JP2021154631A - Printing unit - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a printing unit 10 in which a user can easily access a print head 13 in a state of being withdrawn from a printer 20 and in which the user can easily perform the replacement work of the print head.SOLUTION: A printing unit 10 comprises: print heads in two lines L1, L2 which are arrayed in the zigzag shape along the intersection direction (main-scanning direction M) intersecting the conveyance direction (sub-scanning direction S) of a printing medium; and control boards 14, 15 on the upper side thereof, and can be withdrawn in the main-scanning direction M from the printer. There are provided openings 50 on right and left side faces of the printing unit being in parallel with the main-scanning direction M. A user can easily access the print head to perform the attachment/detachment work by only withdrawing the printing unit from the printer.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a printing device that prints on a printing medium with a print head and can perform work such as replacement of the print head at a position where the print head is pulled out from the printing device, and particularly when the print head is replaced. It relates to a printing unit having excellent workability.

The inkjet printing apparatus described in Patent Document 1 below moves a print bar unit 52 having an inkjet head 66 for ejecting ink to a web to be conveyed, and a print bar unit 52 in a front-rear direction intersecting the conveying direction of the web. It is provided with a rail unit 53 for guiding. The print bar unit 52 can be moved between the print position for printing on the web, the drawer position on the front side of the print position, and the push-in position on the rear side of the print position by the guide of the rail unit 53. be. According to the present invention, in an inkjet printing apparatus, it is possible to realize good operability in the print bar unit and its surroundings. In the above description, the reference reference numerals of Patent Document 1 below are used as they are.

JP-A-2017-209949

In the print bar unit of the inkjet printing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, a plurality of inkjet heads are arranged side by side along the drawing direction from the printing apparatus, and the print bar unit is orthogonal to the conveying direction of the web. On the side surface side of the ink jet head, the control substrate of the inkjet head is arranged in a vertical position in parallel with the row of the inkjet head. Above the inkjet head, a large number of control lines connecting the terminals on the top of the inkjet head and the control substrate are provided, and above the inkjet head, ink is supplied from the ink source to the inkjet head. An ink supply tube for supplying ink is arranged, and is branched and connected to each inkjet head.

In addition, since this inkjet printing device is provided with a large number of print bar units, it is necessary to make each print bar unit as compact as possible, and it is difficult to secure a large space inside each unit. .. Therefore, the above-mentioned control board, control line, ink supply tube, etc. provided inside the print bar unit are very densely packed. When an operator pulls out such a print bar unit out of the inkjet printing apparatus and performs maintenance work such as replacement of a print head, he avoids an obstructive control board and densely collects control lines and ink supply pipes. However, the conventional inkjet printing device described above does not always give sufficient consideration to the design regarding the replacement of the print head, and the workability of the maintenance work is not always good. ..

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional technique and its problems, and it is easy to access the print head in a state of being pulled out from the printing apparatus, and it is easy to perform maintenance work including replacement of the print head. The purpose is to provide a unit.

The printing unit of the present invention
It is applied to a printing apparatus that prints on a printed medium to be conveyed, and has a plurality of printheads arranged along an intersecting direction intersecting the conveying direction of the print medium, and a control board of the printhead, and has the printing. A printing unit that can be pulled out from the device along the crossing direction.
The print head is detachable from the side surface side of the printing unit which is parallel to the crossing direction.

According to the printing unit of the present invention, the operator can easily perform maintenance work including replacement work of the print head from the side surface side of the print unit where all the print heads can be easily seen by simply pulling out the print unit from the housing. Can be done.

It is a schematic block diagram of the printing apparatus provided with the printing unit of embodiment. It is a figure explaining the operation of the printing unit of embodiment, FIG. FIG. (C) is an explanatory diagram of the pressing position of the printing unit. It is a front sectional view of the printing unit of an embodiment. It is a right side view of the printing unit of an embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the internal structure of the printing unit of embodiment. It is a perspective view of the conventional printing unit shown in FIG. 4 of Patent Document 1. It is a perspective view which shows the state just before attaching the inkjet head to the printing unit of embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the state which attached the inkjet head to the printing unit of embodiment. It is a top view which shows the state which attached the inkjet head to the printing unit of embodiment. It is a figure which shows the adjustment apparatus used for the replacement work of the inkjet head in the printing unit of embodiment, where the sectional view (a) is a perspective view, the sectional view (b) is a front view, and the sectional view (c) is a plan view. be. It is a figure explaining the work of attaching the adjustment device to the attachment member of the inkjet head when exchanging the inkjet head in the printing unit of embodiment, and the figure (a) is the figure before attachment, and the figure (b). Is a perspective view showing the attached state, and FIG. 3C is a plan view showing the attached state.

