed on the position holding surface so that the front surface faces upward, and then the media is held on the position holding surface. By rotating the mounting member to the second rotation position in this state, the front and back sides of the media are inverted, and the media is placed on the media mounting surface so that the front surface faces downward, and then the position. After the mounting member is rotated to return to the first rotation position with the media detached from the holding surface, a pair of media is placed above the mounting member returned to the first rotation position by the moving mechanism. After moving the mounting portion, the media is mounted on the position holding surface so that the back surface faces upward by raising and lowering the second mounting member relative to the mounting member by the elevating mechanism. It is characterized by printing on the back side of the.

In the media printing method of the present invention, printing is performed on the front surface of the media placed on the position holding surface so that the front surface faces upward, and then the media is held on the position holding surface. By rotating the mounting member to the second rotation position in this state, the front and back sides of the media are inverted, and the media is placed on the media mounting surface so that the front surface faces downward, and then the position. After the mounting member is rotated to return to the first rotation position with the media detached from the holding surface, a pair of media is placed above the mounting member returned to the first rotation position by the moving mechanism. After moving the mounting portion, the media is mounted on the position holding surface so that the back surface faces upward by raising and lowering the second mounting member relative to the mounting member by the elevating mechanism. Printing is done on the back side of. Therefore, if printing is performed by the media printing method of the present invention, even if a transport mechanism for transporting the media between the media holding mechanism that reverses the front and back of the media and the printing position where printing is performed on the media is not installed. , It becomes possible to perform double-sided printing of media.

As described above, if the media holding mechanism of the present invention is used, even if a transport mechanism for transporting the media between the media holding mechanism that inverts the front and back of the media and the printing position where printing is performed on the media is not installed. , It becomes possible to perform double-sided printing of media. Further, if printing is performed by the media printing method of the present invention, even if a media holding mechanism for inverting the front and back of the media and a transport mechanism for transporting the media between the printing positions where printing is performed on the media are not installed. , It becomes possible to perform double-sided printing of media.

It is the schematic for demonstrating the structure of the inkjet printer which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view for demonstrating the structure of the card holding mechanism shown in FIG. It is an enlarged perspective view for demonstrating the structure of the card holding mechanism shown in FIG. It is a perspective view for demonstrating the operation of the mounting member shown in FIG. It is a side view for demonstrating the operation of the mounting member and the 2nd mounting member shown in FIG. It is a side view for demonstrating the operation of the mounting member and the 2nd mounting member shown in FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Outline configuration of inkjet printer)
FIG. 1 is a schematic view for explaining the configuration of the inkjet printer 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The inkjet printer 1 of this embodiment (hereinafter referred to as "printer 1") is, for example, an inkjet printer for business use, and prints on a card 2 which is a sheet-fed medium (printing medium). Further, the printer 1 of this embodiment performs double-sided printing on the card 2. Further, the printer 1 performs borderless printing on the card 2, for example. The card 2 is formed in a rectangular shape. The card 2 is a plastic card made of plastic such as vinyl chloride or PET (polyethylene terephthalate). However, the card 2 may be a paper card made of paper.

The printer 1 has an inkjet head 3 (hereinafter referred to as “head 3”) for ejecting ink to a card 2, a carriage 4 on which the head 3 is mounted, and a carriage 4 in a main scanning direction (Y direction in FIG. 1). A carriage drive mechanism 5 for moving the carriage 4 to, a guide rail 6 for guiding the carriage 4 in the main scanning direction, a Y bar (not shown) to which the guide rail 6 is fixed, and a vertical direction (Z direction in FIG. 1). It is provided with a slide mechanism (not shown) that slides the Y bar in the sub-scanning direction (X-direction in FIG. 1) orthogonal to the main scanning direction.

The head 3 ejects ultraviolet curable ink (UV ink). Further, the head 3 ejects ink downward. The carriage 4 is equipped with an ultraviolet irradiator (not shown) that irradiates the ink ejected from the head 3 with ultraviolet rays to cure the ink. The carriage drive mechanism 5 includes, for example, two pulleys, a belt that is bridged over the two pulleys and a part of which is fixed to the carriage 4, and a motor that rotates the pulleys. The slide mechanism includes, for example, a motor and a ball screw.

Further, the printer 1 includes a card holding mechanism 9 that holds a card 2 to be printed (more specifically, a card 2 printed on both sides) and flips the front and back of the card 2. The card holding mechanism 9 is arranged below the carriage 4. The card holding mechanism 9 of the present embodiment is a media holding mechanism that holds the card 2 which is a single-wafered medium and reverses the front and back of the card 2. Hereinafter, the configuration of the card holding mechanism 9 will be described.

