JP2022160826A - printer - Google Patents

Abstract

To suppress floating of a medium to be printed.SOLUTION: A printer 10 comprises: a support base 40 which supports a medium 5 and has a support surface 46 that is formed with a suction hole 50; an ink head 22; a head movement mechanism 30 which moves the ink head 22 in the main-scanning direction Y with respect to the medium 5 supported by the support base 40; a medium movement mechanism 70 which moves the medium 5 supported by the support base 40 in the sub-scanning direction X with respect to the ink head 22; and a suction device 35 which makes the medium 5 suctioned on the support surface 46 through the suction hole 50. The support surface 46 comprises: a first groove 41 and a second groove 42 which are side by side in the sub-scanning direction X and extend in the main-scanning direction Y; and a connection groove 60 which connects the first groove 41 with the second groove 42. The suction hole 50 comprises: first suction holes 51 which are formed in the first groove 41 and arranged side by side in the main-scanning direction Y; and second suction holes 52 which are formed in the second groove 42 and arranged side by side in the main-scanning direction Y.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to printers.

For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2004-100000 discloses a printing apparatus that includes a platen that supports a medium. A platen of this printing apparatus is formed with a plurality of suction holes. A suction device is provided below the platen.

The suction device is a device for sucking a medium supported by the platen to the platen through suction holes formed in the platen, and has a suction fan. As the suction fan rotates, the air above the platen is sucked below the platen through the suction holes. This causes the medium to be attracted to the platen. Since the medium is adsorbed on the platen, it is possible to suppress the medium from rising from the platen. Therefore, it is possible to suppress deterioration in print quality due to the floating of the medium.

JP 2020-199683 A

By the way, as a medium to be printed by the printer, in other words, as a medium supported by the platen, a medium having a relatively thin thickness (hereinafter also referred to as a thin medium) may be used. A thin medium is, for example, a film. However, when such a thin medium is sucked by a suction device, a portion of the thin medium above the suction holes is sucked and adhered to the platen. Parts sometimes floated against the platen.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a printer capable of making it difficult for a printed medium to float up.

A printer according to the present invention includes a support base, an ink head, a head moving mechanism, a medium moving mechanism, and a suction device. The support table supports a medium and has a support surface formed with suction holes. The ink head is arranged above the support base. The head moving mechanism relatively moves the ink head in the main scanning direction with respect to the medium supported by the support table. The medium moving mechanism moves the medium supported by the support table in the sub-scanning direction relative to the ink head. The adsorption device causes the medium supported by the support surface to be adsorbed onto the support surface through the adsorption holes. In the support surface, a first groove extending in the main scanning direction, a second groove arranged so as to be aligned with the first groove in the sub scanning direction and extending in the main scanning direction, and the first groove and a connection groove connecting the second groove. The suction holes include first suction holes formed in the first groove and arranged side by side in the main scanning direction, and second suction holes formed in the second groove and arranged side by side in the main scanning direction. and a hole.

For example, conventionally, among the suction holes arranged side by side in the main scanning direction, the portion of the medium positioned between the suction holes adjacent to each other in the main scanning direction was difficult to be attracted. In particular, when the medium is a thin medium such as a film, the medium is easily attracted to the adsorption holes because the medium is soft. As a result, the medium blocks the suction holes, and the portion of the medium positioned between the suction holes adjacent to each other in the main scanning direction may not be suctioned and may be in a floating state with respect to the support table. However, according to the printer of the present invention, the first suction holes arranged side by side in the main scanning direction are formed in the first grooves extending in the main scanning direction, and the second suction holes arranged side by side in the main scanning direction are formed in the first grooves. The suction holes are formed in second grooves extending in the main scanning direction. Therefore, the first suction holes and the second suction holes are formed at positions one step lower than the medium supported by the support table. Therefore, even if the medium is a thin medium such as a film, the first suction holes and the second suction holes are less likely to be clogged with the medium. Furthermore, since the first suction holes and the second suction holes are less likely to be clogged with the medium, the portion of the medium positioned between the first suction holes adjacent in the main scanning direction is sucked through the first suction holes and the first grooves. , the portion of the medium located between the second suction holes adjacent in the main scanning direction can be sucked through the second suction holes and the second grooves. Also, here, the first groove and the second groove are connected by a connection groove. Thus, the portion of the medium located between the first groove and the second groove will be sucked through the connecting groove. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the printed medium from floating.