The printing system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11.
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of the printing system 1 of the embodiment. The printing system 1 includes an inkjet printing device 20 including a plurality of printing units 10. First, the schematic configuration of the printing system 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 1, and then the printing unit 10 provided in the inkjet printing apparatus 20 of the printing system 1 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1, the printing system 1 includes an inkjet printing device 20, an unwinding device 21, and a winding device 22.
The unwinding device 21 provided in front of the inkjet printing device 20 is a device that sends out the web W, which is a long printing medium made of a film, paper, or the like, to the inkjet printing device 20. The unwinding device 21 rotatably supports the web roll R by the support shaft 23. The web roll R is a roll of the web W. A brake is provided on the support shaft 23, and by controlling this brake by the unwinding device control unit 24, between the transport roller 33 of the inkjet printing device 20 and the web roll R of the unwinding device 21 described later. An appropriate tension is applied to a certain web W.

The inkjet printing device 20 is a device that prints an image on the web W while transporting the web W unwound from the unwinding device 21. The inkjet printing device 20 includes a housing 25, a transport unit 26, a first printing unit 27, a second printing unit 28, and a printing device control unit 29.

The housing 25 is a box-shaped container that houses each part of the inkjet printing device 20. Although not shown, an openable and closable front door is provided on the front surface of the housing 25 shown in FIG. 1, that is, on the front side surface parallel to the paper surface of FIG. The user can access the transport unit 26 inside the housing 25, the first printing unit 27, the second printing unit 28, and other parts.

The transport unit 26 is a transport means for transporting the web W unwound from the unwinding device 21. The transport unit 26 is provided under 10 guide rollers 30 for guiding the web W and 20 heads provided below the first printing unit 27 and the second printing unit 28, which will be described later, to support the web W to be transported. A support member 31, a meandering control unit 32 for correcting the meandering of the web W, and a transfer roller 33 driven by a motor are provided, and a bent transfer path in which the web W is conveyed via each of these components. Is configured.

The first printing unit 27, which is arranged relatively upward in the housing 25, prints an image on the surface of the web W. The first printing unit 27 includes five printing units 10. The five printing units 10 eject inks of different colors to the web W. Each printing unit 10 has the same configuration except that the color of the ink to be ejected is different.

The second printing unit 28, which is arranged relatively downward in the housing 25, is a printing unit that prints an image on the back surface of the web W, and is downstream of the first printing unit 27 in the transport direction of the web W. It is provided below the first printing unit 27 as an arrangement in the housing 25. The configuration of the second printing unit 28 is substantially the same as that of the first printing unit 27.

The winding device 22 provided after the inkjet printing device 20 is a device for winding the web W printed by the inkjet printing device 20. The take-up device 22 winds the web W by rotating the take-up shaft 35 by the take-up motor under the control of the take-up device control unit 34.

In FIG. 1, if the front door (not shown) on the front side of the housing 25 of the inkjet printing apparatus 20 is opened toward the front of the paper surface to open the inside of the housing 25, the first printing unit 27 and the first printing unit 27 and the second The front side of a plurality of printing units 10 provided in each of the two printing units 28 can be seen. These printing units 10 are guided by the rail 11 as shown in FIG. 2 (and FIG. 3 described later), and are centered on the printing position shown in FIG. 2 (a) in the front-rear direction (perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 1). Can be moved to the front pull-out position shown in FIG. 2 (b) and the rear push-in position shown in FIG. 2 (c). That is, the user can slide the required printing unit 10 in the front-rear direction and set it at the required position for maintenance of the printing unit 10.