(Structure of card holding mechanism)
FIG. 2 is a perspective view for explaining the configuration of the card holding mechanism 9 shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view for explaining the configuration of the card holding mechanism 9 shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view for explaining the operation of the mounting member 14 shown in FIG. 5 and 6 are side views for explaining the operation of the mounting member 14 and the second mounting member 15 shown in FIG. In the following description, the main scanning direction is defined as the "left-right direction" and the sub-scanning direction is defined as the "front-back direction". Further, the X1 direction side of FIG. 2 or the like, which is one side in the front-rear direction, is referred to as the "front" side, and the X2 direction side of FIG. 2, etc., which is the opposite side of the front side, is referred to as the "rear" side.

The card holding mechanism 9 rotates in the horizontal direction with a mounting member 14 on which the card 2 is mounted at the time of printing and a second mounting member 15 on which the card 2 is mounted when the card 2 is turned upside down. A rotating mechanism 16 for rotating the mounting member 14 by at least 180 ° is provided in the axial direction of the above. The card holding mechanism 9 of this embodiment includes a plurality of mounting members 14 on which one card 2 is mounted. The plurality of mounting members 14 are arranged at regular intervals in the left-right direction. A plurality of cards 2 having the same number as the number of mounting members 14 can be mounted on the second mounting member 15. The rotation mechanism 16 rotates the mounting member 14 with the left-right direction as the axial direction of rotation. Further, the rotation mechanism 16 rotates the plurality of mounting members 14 together. In FIG. 1, the second mounting member 15 is not shown.

Further, the card holding mechanism 9 has an elevating mechanism 17 that raises and lowers the second mounting member 15 relative to the mounting member 14, and a second mounting member 15 relative to the mounting member 14 in the front-rear direction. It is provided with a moving mechanism 18 for moving the object. The elevating mechanism 17 of this embodiment raises and lowers the mounting member 14. Specifically, the elevating mechanism 17 elevates and elevates a plurality of mounting members 14 together. Further, the elevating mechanism 17 elevates and elevates the rotating mechanism 16 together with the mounting member 14. Further, the moving mechanism 18 of the present embodiment moves the second mounting member 15 in the front-rear direction.

The mounting member 14 is composed of a mounting portion main body 14a formed in a rectangular flat plate shape and a connecting portion 14b connected to a rotation shaft 21 described later which constitutes the rotation mechanism 16. One surface of the mounting portion main body 14a is a suction surface 14c on which the card 2 is mounted and the card 2 to be mounted is sucked and held. That is, the mounting member 14 is formed with a suction surface 14c. The outer shape of the mounting portion main body 14a is smaller than the outer shape of the card 2. That is, the outer shape of the suction surface 14c is smaller than the outer shape of the card 2. The suction surface 14c of the present embodiment is a position holding surface for holding the position of the card 2 on which the card is placed.

When printing the card 2, the suction surface 14c faces upward and is orthogonal to the vertical direction. As will be described later, the mounting member 14 has a first rotation position in which the suction surface 14c faces upward (see FIG. 4A) and a second rotation position in which the suction surface 14c faces downward (FIG. 4 (FIG. 4)). It is possible to rotate 180 ° with (see D)). Further, when the card 2 is printed, the longitudinal direction (long side direction) of the suction surface 14c formed in a rectangular shape coincides with the left-right direction. The thickness direction of the card 2 placed on the suction surface 14c at the time of printing coincides with the vertical direction, and the longitudinal direction (long side direction) of the card 2 coincides with the horizontal direction.

A plurality of suction holes for sucking the card 2 are formed on the suction surface 14c. The inside of the mounting portion main body 14a is formed in a hollow shape, and the internal space of the mounting portion main body 14a is connected to a plurality of suction holes. A vacuum pump that sucks air in the internal space of the mounting portion main body 14a is connected to the mounting member 14 via a predetermined pipe. The connecting portion 14b is connected to the mounting portion main body 14a. The connecting portion 14b extends from the mounting portion main body 14a toward the front side when the suction surface 14c faces upward. The printer 1 is provided with a delivery mechanism (not shown) for delivering the card 2 to and from the mounting member 14.

Only both ends of the card 2 in the left-right direction are mounted on the second mounting member 15. The second mounting member 15 includes two card mounting portions 15a on which both ends of one card 2 in the left-right direction are mounted. That is, the second mounting member 15 includes a pair of card mounting portions 15a that are arranged apart from each other in the left-right direction. As described above, in the present embodiment, since a plurality of cards 2 can be mounted on the second mounting member 15, the second mounting member 15 has a pair (two) of card mounting portions 15a. It has multiple. The distance between the pair of card mounting portions 15a in the left-right direction is wider than the width of the suction surface 14c in the left-right direction. That is, the width of the suction surface 14c in the left-right direction is narrower than the distance between the pair of card mounting portions 15a in the left-right direction. The card mounting portion 15a of this embodiment is a media mounting portion. In FIG. 2, the card mounting portion 15a is not shown.