1 is a front view of a printer according to a first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the printer along the II-II section of FIG. 1; It is a top view which shows the support surface of a support stand. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 3 and is a plan view showing first grooves, second grooves and connecting grooves. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the support base taken along the VV cross section of FIG. 4; It is a top view which shows the support surface of the support base which concerns on 2nd Embodiment, and is a figure equivalent to FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a support base according to the second embodiment, which corresponds to FIG. 5 ;

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments described herein are, of course, not intended to specifically limit the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a printer 10 according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of printer 10 along section II-II of FIG. Here, symbols F, Rr, L, R, U, and D in the drawings represent the front, rear, left, right, top, and bottom of the printer 10, respectively. Further, the symbol Y in the drawings indicates the main scanning direction, and the symbol X indicates the sub-scanning direction. In this embodiment, for example, the main scanning direction Y is the horizontal direction. The sub-scanning direction X crosses the main scanning direction Y in plan view, and is orthogonal here. For example, the sub-scanning direction X is the front-rear direction. However, these directions are merely directions determined for convenience of explanation, and do not limit the manner in which the printer 10 is installed.

The printer 10 according to this embodiment is a so-called inkjet printer. However, the printer 10 is not limited to the inkjet type, and may be, for example, a dot impact type printer, a laser printer, or a thermal printer.

As shown in FIG. 2, printer 10 prints on medium 5 . In this embodiment, the medium 5 is a relatively thin resin film wound in a roll. Here, the relatively thin film is, for example, a film with a thickness of about 30 μm to 50 μm. However, the type of the medium 5 is not particularly limited, and it may be relatively thin, such as roll-shaped recording paper, or fabric containing woven fabric or non-woven fabric. In this embodiment, a relatively thin medium 5 such as a film is called a "thin medium".

As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 10 has a main body 11 and an operation panel 13 . The main body 11 has a casing extending in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, legs 12 extending downward from the main body 11 are provided at the lower portion of the main body 11 . Legs 12 support body 11 .

The operation panel 13 shown in FIG. 1 is used by the user to operate and set matters relating to printing. The operation panel 13 includes input keys (not shown) for the user to input various setting values related to printing, such as resolution and ink density, and a display (not shown) for displaying the contents of various settings. ) and Here, the operation panel 13 is arranged on the front surface of the right portion of the main body 11 .

As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 10 includes a guide rail 15, a carriage 20, an ink head 22, an ultraviolet irradiation device 25, and a head moving mechanism 30. As shown in FIG. The guide rail 15 extends in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. The guide rail 15 is fixed to the main body 11 .

The carriage 20 is slidably engaged with the guide rails 15 . The carriage 20 is configured to be movable in the main scanning direction Y along the guide rails 15 .

The ink head 22 ejects ink toward a support base 40, which will be described later. Specifically, the ink head 22 ejects ink toward the medium 5 supported by the support table 40 . The ink head 22 is provided on the carriage 20 . The ink head 22 is configured to be movable in the main scanning direction Y along the guide rail 15 together with the carriage 20 . The number of ink heads 22 is not particularly limited. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the number of ink heads 22 is three. The three ink heads 22 are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. Although not shown, a plurality of nozzles are formed on the bottom surface of the ink head 22 . Ink is ejected downward from these nozzles.

The ink ejected from the ink head 22 is ultraviolet curable ink whose curing is accelerated by being irradiated with ultraviolet rays. Ultraviolet curable ink is ink also called UV ink. However, the type of ink is not limited to UV curable ink. In this embodiment, inks of different colors are ejected from each ink head 22 . The color of the ink ejected from each ink head 22 is not particularly limited. For example, process color inks such as cyan ink, magenta ink, yellow ink, and black ink, and special color inks such as clear ink and white ink. Any color.

The ultraviolet irradiation device 25 is a device that irradiates the medium 5 (more specifically, the ink ejected onto the medium 5) supported by the support base 40 with ultraviolet rays. As shown in FIG. 1 , the ultraviolet irradiation device 25 is provided on the carriage 20 . In this embodiment, the ultraviolet irradiation device 25 is provided on both the left and right sides of the carriage 20 , but may be provided on either one of the left and right sides of the carriage 20 .