The printing position shown in FIG. 2A is a position in the housing 25 in which the printing unit 10 is arranged when printing on the web W. The drawing position shown in FIG. 2B is a position outside the housing 25 in which the printing unit 10 drawn out is arranged on the front side when the inkjet head 13 to be described later is replaced. At the pushing position shown in FIG. 2 (c), the printing unit 10 pushed into the back side of the housing 25 when the web roll R is set in the unwinding device 21 and the web W is routed in the transport path of the transport unit 26. Is a position in the housing 25 in which is arranged.

Next, the printing unit 10 provided in the inkjet printing apparatus 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 9.
FIG. 3 is a front sectional view of the printing unit 10 set at the drawer position, and FIG. 4 is a right side view of the printing unit 10.

In the printing unit 10, the direction (referred to as the crossing direction) that intersects the transport direction of the web W at a right angle in the horizontal plane is the drawing direction in which the printing unit 10 moves with respect to the housing 25 (see FIG. 1). Is. The drawing direction of the printing unit 10 can be said to be the front-rear direction of the device in the sense that it is the direction connecting the front side and the back side of the device. This crossing direction is called the main scanning direction M as shown in the figure in the image forming operation by the inkjet head 13. Further, the transport direction of the web W is called a sub-scanning direction S as shown in the figure in the image forming operation by the inkjet head 13.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the printing unit 10 is provided on the rail 11 horizontally provided between the main scanning direction M (the front-rear direction of the apparatus) and the housing 25, and on the lower surface side of the rail 11. It has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped frame 12 that is slidably guided and can be manually moved in the main scanning direction M.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, a plurality of inkjet heads 13 are arranged and attached to the bottom plate of the frame 12 of the printing unit 10 in the arrangement as described below. That is, the plurality of inkjet heads 13 attached to the printing unit 10 are the first row L1 composed of a plurality of (five in this embodiment) inkjet heads 13 arranged at predetermined intervals along the main scanning direction M. And the second row L2 of the inkjet head 13 parallel to the first row L1. The first row L1 and the second row L2 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the sub-scanning direction S, and the first row L1 is on the downstream side in the transport direction of the web W parallel to the sub-scanning direction S. The second row L2 is on the upstream side. Further, the inkjet head 13 in the first row L1 and the inkjet head 13 in the second row L2 are understood from the perspective view of FIG. 5 because the positions of the main scanning directions M of the inkjet heads 13 are different from each other. As described above, the arrangement is staggered as a whole (see FIGS. 11A and 11B described later for the staggered arrangement). The inkjet head 13 has a rectangular parallelepiped outer shape, and a plurality of ink ejection holes (not shown) are arranged in a row on the lower surface thereof along the main scanning direction M. Therefore, if the ink droplets are ejected by driving each row of the inkjet head 13 at an appropriate timing with respect to the web W conveyed in the sub-scanning direction S, the same position in the sub-scanning direction S on the surface of the web W. It is possible to form a continuous image in the main scanning direction M.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, a rectangular first control board 14 and a second control board 15 are provided above the inkjet head 13 in the first row L1 and the inkjet head 13 in the second row L2. Has been done. The first control board 14 and the second control board 15 are horizontal with the longitudinal directions of the rectangles parallel to the first row L1 and the second row L2 of the inkjet head 13 in a posture in which the back surfaces face each other and the outer shapes are substantially matched. Is located in. A gap having uniform dimensions in the vertical direction is provided between the first control board 14 and the second control board 15 and the inkjet head 13 in the first row L1 and the second row L2.

Although not shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the terminal portion of each inkjet head 13 in the first row L1 on the downstream side and the mounting surface of the first control board 14 on the upper side (upper surface in the drawing). The terminals of the above are connected by a flexible control line. Similarly, the terminal portion of each inkjet head 13 in the second row L2 on the upstream side and the terminal portion on the mounting surface (lower surface in the drawing) of the second control board 15 on the lower side are flexible. It is connected by a sex control line. These control lines (not shown) are flexible, have a dimension with a margin that is appropriately longer than the distance between the connection terminals, and are arranged in a posture along the vertical direction in the above-mentioned gap.