Further, the second mounting member 15 includes a plurality of fixing portions 15b to which the card mounting portion 15a is fixed, a plurality of support portions 15c to which the fixing portions 15b are connected, and a base portion 15d to which the plurality of support portions 15c are connected. ing. The support portion 15c is formed in a rectangular flat plate shape. The support portion 15c is arranged so that the thickness direction and the left-right direction of the support portion 15c coincide with each other. The fixing portion 15b is formed in a substantially flat plate shape extending linearly from the upper end portion of the support portion 15c toward the rear side. The fixed portion 15b and the supporting portion 15c are integrally formed. The fixed portion 15b and the support portion 15c that are integrally formed are arranged at regular intervals in the left-right direction. For example, the lower ends of a plurality of support portions 15c are connected to the base portion 15d.

The card mounting portion 15a is formed separately from the fixing portion 15b. The card mounting portion 15a is fixed to the left and right side surfaces of the fixing portion 15b by, for example, screws (not shown). The card mounting portion 15a is formed with a card mounting surface 15e on which the card 2 is mounted (specifically, the left-right end portion of the card 2 is mounted). That is, the second mounting member 15 is formed with a pair (two) of card mounting surfaces 15e on which both ends of one card 2 in the left-right direction are mounted. The card mounting surface 15e is a plane orthogonal to the vertical direction. The card mounting surface 15e of this embodiment is a media mounting surface.

The width of the card mounting surface 15e in the front-rear direction is slightly wider than the width of the card 2 in the lateral direction (short side direction). Further, the distance between the two card mounting surfaces 15e constituting the pair of card mounting surfaces 15e on which one card 2 is mounted in the left-right direction is wider than the width in the left-right direction of the mounting portion main body 14a. It has become. That is, the width of the suction surface 14c in the left-right direction is narrower than the distance between the two card-mounting surfaces 15e constituting the pair of card-mounting surfaces 15e in the left-right direction.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the card mounting portion 15a has an inclined surface 15f as a first inclined surface that is connected to the front end of the card mounting surface 15e and is inclined upward toward the front side. And an inclined surface 15g as a second inclined surface which is connected to the rear end of the card mounting surface 15e and is inclined upward toward the rear side is formed. That is, the card mounting portion 15a is formed with a recess 15h that is recessed downward, and the bottom surface of the recess 15h is the card mounting surface 15e.

On the left-right side surface of the fixed portion 15b, one card 2 is placed on each of the left-right outer sides of the pair of card-mounting surfaces 15e on which one card 2 is placed. An inclined surface 15j is formed as a third inclined surface that is inclined. The inclined surface 15j is formed over the entire area of the fixed portion 15b in the front-rear direction. Further, the inclined surface 15j is formed on a portion of the fixing portion 15b above the card mounting surface 15e. The lower side of the inclined surface 15j is a plane orthogonal to the left-right direction, and the card mounting portion 15a is fixed to this plane.

The rotation mechanism 16 rotatably supports a rotation shaft 21 which is a rotation center of a plurality of mounting members 14, a drive mechanism 22 that rotates the rotation shaft 21, and an end portion of the rotation shaft 21. It is provided with two bearing portions 23 and a support plate 24 to which the two bearing portions 23 are fixed. The rotating shaft 21 is arranged so that the axial direction of the rotating shaft 21 and the left-right direction coincide with each other. In a state where the suction surface 14c faces upward, the rotating shaft 21 is arranged on the front side of the mounting portion main body 14a. That is, the rotation center of the mounting member 14 is arranged on the front side of the suction surface 14c facing upward.

A connecting portion 14b of the mounting member 14 is connected to the rotating shaft 21. Further, a plurality of mounting members 14 are connected to the rotating shaft 21. The drive mechanism 22 includes, for example, a motor and a power transmission mechanism that transmits the power of the motor to the rotating shaft 21. The power transmission mechanism includes, for example, a gear train, a belt and a pulley. The bearing portion 23 is fixed to the upper surface of the support plate 24.

The elevating mechanism 17 is an air cylinder. The elevating mechanism 17 is connected to the support plate 24. In this embodiment, two elevating mechanisms 17 (two air cylinders) are connected to both ends of the support plate 24 in the left-right direction. The elevating mechanism 17 linearly moves the mounting member 14 in the vertical direction. Further, as described above, the elevating mechanism 17 elevates and elevates a plurality of mounting members 14 together with the rotating mechanism 16. One elevating mechanism 17 (one air cylinder) may be connected to the support plate 24. Further, the elevating mechanism 17 may include a motor and a power transmission mechanism for transmitting the power of the motor to the support plate 24.