As shown in FIG. 1 , the head moving mechanism 30 is a mechanism for moving the ink head 22 in the main scanning direction Y relative to the medium 5 supported by the support table 40 . Here, the head moving mechanism 30 is a mechanism for moving the carriage 20, the ink head 22, and the ultraviolet irradiation device 25 in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. Note that the configuration of the head moving mechanism 30 is not particularly limited. In this embodiment, the head moving mechanism 30 has left and right pulleys 31 and 32 , a belt 33 and a scan motor 34 .

The left pulley 31 is provided around the left end of the guide rail 15 , and the right pulley 32 is provided around the right end of the guide rail 15 . The belt 33 is endless and is wound around the left and right pulleys 31 and 32 . Here, the carriage 20 is attached and fixed to the belt 33 . The scan motor 34 is connected to the right pulley 32, for example. Here, when the scan motor 34 is driven, the right pulley 32 rotates, and the belt 33 runs between the left and right pulleys 31 and 32 . As a result, the carriage 20 , the ink head 22 and the ultraviolet irradiation device 25 move in the main scanning direction Y along the guide rail 15 .

In this embodiment, the printer 10 includes a support base 40, a first apron 39a, a second apron 39b, and a medium moving mechanism 70, as shown in FIG. A support base 40 supports the medium 5 . Printing on the medium 5 is performed on the support base 40 . The support base 40 is arranged below the guide rail 15 , the carriage 20 , the ink head 22 and the ultraviolet irradiation device 25 . The support base 40 is arranged at a position overlapping the carriage 20, the ink head 22, and the ultraviolet irradiation device 25 in plan view. The support base 40 has a flat surface extending in the main scanning direction Y and the sub-scanning direction X. As shown in FIG. A detailed configuration of the support base 40 will be described later.

The first apron 39 a is positioned behind the support base 40 . The first apron 39 a guides the medium 5 to the support table 40 . The first apron 39a is formed, for example, in an arcuate cross section. The first apron 39a is curved downward with increasing distance from the support base 40 . The second apron 39b is located in front of the support base 40. As shown in FIG. The second apron 39b guides the medium 5 supported by the support table 40 to a winding device 90 (see FIG. 2), which will be described later. The second apron 39b is formed, for example, with an arcuate cross section. The second apron 39b is curved downward with distance from the support base 40 .

The medium moving mechanism 70 is a mechanism for moving the medium 5 supported by the support base 40 in the sub-scanning direction X relative to the ink head 22 . Here, the medium moving mechanism 70 is a mechanism for moving the medium 5 supported by the support base 40 in the sub-scanning direction X. As shown in FIG. Note that the configuration of the medium moving mechanism 70 is not particularly limited. In this embodiment, the medium moving mechanism 70 has a grit roller 71 , a pinch roller 72 and a feed motor 73 .

The grit roller 71 is provided on the support base 40 and part of the grit roller 71 is exposed from the support base 40 . The pinch roller 72 presses the medium 5 from above, is arranged above the grit roller 71 and faces the grit roller 71 . The pinch roller 72 is configured to be vertically movable. The positions and numbers of the grit rollers 71 and the pinch rollers 72 are not particularly limited. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, seven grit rollers 71 and seven pinch rollers 72 are provided. The plurality of grit rollers 71 are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction Y, and the plurality of pinch rollers 72 are also arranged side by side in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2, feed motor 73 is connected to grit roller 71 . Here, when the feed motor 73 is driven while the medium 5 is sandwiched between the grit roller 71 and the pinch roller 72, the grit roller 71 rotates. The rotation of the grit roller 71 causes the medium 5 supported by the support base 40 to move in the sub-scanning direction X. As shown in FIG.

The printer 10 includes a supply device 80 having a supply roller 81 and a winding device 90 for winding the medium 5 supported by the support table 40 into a roll. The supply device 80 is a device that supplies the medium 5 to the support base 40 . The supply roller 81 is arranged behind and below the support table 40 . As shown in FIG. 1, the supply roller 81 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. A band-shaped medium 5 before printing is wound around the peripheral surface of the supply roller 81 in a roll shape.