The first control board 14 and the second control board 15 are arranged in a horizontal position with a certain gap above each row L1 and L2 of the inkjet head 13 in the main scanning direction M (intersection direction) of the printing unit 10. ), The worker can easily insert his / her hand into the right side surface and the left side surface of the printing unit, mainly when replacing the inkjet head 13, and the space required for manual work inside the printing unit 10. This is to secure.

That is, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, when the printing unit 10 is set to the drawer position, large openings 50 appear on the left and right side surfaces of the frame, and the downstream side of the inkjet head 13 in the frame 12 appears. The first row L1 and its control line can be accessed from the opening 50 on the right side, and the second row L2 on the upstream side and its control line can be accessed from the opening 50 on the left side. Therefore, if the worker pulls out the printing unit 10 from the housing 25, sets it in the drawer position, and stands at a position facing the right side surface or the left side surface of the printing unit 10, the entire row L1 or L2 of the inkjet head 13 and the whole These control lines can be directly visually recognized, and the replacement work of the inkjet head 13 can be easily performed.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the printing unit of Patent Document 1, which is a reference to FIG. 4 of the same document. In this print bar unit, as described in the section "Problems to be solved by the invention", the two control boards corresponding to the two rows of inkjet heads 13 are the print bar units orthogonal to the transport direction of the web. It is arranged vertically on the right side surface and the left side surface (not shown) in parallel with the row of inkjet heads 13. Therefore, even if the print bar unit is set to the drawer position, a control board in which electronic elements are arranged vertically is provided on the right side surface and the left side surface of the print bar unit as shown by being surrounded by a broken line ellipse in FIG. The inkjet head 13 behind it cannot be visually recognized, and the operator cannot directly access the inkjet head 13 from the direction indicated by the white arrow in FIG. Therefore, when replacing the inkjet head 13, it is necessary to remove the control line connecting the control board and the inkjet head 13 and remove the control board from the printing unit before the replacement work of the inkjet head 13. In addition, it was necessary to restore the control board after replacement, which made the work very complicated. According to the printing unit 10 of the present embodiment, such a conventional problem is solved.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, an ink supply tube 51 for supplying ink to the inkjet head 13 is provided above the inkjet head 13. The ink supply pipe 51 is composed of two common main pipes 52 and 52 provided for each row L1 and L2 of the inkjet head 13 and a branch pipe 53 connecting the main pipe 52 and the connection port 54 of each inkjet head 13. NS. Hereinafter, the arrangement and connection relationship of these members will be described.

First, the two main pipes 52, 52 are arranged horizontally between the rows L1 and L2 of the inkjet head 13 so as to be parallel to the rows L1 and L2 at substantially the same height as the upper part of the inkjet head 13. It is installed. A conduit 55 that guides ink from an ink supply source is connected to the end of each main pipe 52. The connection port 54 of each inkjet head 13 is provided above the inkjet head 13 higher than the main pipe 52, and is directed in a direction parallel to each row L1 and L2 of the inkjet head 13 in a horizontal plane. The branch pipe 53 branches off from the main pipe 52, rises, is bent and arranged in a horizontal plane at the same height as the connection port 54, and is connected to the connection port 54.

As described above, according to the printing unit 10 of the present embodiment, the main pipe 52 of the ink supply pipe 51 is arranged between the rows L1 and L2 of the inkjet head 13 which is a dead space. Further, a large number of branch pipes 53 branched from the main pipe 52 and connected to the inkjet heads 13 in each row are horizontally routed in a region above the inkjet heads 13 at substantially the same height, and the connection ports of the inkjet heads 13 are connected. It is configured to be attached to and detached from 54. As described above, since the arrangement and configuration of the ink paths around the inkjet head 13 are space-saving and centralized, the work space that can be used when replacing the inkjet head 13 is wide. In addition, a sufficient pipe length can be secured for the branch pipe 53, and it is not difficult to handle the branch pipe 53 during work. At the same time, the branch pipe 53 can be inserted and removed by horizontal movement, so that the operator's hand can be used as a peripheral member. Workability is improved because it is less likely to interfere. Further, as described above, since the right side surface and the left side surface of the printing unit 10 have wide openings 50 for accessing the inside of the frame 12, it is easier to insert and remove the branch pipe 53 when the inkjet head 13 is replaced. Is.