The moving mechanism 18 linearly moves the second mounting member 15 in the front-rear direction. The moving mechanism 18 is, for example, an air cylinder. Further, the moving mechanism 18 may include a motor and a power transmission mechanism for transmitting the power of the motor to the second mounting member 15. The power transmission mechanism is, for example, a ball screw or a rack and pinion.

The rotation mechanism 16 has a first rotation position (see FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 4 (A), 5 and 6) in which the suction surface 14c faces upward, and a second rotation position in which the suction surface 14c faces downward. The mounting member 14 is rotated by 180 ° to and from the rotation position (see FIG. 4D). The elevating mechanism 17 elevates and elevates the mounting member 14 in a state where the mounting member 14 is arranged at the first rotation position. Further, the elevating mechanism 17 has an upper position (see FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 4 (A), 5 (A), and 6) in which the suction surface 14c facing upward is arranged above the card mounting surface 15e. ) And the lower position (see FIGS. 4B and 4C) in which the suction surface 14c facing upward is arranged below the card mounting surface 15e. ..

The moving mechanism 18 moves the second mounting member 15 in the front-rear direction while the mounting member 14 is arranged at the first rotation position. Further, the moving mechanism 18 has a first position (FIGS. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 4 (A), FIG. 5 (A), (B) in which the card mounting surface 15e is arranged in front of the suction surface 14c facing upward. ), FIG. 6 (B), and the second position (see FIGS. 5 (C) and 6 (B)) in which the suction surface 14c facing upward and the card mounting surface 15e are arranged at the same positions in the front-rear direction. ), The second mounting member 15 is moved in the front-rear direction.

In this embodiment, when the mounting member 14 is arranged at the first rotation position and the upper position and the second mounting member 15 is arranged at the first position, the card 2 can be printed. It has become. That is, in this embodiment, the state shown in FIG. 4A and the like is a printable state. Further, in the present embodiment, when the mounting member 14 rotates from the first rotating position to the second rotating position in the printable state (see FIG. 4), the card from the mounting member 14 to the second mounting member 15 The card that can be handed over in 2 is ready to be handed over. That is, in this embodiment, the state shown in FIG. 4D is the card delivery state.

(Printer operation)
As described above, the printer 1 prints on both sides of the card 2. Assuming that one side of the card 2 is the front side 2a and the other side of the card 2 is the back side 2b, the printer 1 first prints, for example, the front side 2a. At the time of printing on the front surface 2a, the mounting member 14 is arranged at the first rotation position and the upper position, and the second mounting member 15 is arranged at the first position. A card 2 with the front surface 2a facing upward is placed on the surface 14c. That is, when the mounting member 14 is in the first rotation position, printing is performed on the front surface 2a of the card 2 mounted on the suction surface 14c so that the front surface 2a faces upward. .. At the time of printing on the front surface 2a, the back surface 2b is attracted to and held by the suction surface 14c.

When the printing of the front surface 2a is completed, as shown in FIG. 4, the rotation mechanism 16 first rotates the mounting member 14 in a state where the suction surface 14c sucks and holds the back surface 2b. To the second rotation position. That is, when the printing of the front surface 2a is completed, in the printable state, the rotating mechanism 16 moves the mounting member 14 on which the suction surface 14c sucks and holds the back surface 2b from the first rotation position. 2 Rotate to the rotation position so that the card can be delivered.

After that, the mounting member 14 releases the suction state of the card 2 by the suction surface 14c, and mounts the card 2 on the card mounting surface 15e so that the front surface 2a faces downward (FIG. 4 (FIG. 4). See D)). That is, the card 2 is placed on the second mounting member 15 after the card 2 is inverted. In this way, when the printing of the front surface 2a is completed, the front and back sides of the card 2 are inverted by rotating the mounting member 14 to the second rotation position while the card 2 is held on the suction surface 14c. The card 2 is placed on the card mounting surface 15e so that the front surface 2a faces downward.

After that, the rotation mechanism 16 rotates the mounting member 14 from the second rotation position to the first rotation position (see FIG. 5A). That is, the mounting member 14 is rotated with the card 2 detached from the suction surface 14c to return to the first rotation position. After that, the elevating mechanism 17 lowers the mounting member 14 from the upper position to the lower position (see FIG. 5B). After that, the moving mechanism 18 moves the second mounting member 15 from the first position to the second position (see FIG. 5C). That is, the moving mechanism 18 moves the second mounting member 15 to the rear side toward the second position, and the pair of card mounting surfaces 15e is placed above the mounting member 14 that has returned to the first rotation position. Move.