In this embodiment, the left end of the supply roller 81 is rotatably supported by the left guide plate 82L, and the right end of the supply roller 81 is rotatably supported by the right guide plate 82R. As the medium moving mechanism 70 moves the medium 5 in the sub-scanning direction X, the medium 5 is delivered from the supply roller 81 toward the support base 40 .

As shown in FIG. 2, the winding device 90 includes a winding roller 91 and a winding motor 95 (see FIG. 1). A take-up roller 91 takes up the medium 5 . As shown in FIG. 1, the take-up roller 91 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2 , the take-up roller 91 is arranged below and in front of the support base 40 . As shown in FIG. 1, the take-up roller 91 is rotatably supported by a left wall 96L and a right wall 96R fixed to the main body 11. As shown in FIG. A winding motor 95 is connected to the winding roller 91 . In this embodiment, the medium 5 is wound around the winding roller 91 by driving the winding motor 95 .

Next, the configuration of the support base 40 will be described in detail. In this embodiment, the support table 40 has a support surface 46 extending in the main scanning direction Y and the sub-scanning direction X, as shown in FIG. A support surface 46 constitutes the upper surface of the support table 40 , and the medium 5 is supported on the support surface 46 . A grit roller 71 is provided on the support surface 46 . FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the support surface 46 of the support base 40. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3 , suction holes 50 are formed in the support surface 46 .

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2 , the printer 10 includes a suction device 35 that suctions the medium 5 supported by the support surface 46 of the support table 40 onto the support surface 46 . The suction device 35 sucks the medium 5 supported by the support surface 46 to bring it into close contact with the support surface 46 . The suction device 35 is arranged below the support surface 46 and sucks the medium 5 through suction holes 50 (see FIG. 3). Note that the configuration of the adsorption device 35 is not particularly limited. In this embodiment, the suction device 35 has a suction fan 36 and a suction motor 37 . The suction fan 36 is arranged below the support surface 46 . The suction motor 37 is connected to the suction fan 36 . Here, when the suction motor 37 is driven, the suction fan 36 rotates. As a result, the medium 5 is sucked into the suction holes 50 of the support surface 46 and adheres to the support surface 46 .

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the support surface 46 has an ejection surface 47 and a non-ejection surface 48 . The ejection surface 47 is a portion of the support surface 46 where ink is ejected from the ink head 22 . That is, the ink is ejected onto the portion of the medium 5 on the ejection surface 47 for printing. The ejection surface 47 is a surface of the support surface 46 that overlaps the ink head 22 in plan view when the ink head 22 is moving in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. In other words, the ink head 22 is configured to be movable in the main scanning direction Y directly above the ejection surface 47 .

The non-ejection surface 48 is a portion of the support surface 46 other than the ejection surface 47 , and is a portion of the support surface 46 where ink is not ejected from the ink head 22 . The non-ejection surface 48 is a surface of the support surface 46 that does not overlap the ink head 22 when the ink head 22 is moving in the main scanning direction Y in plan view. In this embodiment, the non-ejection surface 48 is arranged behind the ejection surface 47 and is the surface on which the grit roller 71 is provided. In this embodiment, a rectangular roller hole 48a is formed in the non-ejection surface 48, and a grit roller 71 is provided in the roller hole 48a.

Here, a cutter groove 49 is formed between the non-ejection surface 48 and the ejection surface 47 . In other words, the support surface 46 is divided into an ejection surface 47 and a non-ejection surface 48 by the cutter groove 49 . The cutter groove 49 extends in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. The medium 5 supported on the support surface 46 can be cut along the main scanning direction Y by passing a cutter (not shown) through the cutter groove 49 .

In this embodiment, the support surface 46 is formed with the first grooves 41 to the fifth grooves 45 . The first to fifth grooves 41 to 45 are grooves extending in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. Here, the first grooves 41 , the second grooves 42 and the third grooves 43 are formed on the ejection surface 47 , and the fourth grooves 44 and the fifth grooves 45 are formed on the non-ejection surface 48 . The first to fifth grooves 41 to 45 are arranged side by side in the sub-scanning direction X. As shown in FIG. Here, the first groove 41, the second groove 42, and the third groove 43 are arranged in this order from the rear to the front on the ejection surface 47. As shown in FIG. The first groove 41 is arranged behind the second groove 42 , and the second groove 42 is arranged behind the third groove 43 . Here, the distance between the first groove 41 and the second groove 42 is greater than the distance between the second groove 42 and the third groove 43 .