Next, a replaceable and highly accurate mounting structure of the inkjet head 13 in the printing unit 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5 and 7 to 9.
As shown in FIGS. 3 to 4, a mounting plate 60 having a main scanning direction M as a longitudinal direction is provided in the frame 12 of the printing unit 10. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, a mounting hole 61 is formed in the mounting plate 60, and the inkjet head 13 is inserted into the mounting hole 61 and mounted in a state of projecting downward from the mounting plate 60. ..

As shown in FIG. 7, the mounting holes 61 provided in the mounting plate 60 are formed at two different positions with respect to the sub-scanning direction S by a predetermined number (five in the present embodiment) along the main scanning direction M. It has a staggered arrangement as a whole. A pin 62, which is a contact portion for positioning the inkjet head 13, is provided in the vicinity of the short side of each mounting hole 61. Further, on the upper surface of the mounting plate 60, a positioning member 63 for positioning the inkjet head 13 is fixed in the middle of the two rows of mounting holes 61 formed along the main scanning direction M. The positioning member 63 is an elongated plate-shaped member parallel to the main scanning direction M.

As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, an inkjet head 13 is attached to each attachment hole 61 of the attachment plate 60. One inkjet head 13 is attached to one plate-shaped attachment member 64. The mounting member 64 has a rectangular shape that is one size larger than the cross section of the inkjet head 13, and is provided with a through hole 65 into which the inkjet head 13 is inserted. Therefore, the mounting member 64 is an annular member as a whole. A positioning pin 66 for positioning the inkjet head 13 is provided on one short side of the mounting member 64. Further, on the long side of the mounting member 64, two protrusions 67 which are contact portions for positioning the inkjet head 13 on the positioning member 63 are provided. On the other hand, the inkjet head 13 is provided with fixed flanges 70, 70 on the side surfaces on the two short sides. In the inkjet head 13, the fixed flange 70 is brought into contact with the surface of the mounting member 64 in a state where a part of the lower portion thereof is projected downward from the through hole 65 of the mounting member 64, and one fixed flange 70 is attached to the mounting member 64. The two fixing flanges 70 and 70 are attached to the attachment member 64 with screws 71 and 71 in a state of being in contact with the positioning pin 66 of the above.

As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the inkjet head 13 fixed to the mounting member 64 is positioned and mounted on the mounting plate 60 by a procedure as described below. That is, a state in which a portion of the inkjet head 13 (see FIG. 7) attached to the attachment member 64 that protrudes downward from the through hole 65 is inserted into the attachment hole 61 of the attachment plate 60 and protrudes downward (FIG. 3 or FIG. 7). (See FIG. 5), and the mounting member 64 is placed on the upper surface of the mounting plate 60 (see FIG. 8). Then, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the two protrusions 67, 67 of the mounting member 64 are abutted against the longitudinal surface of the positioning member 63 (see FIG. 9), and one of the mounting members 64 is short. The side is abutted against the pin 62 provided on the mounting plate 60 (see FIGS. 8 and 9), and the inkjet head 13 is positioned at a predetermined position on the mounting plate 60. In this state, the two parts of the mounting member 64 are fixed to the mounting plate 60 with bolts 72 (see FIG. 8).

The mounting process of the inkjet head 13 described above is performed not only in the manufacturing process of the printing unit 10 but also when the inkjet head 13 is replaced. That is, while using the inkjet printing apparatus 20, a specific inkjet head 13 of a specific printing unit 10 may break down and be replaced with a new inkjet head 13. In such a replacement operation, the inkjet head 13 is removed from the printing unit 10 while being attached to the attachment member 64, and a new inkjet head 13 is attached to the printing unit 10 while being attached to the attachment member 64.

As described above, since the right side surface and the left side surface of the printing unit 10 have a wide opening 50 for accessing the inside of the frame 12, such replacement work of the inkjet head 13 can be easily performed. .. That is, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, when the printing unit 10 is set to the drawer position, large openings 50 appear on the left and right side surfaces of the frame 12, and downstream of the inkjet head 13 in the frame 12. The first row L1 on the side and its control line can be accessed from the opening on the right side, and the second row L2 on the upstream side and its control line can be accessed from the opening on the left side. Therefore, the worker can remove the old inkjet head 13 and the mounting member 64 from the mounting plate 60, carry them horizontally, and take them out of the unit. Further, the new inkjet head 13 and the mounting member 64 can be carried horizontally and brought into the unit, and can be positioned and fixed to the mounting plate 60 as they are. Such work can be performed with good workability in the wide opening 50 of the frame 12 and the spare space inside.