After that, the elevating mechanism 17 raises the mounting member 14 from the lower position to the upper position so that the front surface 2a faces downward (that is, the back surface 2b faces upward). The card 2 is placed on the 14 (see FIG. 6 (A)). That is, the card 2 is placed on the suction surface 14c so that the back surface 2b faces upward by relatively raising and lowering the mounting member 14 by the elevating mechanism 17. After that, the moving mechanism 18 moves the second mounting member 15 from the second position to the first position (see FIG. 6B). That is, the moving mechanism 18 moves the second mounting member 15 to the front side toward the first position. When the second mounting member 15 moves from the second position to the first position, the printable state is set, and then the back surface 2b is printed.

As described above, in this embodiment, after the mounting member 14 that the suction surface 14c sucks and holds the back surface 2b is rotated to the second rotation position by the rotation mechanism 16, the card 2 by the suction surface 14c The card is placed on the card mounting surface 15e so that the front surface 2a faces downward after the suction state of the above is released. After that, the rotation mechanism 16 rotates the mounting member 14 from the second rotation position to the first rotation position, the lifting mechanism 17 raises and lowers the mounting member 14, and the moving mechanism 18 moves the mounting member 14. 2 By performing the movement operation of the mounting member 15 in the front-rear direction, the suction surface 14c facing upward is arranged below the card mounting surface 15e and at the same position as the card mounting surface 15e in the front-rear direction. After the state (the state shown in FIG. 5C), the mounting member 14 is raised to the upper position by the elevating mechanism 17, and the card is placed on the mounting member 14 so that the front surface 2a faces downward. Place 2 on it.

(Main effect of this form)
As described above, when the mounting member 14 is in the first rotation position, printing is performed on the front surface 2a of the card 2 mounted on the suction surface 14c so that the front surface 2a faces upward. After that, the front and back surfaces of the card 2 are inverted by rotating the mounting member 14 to the second rotation position while the card 2 is held on the suction surface 14c, and the front surface 2a is on the lower side. The card 2 is placed on the card mounting surface 15e so as to face. Further, in the present embodiment, after that, the mounting member 14 is rotated with the card 2 detached from the suction surface 14c to return to the first rotation position, and then the first rotation position is performed by the moving mechanism 18. A pair of cards 2 are moved above the mounting member 14 which has returned to. Further, in the present embodiment, the card 2 is then placed on the suction surface 14c so that the back surface 2b faces upward by raising and lowering the second mounting member 15 relative to the mounting member 14 by the elevating mechanism 17. Then, printing is performed on the back surface 2b of the card 2. Therefore, in this embodiment, even if a transport mechanism for transporting the card 2 is not installed between the card holding mechanism 9 that reverses the front and back of the card 2 and the printing position where printing is performed on the card 2, both sides of the card 2 are both sides. It becomes possible to print.

In this embodiment, the card 2 attracted and held by the mounting member 14 is turned upside down and temporarily placed on the second mounting member 15, and then the mounting member 14 is rotated and raised and lowered, and the second Using the movement of the mounting member 15 in the front-rear direction, the card 2 temporarily placed on the second mounting member 15 is mounted again on the mounting member 14 in a state where the front and back sides are reversed. .. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the card 2 can be inverted regardless of the thickness of the card 2 to be inverted.

Further, in the present embodiment, regardless of the thickness of the card 2 to be inverted, the mounting member 14 and the second mounting member 15 and the printed surface of the card 2 do not come into contact with each other with an unnecessarily large contact pressure. , It becomes possible to suppress the deterioration of the print quality of the card 2 to be inverted. Further, in the present embodiment, since the rotation mechanism 16 rotates the plurality of mounting members 14 together, it is possible to reverse the front and back sides of the plurality of cards 2 at the same time.

In this embodiment, the inclined surface 15f is connected to the front end of the card mounting surface 15e and is inclined upward toward the front side, and is connected to the rear end of the card mounting surface 15e and is directed upward toward the rear side. An inclined surface (15 g) that is inclined is formed on the second mounting member 15. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the card 2 transferred from the mounting member 14 to the card mounting surface 15e can be arranged at a predetermined position in the front-rear direction. Further, in the present embodiment, since the second mounting member 15 is formed with an inclined surface 15j that inclines upward toward the outside in the left-right direction, the mounting member 14 is transferred to the card mounting surface 15e. The card 2 can be arranged at a predetermined position in the left-right direction.

(Modification example of lifting mechanism and moving mechanism)
In the above-described embodiment, the elevating mechanism 17 may elevate the second mounting member 15. In this case, the elevating mechanism 17 elevates and elevates the moving mechanism 18 together with the second mounting member 15. Further, in this case, after the card 2 is mounted on the card mounting surface 15e so that the front surface 2a faces downward, the mounting member 14 is moved from the second rotation position to the first rotation position. After rotating to, the elevating mechanism 17 moves from the upper position (the position where the suction surface 14c facing upward is arranged above the card mounting surface 15e) to the lower position (the suction surface 14c facing upward is the card mounting surface). The second mounting member 15 is raised to a position below the surface 15e). After that, after the moving mechanism 18 moves the second mounting member 15 from the first position to the second position, the elevating mechanism 17 lowers the second mounting member 15 from the lower position to the upper position. The card 2 is placed on the mounting member 14 so that the front surface 2a faces downward.

In the above-described embodiment, the moving mechanism 18 may move the mounting member 14 in the front-rear direction. In this case, the moving mechanism 18 moves the rotating mechanism 16 and the elevating mechanism 17 in the front-rear direction together with the mounting member 14. Further, in this case, after the card 2 is mounted on the card mounting surface 15e so that the front surface 2a faces downward, the mounting member 14 is moved from the second rotation position to the first rotation position. After rotating from the upper position to the lower position, the moving mechanism 18 moves from the first position (the position where the card mounting surface 15e is arranged in front of the suction surface 14c facing upward) to the second position. The mounting member 14 is moved to a position (a position where the suction surface 14c facing upward and the card mounting surface 15e are arranged at the same position in the front-rear direction). That is, the moving mechanism 18 moves the mounting member 14 to the front side toward the second position. After that, the elevating mechanism 17 raises the mounting member 14 from the lower position to the upper position, and mounts the card 2 on the mounting member 14 so that the front surface 2a faces downward.

In the above-described embodiment, the elevating mechanism 17 may elevate the second mounting member 15 and the moving mechanism 18 may move the mounting member 14 in the front-rear direction. In this case, after the card 2 is placed on the card mounting surface 15e so that the front surface 2a faces downward, the mounting member 14 is rotated from the second rotation position to the first rotation position. After moving, the elevating mechanism 17 raises the second mounting member 15 from the upper position to the lower position. After that, the moving mechanism 18 moves the mounting member 14 from the first position to the second position. That is, the moving mechanism 18 moves the mounting member 14 to the front side toward the second position. After that, the elevating mechanism 17 lowers the second mounting member 15 from the lower position to the upper position, and mounts the card 2 on the mounting member 14 so that the front surface 2a faces downward.

In the above-described embodiment, the elevating mechanism 17 may elevate the mounting member 14 and the second mounting member 15. In this case, after the card 2 is placed on the card mounting surface 15e so that the front surface 2a faces downward, the mounting member 14 is rotated from the second rotation position to the first rotation position. After moving, the elevating mechanism 17 lowers the mounting member 14 from the upper position to the lower position and raises the second mounting member 15. After that, the moving mechanism 18 moves the second mounting member 15 from the first position to the second position. After that, the elevating mechanism 17 raises the mounting member 14 from the lower position to the upper position and lowers the second mounting member 15, so that the front surface 2a faces downward on the mounting member 14. Place the card 2.

In the above-described embodiment, the moving mechanism 18 may move the mounting member 14 and the second mounting member 15 in the front-rear direction. In this case, after the card 2 is placed on the card mounting surface 15e so that the front surface 2a faces downward, the mounting member 14 is rotated from the second rotation position to the first rotation position. After moving and descending from the upper position to the lower position, the moving mechanism 18 moves the mounting member 14 and the second mounting member 15 from the first position to the second position. That is, the moving mechanism 18 moves the mounting member 14 toward the front side toward the second position and moves the second mounting member 15 toward the rear side toward the second position. After that, the elevating mechanism 17 raises the mounting member 14 from the lower position to the upper position, and mounts the card 2 on the mounting member 14 so that the front surface 2a faces downward.

(Other embodiments)
The above-described embodiment is an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications can be carried out without changing the gist of the present invention.

In the above-described form, the mounting member 14 is arranged at the upper position shown in FIG. 2 and the like when the printing is possible, but when the printing is possible, the mounting member 14 is placed. , It may be arranged at a position higher than the upper position shown in FIG. 2 and the like. Further, in the above-described form, the second mounting member 15 may be arranged at the second position when the printable state is available.

In the above-described embodiment, the rotation center of the mounting member 14 does not have to be arranged in front of the suction surface 14c facing upward. For example, the rotation center of the mounting member 14 may be arranged at the same position as the center of the suction surface 14c in the front-rear direction in the front-rear direction. In this case, when the card 2 is placed on the card mounting surface 15e so that the front surface 2a faces downward, the second mounting member 15 is arranged at the second position and is placed. The member 14 moves up and down.