In the invention of the print bar unit of Patent Document 1 shown in FIG. 6, as described above, since there are vertically placed control boards on both the left and right sides of the unit, it is easy to replace the inkjet head 13 behind the control boards. It wasn't. However, according to the printing unit 10 of the present embodiment, the orientation and arrangement of the control boards 5 and 6, the access opening 50 provided in the frame 12, and the ink supply pipe 51 centrally arranged near the upper part of the inkjet head 13. Due to the orderly arrangement of the ink jet heads 13 and the like, the inkjet head 13 in the center of the unit 10 can be accessed from the side surface of the unit 10 in the horizontal direction without any trouble, so that the workability of replacing the inkjet head 13 is remarkably improved. , The conventional problems have been solved.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11, the replacement work of the inkjet head 13 having high positioning accuracy in the printing unit 10 and the position adjusting device 80 of the inkjet head 13 used in this work will be described.
When replacing the inkjet head 13 in the printing unit 10 of the inkjet printing apparatus 20 in use, the inkjet head 13 is attached to the attachment member 64 as described above with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9. In principle, do it. However, as described below, the inkjet head 13 to be replaced is removed from the mounting member 64 and carried out of the printing unit 20, and a new inkjet is used on the mounting member 64 left in the printing unit 20 by using the adjusting device 80. The head 13 may be mounted at the same mounting position as before.

As shown in FIG. 10, the adjusting device 80 includes a main body 81 formed so as to have a substantially L-shaped cross section, a pressing member 82 having a leaf spring function attached to the main body 81, and the main body 81. It has an attached rod-shaped support member 83. The pressing member 82 is a vertically long leaf spring, is held by a stepped screw with respect to a vertically elongated hole (not shown) provided in the main body 81, and can be slid in the vertical direction by applying a force. The lower end of the pressing member 82 is slightly narrowed, and has a stepped shape protruding in the direction opposite to that of the main body 81. A holding spring 84 is provided at the upper end of the pressing member 82. When the pressing member 82 is lifted to the upper release position, the holding spring 84 is separated from the main body 81 and becomes free, and the pressing member 82 is not fixed to the main body 81. When the pressing member 82 is pushed downward from the release position to set the holding position, the holding spring 84 is hooked on the upper end of the main body 81, and the pressing member 82 is fixed to the main body 81 with a constant spring force. The support member 83 is attached to the main body 81 in a screw structure, and can be moved up and down with respect to the main body 81 by rotating the support member 83. It serves as a fulcrum when the adjusting device 80 moves due to the elastic force.

As shown in FIG. 11A, the adjusting device 80 is brought into the printing unit 20 through the opening 50 on the side surface of the printing unit 10, and is subject to replacement as shown in FIGS. 11B and 11C. It is attached to the attachment member 64 of the inkjet head 13. As shown in FIG. 11C, the main body 81 is arranged so as to surround the fixed flange 70 on the side opposite to the fixed flange 70 of the inkjet head 13 which is in contact with the positioning pin 66 of the mounting member 64. Then, two fixing screws 85 and 85 are inserted into the two fixing holes of the main body 81, and these are screwed into the mounting member 64 to be in a temporarily fixed state. Temporary fixing is a state in which the fixing hole of the main body 81 is larger than that of the loosely screwed fixing screw 85, and the main body 81 can be slightly moved with respect to the mounting member 64. The pressing member 82 is lifted and set to the release position, and the position of the adjusting device 80 is set so that the lower end of the pressing member 82 can come into contact with the fixed flange 70 of the inkjet head 13 when the pressing member 82 is pushed down.

Next, in the states of FIGS. 11B and 11C, the pressing member 82 is pushed down. The pressed member 82 that has been pushed down abuts on the fixed flange 70 of the inkjet head 13 to apply an elastic force, but since the inkjet head 13 is fixed to the mounting member 64, it does not move, and the adjusting device 80 receives the reaction force. As it moves, the support member 83 comes into contact with the fixed flange 70, and the holding spring 84 of the pressing member 82 is hooked on the upper end of the main body 81 with a click feeling. As a result, the lower end of the pressing member 82 hits the fixed flange 70 of the inkjet head 13, and the holding spring 84 at the upper end of the pressing member 82 is hooked on the upper end of the main body 81. It is set to the position of. Here, the two fixing screws 85 are finally tightened to fix the adjusting device 80 to the mounting member 64.

Next, the pressing member 82 of the adjusting device 80 is lifted to set the release position, and the holding spring 84 is removed from the main body 81. As a result, the lower end of the pressing member 82 is separated from the fixed flange 70 of the inkjet head 13. The inkjet head 13 is removed from the mounting member 64, and is taken out of the printing unit 20 through the opening 50 on the side surface of the printing unit 10.

Next, the new inkjet head 13 is brought into the printing unit 20 through the opening 50 on the side surface of the printing unit 10 and mounted on the remaining mounting member 64. The two fixing flanges 70, 70 of the inkjet head 13 are temporarily fixed with the screws 71, 71.

Next, in the adjusting device 80 fixed to the mounting member 64, the pressing member 82 at the release position is pushed down. The pressed member 82 that has been pushed down abuts on the fixed flange 70 of the inkjet head 13 and applies an elastic force. Since the adjusting device 80 is fixed to the mounting member 64, it does not move, and the temporarily fixed inkjet head 13 moves by elastic force, and the fixing flange 70 is brought into contact with the supporting member 83 of the adjusting device 80 to move. It is set at the same position as the inkjet head 13 removed in.

Here, the screw 71 is finally tightened to fix the inkjet head 13 to the mounting member 64. Since the newly mounted inkjet head 13 is fixed at the same position with respect to the previously mounted inkjet head 13 and the mounting member 64, the mounting position accuracy of the inkjet head 13 obtained before the replacement remains unchanged. Be maintained.

As described above, the inkjet head 13 is replaced when the set of the inkjet head 13 and the mounting member 64 is replaced (see FIGS. 7 to 9) and when only the inkjet head 13 is replaced (see FIG. 11). However, in either case, after replacement, print a test pattern to check if the image is misaligned. When the image is misaligned, the image quality of the printed matter can be maintained by adjusting the image forming program stored in the control unit of the inkjet printing apparatus 20 (software adjustment). In the soft adjustment, a test pattern is printed for each inkjet head 13, the obtained test pattern is read by an image reading device, and the sub-scanning direction S of the target inkjet head 13 with respect to the reference position of the inkjet head 13 based on the read image. The deviation amount is calculated, and this deviation amount is adjusted by changing the discharge timing. The same adjustment is made for the main scanning direction M.

When the position shift of the inkjet head 13 that cannot be adjusted by the soft adjustment occurs, the mounting position of the target inkjet head 13 is adjusted by using the adjusting device 80 described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. Then, the test pattern is printed again to evaluate the adjustment work, and fine adjustment by the adjustment device 80 is repeated as necessary to eliminate the image deviation.

In the embodiment described above, a printing system including an inkjet printing device 20 using the inkjet head 13 as an image forming means has been described. However, the print head in the present invention is not limited to the inkjet head 13. The present invention is generally applicable to any printing apparatus that prints on a medium with a printhead, regardless of the printing principle. In addition to the inkjet printing apparatus 20, for example, a stencil printing apparatus, an electrophotographic apparatus, and an offset printing apparatus. Printing equipment, etc. are also applicable.

In the above-described embodiment, the web roll R in which the web W is wound into a roll shape is shown as an example of a printing medium, and a printing apparatus and a printing unit that print on the web roll R are described. However, the printing medium is not limited to this and is cut. Paper (sheet-fed paper) may be used, and the present invention can also be applied to a printing apparatus and a printing unit that form an image on cut paper.

<< About the configuration of the apparatus of each aspect of the present invention and its effect >>
The printing unit of the first aspect is
It is applied to a printing apparatus that prints on a printed medium to be conveyed, and has a plurality of printheads arranged along an intersecting direction intersecting the conveying direction of the print medium, and a control board of the printhead, and has the printing. A printing unit that can be pulled out from the device along the crossing direction.
The print head is detachable from the side surface side of the printing unit which is parallel to the crossing direction.