Even in this case, when the card 2 is placed on the card mounting surface 15e so that the front surface 2a faces downward, the first rotation is performed from the second rotation position by the rotation mechanism 16. The upper side is moved by rotating the mounting member 14 to the moving position, raising and lowering the mounting member 14 by the lifting mechanism 17, and moving the second mounting member 15 in the front-rear direction by the moving mechanism 18. After the suction surface 14c facing is arranged below the card mounting surface 15e and at the same position as the card mounting surface 15e in the front-rear direction, the mounting member 14 is moved to the upper position by the elevating mechanism 17. The card 2 is placed on the mounting member 14 so that the front surface 2a faces downward.

In the above-described embodiment, the number of mounting members 14 included in the card holding mechanism 9 may be one. In this case, one card 2 can be mounted on the second mounting member 15. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the printer 1 uses a delivery mechanism for delivering the card 2 to and from the second mounting member 15 instead of the delivery mechanism for delivering the card 2 to and from the mounting member 14. You may have it.

In the above-described form, one surface of the mounting portion main body 14a on which the card 2 is mounted does not have to attract the card 2. That is, one surface of the mounting portion main body 14a on which the card 2 is mounted may be a position holding surface for holding the position of the card 2 without sucking the card 2. In this case, for example, the mounting unit main body 14a is provided with a holding member for holding the card 2 so that the card 2 mounted on the position holding surface does not shift in position. The holding member holds the card 2 in a position, for example, with the card 2 sandwiched between the holding member and the position holding surface.

In the above-described form, the medium for printing by the printer 1 may be a sheet-fed medium other than the card 2. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the printer 1 may include a slide mechanism that slides the card holding mechanism 9 in the front-rear direction instead of the slide mechanism that slides the Y bar. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the head 3 may be a line head having a wide width in the left-right direction (main scanning direction). In this case, the carriage 4, the carriage drive mechanism 5, and the like are not required. Further, in the above-described form, the ink discharged by the head 3 may be a water-based ink or a solvent ink.

1 Printer (inkjet printer)
2 cards (single leaf media)
2a Front side 2b Back side 3 Head (inkjet head)
9 Card holding mechanism (media holding mechanism)
14 Mounting member 14c Adsorption surface (position holding surface)
15 Second mounting member 15a Card mounting part (media mounting part)
15e card mounting surface (media mounting surface)
15f inclined surface (first inclined surface)
15g inclined surface (second inclined surface)
15j inclined surface (third inclined surface)
16 Rotation mechanism 17 Lifting mechanism 18 Moving mechanism 21 Rotating shaft 22 Drive mechanism X Front-back direction Y Left-right direction Z Up-down direction

Claims (7)