According to the printing unit of the first aspect, by simply pulling out the printing unit from the housing, the operator can perform maintenance work including replacement work of the print head from the side surface side of the print unit where all the print heads can be easily seen. It can be done easily.

According to the printing unit of the second aspect, in the printing unit of the first aspect,
The print head
It is characterized in that it is brought into the printing unit along the horizontal direction from the side surface side of the printing unit and is positioned by at least three contact portions provided in the same horizontal plane in the printing unit.

According to the printing unit of the second aspect, the operator brings in the replacement print head in a horizontal state while visually recognizing the mounting position of the print head from the side surface side of the printing unit pulled out from the housing, and 3 as it is. Precise positioning of the print head can be performed by simply abutting it against one of the contact portions.

According to the printing unit of the third aspect, in the printing unit of the first aspect or the second aspect,
By arranging the control board above the print head, an opening accessible to the print head is provided on the side surface of the print unit.

According to the printing unit of the third aspect, the operator performs operations such as taking out, bringing in, and attaching the print head from the side surface of the printing unit pulled out from the housing with high workability through the opening. Can be done.

According to the printing unit of the fourth aspect, in any one of the printing units of the first to third aspects,
The print head is an image forming means using ink, and the print head is an image forming means.
The connection port provided on the upper part of the print head and to which the ink supply tube is connected is characterized in that it faces in a direction parallel to the horizontal plane.

According to the printing unit of the fourth aspect, the ink supply tube can be inserted and removed in the horizontal direction when the print head is replaced, and high workability can be achieved even inside the printing unit where there is no room in the height direction. Obtainable.

According to the printing unit of the fifth aspect, in the printing unit of the fourth aspect,
The ink supply pipe is characterized by being a main pipe horizontally arranged in the vicinity of the upper portion of the print head and a branch pipe connecting the main pipe and the connection port of each print head.

According to the printing unit of the fifth aspect, the branch pipe is branched from the main pipe horizontally arranged near the upper part of the printhead and connected to the connection port on the upper part of the printhead, which is high in the arrangement and configuration of the ink supply pipe. The effects of space saving and consolidation can be obtained. Therefore, the work of inserting and removing the branch pipe accompanying the replacement of the print head becomes easier.

1 ... Printing system 5 ... 1st control line 6 ... 2nd control line 10 ... Printing unit 13 ... Inkjet head as a print head 14 ... 1st control board 15 ... 2nd control board 20 ... Inkjet printing device as a printing device 50 … Opening 51… Ink supply pipe 52… Main pipe 53… Branch pipe 54… Connection port 60… Mounting plate 62… Pin as abutting part 63… Positioning member 64… Mounting member 67… Protruding part as abutting part 80… Adjustment Device W ... Web as a print medium M ... Main scanning direction in the crossing direction S ... Sub-scanning direction in the transport direction of the print medium L1 ... First row of the inkjet head 13 L2 ... Second row of the inkjet head 13.

Claims (5)

It is applied to a printing apparatus that prints on a printed medium to be conveyed, and has a plurality of printheads arranged along an intersecting direction intersecting the conveying direction of the print medium, and a control board of the printhead, and has the printing. A printing unit that can be pulled out from the device along the crossing direction.
A printing unit characterized in that the print head can be attached and detached from the side surface side of the printing unit parallel to the crossing direction. The print head
The claim is characterized in that it is brought into the printing unit along the horizontal direction from the side surface side of the printing unit and is positioned by at least three contact portions provided in the same horizontal plane in the printing unit. The printing unit according to 1. The printing according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control board is arranged above the print head so that an opening accessible to the print head is provided on a side surface of the printing unit. unit. The print head is an image forming means using ink, and the print head is an image forming means.
The printing unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a connection port provided on the upper part of the print head and to which an ink supply tube is connected faces in a direction parallel to a horizontal plane. The fourth aspect of claim 4, wherein the ink supply pipe is a main pipe horizontally arranged in the vicinity of the upper portion of the print head and a branch pipe connecting the main pipe and the connection port of each print head. Printing unit.

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