A media holding mechanism that holds the sheet-fed media to be printed and reverses the front and back of the media.
A mounting member on which the media is mounted at the time of printing, a rotating mechanism that rotates the previously described mounting member by at least 180 ° with the horizontal direction as the axial direction of rotation, and the media when the media is inverted. It is provided with a second mounting member to be mounted and an elevating mechanism for raising and lowering the second mounting member relative to the previously described mounting member, and the axial direction of rotation of the previously described mounting member is in the left-right direction. Assuming that the direction orthogonal to the vertical direction and the horizontal direction is the front-rear direction, the second mounting member is provided with a moving mechanism that moves the second mounting member relative to the previously described mounting member in the front-rear direction.
The second mounting member is formed with a pair of media mounting surfaces on which each of the left and right ends of the media is mounted, and only the left and right ends of the media are mounted. Placed,
The above-mentioned placing member is formed with a suction surface on which the media is placed and which sucks and holds the placed media.
The suction surface faces upward when the media is printed, and the suction surface faces upward.
The width of the suction surface in the left-right direction is narrower than the distance between the two media-mounting surfaces constituting the pair of media-mounting surfaces in the left-right direction.
The rotation mechanism rotates the previously described member by 180 ° between a first rotation position in which the suction surface faces upward and a second rotation position in which the suction surface faces downward.
The elevating mechanism includes an upper position in which the suction surface facing upward is arranged above the media mounting surface and a lower side in which the suction surface facing upward is arranged below the media mounting surface. At least one of the above-mentioned mounting member and the second mounting member is moved up and down between the position and the position.
In the moving mechanism, the first position in which the media mounting surface is arranged on one side in the front-rear direction with respect to the suction surface facing upward, and the suction surface facing upward and the media mounting surface are in the front-rear direction. At least one of the above-mentioned placing member and the second mounting member is moved in the front-rear direction with respect to the second position arranged at the same position.
When one side of the media is the front side and the other side of the media is the back side,
The previously described member whose suction surface attracts and holds the back surface is rotated to the second rotation position by the rotation mechanism.
After that, the suction state of the media by the suction surface is released, and the media is placed on the media mounting surface so that the front surface faces downward.
After that, at least one of the rotation operation of the pre-described placement member from the second rotation position to the first rotation position by the rotation mechanism and the pre-described placement member and the second mounting member by the elevating mechanism. The media is placed on the media with the suction surface facing upward by performing one of the raising and lowering operations and the moving operation of at least one of the previously described mounting member and the second mounting member by the moving mechanism in the front-rear direction. After being arranged below the surface and at the same position as the media mounting surface in the front-rear direction,
The media is placed on the pre-described mounting member by raising and lowering at least one of the pre-described mounting member and the second mounting member to the upper position by the elevating mechanism so that the front surface faces downward. A media holding mechanism characterized by The rotation center of the above-mentioned placing member is arranged on one side in the front-rear direction with respect to the suction surface facing upward.
The pre-described description in which the pre-described mounting member is arranged at the first rotation position, and at least one of the pre-described mounting member that moves up and down and the second mounting member is arranged at the upper position and moves in the front-rear direction. When at least one of the placing member and the second mounting member is arranged at the first position, the media is in a printable state in which printing is possible.
When the pre-described placement member rotates from the first rotation position to the second rotation position in the printable state, the media can be delivered from the pre-described placement member to the second mounting member. It is possible and
In the printable state, the rotation mechanism rotates the previously described mounting member, which the suction surface attracts and holds the back surface, from the first rotation position to the second rotation position. Make the media available for delivery
After that, the above-mentioned mounting member releases the suction state of the media and mounts the media on the media mounting surface so that the front surface faces downward.
After that, the rotation mechanism rotates the previously described member from the second rotation position to the first rotation position.
After that, the elevating mechanism raises and lowers at least one of the previously described placing member and the second mounting member for raising and lowering from the upper position to the lower position.
After that, the moving mechanism moves at least one of the previously described mounting member and the second mounting member that move in the front-rear direction from the first position to the second position.
After that, the elevating mechanism raises and lowers at least one of the previously described mounting member and the second mounting member for raising and lowering from the lower position to the upper position so that the front surface faces downward. The media holding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the media is placed on the above-described placement member. Equipped with multiple pre-described members
The rotation mechanism includes a rotation shaft that serves as a rotation center for a plurality of the above-described mounting members, and a drive mechanism that rotates the rotation shaft.
The media holding mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a plurality of previously described members are connected to the rotating shaft. The second mounting member has a first inclined surface that is connected to the front end of the media mounting surface and is inclined upward toward the front side, and a first inclined surface that is connected to the rear end of the media mounting surface and is rearward. The media holding mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a second inclined surface that inclines toward the upper side is formed. The second mounting member is arranged on each of the left and right outer sides of the pair of media mounting surfaces on which the media is mounted, and is inclined upward as it goes outward in the left-right direction. The media holding mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a third inclined surface is formed. An inkjet printer comprising the media holding mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and an inkjet head that ejects ink onto the media. A method of printing media using a media holding mechanism that holds the sheet-fed media to be printed and reverses the front and back of the media.
The media holding mechanism includes a mounting member on which the media is mounted at the time of printing, a rotating mechanism that rotates the previously described mounting member with the horizontal direction as the axial direction of rotation, and after the media is inverted. A second mounting member on which the media is mounted and an elevating mechanism for raising and lowering the second mounting member relative to the previously described mounting member are provided, and the axial direction of rotation of the previously described mounting member is provided. Is the left-right direction, and the direction orthogonal to the up-down direction and the left-right direction is the front-rear direction.
The second mounting member includes a pair of media mounting portions that are arranged apart from each other in the left-right direction.
Each of the pair of media mounting portions is formed with a media mounting surface on which each of both ends of the media in the left-right direction is mounted.
The above-mentioned placing member is formed with a position holding surface for holding the position of the media on which the media is placed.
The position holding surface faces upward when the media is printed, and the position holding surface faces upward.
The width of the position holding surface in the left-right direction is narrower than the distance between the pair of media mounting portions in the left-right direction.
The position of the previously described placement member when the position holding surface faces upward is defined as the first rotation position, and the position of the previously described placement member when the position holding surface faces downward is defined as the second rotation position. When one side of the media is the front side and the other side of the media is the back side,
In the media printing method,
When the above-mentioned placing member is in the first rotation position, printing is performed on the front surface of the media placed on the position holding surface so that the front surface faces upward.
After that, the media is held on the position-holding surface, and the above-mentioned placement member is rotated to the second rotation position to invert the front and back of the media so that the front surface faces the lower side. Place the media on the media mounting surface so that it faces.
After that, the above-mentioned placement member was rotated to return to the first rotation position with the media detached from the position holding surface, and then returned to the first rotation position by the movement mechanism. After moving the pair of media mounting portions above the pre-described mounting member, the back surface is raised and lowered relative to the pre-described mounting member by the elevating mechanism. A method for printing a medium, which comprises placing the medium on the position-holding surface so as to face the media and printing on the back surface of the medium.

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