The fourth groove 44 is arranged behind the fifth groove 45 on the non-ejection surface 48 . Here, the fourth groove 44 is arranged behind the roller hole 48 a and the grit roller 71 , and the fifth groove 45 is arranged ahead of the roller hole 48 a and the grit roller 71 .

Although illustration is omitted, the first to fifth grooves 41 to 45 are formed from the left end to the right end of the support surface 46 . That is, one end of each of the first to fifth grooves 41 to 45 (here, the left end) is at the same position in the main scanning direction Y, and each of the first to fifth grooves 41 to 45 has its other end (here, the right end). ) are at the same position in the main scanning direction Y. However, part or all of one end of each of the first to fifth grooves 41 to 45 may be shifted in the main scanning direction Y. Also, part or all of the other ends of the first to fifth grooves 41 to 45 may be shifted in the main scanning direction Y. FIG. In the present embodiment, the lengths in the main scanning direction Y of the first grooves 41 to the fifth grooves 45 are the same, but some or all of the first grooves 41 to the fifth grooves 45 have the same length in the main scanning direction Y. They can be of different lengths. In the present embodiment, the first to fifth grooves 41 to 45 are arranged side by side in the sub-scanning direction X as described above. Here, “aligned” in the sub-scanning direction X means not only when the positions in the main scanning direction Y of one ends of the first grooves 41 to the fifth grooves 45 are the same, but also when the positions of the ends in the main scanning direction Y are the same. It shall be included even if there is a deviation. In addition, "aligned" in the sub-scanning direction X means that the positions of the other ends of the first to fifth grooves 41 to 45 in the main scanning direction Y are the same, as well as the positions of the other ends of the grooves 41 to 45 in the main scanning direction Y. It shall be included even if there is a deviation.

In this embodiment, the first to fifth grooves 41 to 45 are formed by machining the support surface 46. As shown in FIG. For example, the first to fifth grooves 41 to 45 are formed in the support surface 46 by cutting or bending the support surface 46 .

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the suction holes 50 formed in the support surface 46 have first to fifth suction holes 51 to 55 . Here, the first suction holes 51 , the second suction holes 52 and the third suction holes 53 are formed in the discharge surface 47 . The fourth suction holes 54 and the fifth suction holes 55 are formed in the non-ejection surface 48 .

A plurality of first suction holes 51 are formed in the first groove 41 , and the plurality of first suction holes 51 are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. A plurality of second suction holes 52 are formed in the second groove 42 , and the plurality of second suction holes 52 are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. A plurality of third suction holes 53 are formed in the third groove 43 , and the plurality of third suction holes 53 are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. Similarly, a plurality of fourth suction holes 54 and fifth suction holes 55 are formed in the fourth groove 44 and the fifth groove 45, respectively. The plurality of fourth suction holes 54 are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction Y, and the plurality of fifth suction holes 55 are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. In this embodiment, in the main scanning direction Y, the first to third suction holes 51 to 53 are arranged at equal intervals. In addition, in the main scanning direction Y, the fourth suction holes 54 and the fifth suction holes 55 are arranged at regular intervals. Here, the plurality of first suction holes 51, the plurality of second suction holes 52, and the plurality of third suction holes 53 are arranged in a zigzag pattern.

In this embodiment, a connection groove 60 connecting the first groove 41 and the second groove 42 is formed in the support surface 46 . A plurality of connection grooves 60 are formed in a portion of the ejection surface 47 between the first groove 41 and the second groove 42 . The connecting groove 60 is a linear groove. Here, the connection groove 60 is a groove extending diagonally with respect to the sub-scanning direction X and a groove extending diagonally with respect to the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. One end of the connection groove 60 is connected to the first groove 41 and the other end of the connection groove 60 is connected to the second groove 42 .

4 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 3, and is a plan view showing the first groove 41, the second groove 42 and the connection groove 60. FIG. In this embodiment, the first suction holes 51 and the second suction holes 52 are arranged on the extension line L1 of the connection groove 60, as shown in FIG. Here, the connection groove 60 has a first connection groove 61 and a second connection groove 62 . The first connection groove 61 is a groove obliquely extending forward and leftward. The second connection groove 62 is a groove obliquely extending forward and rightward. Here, as shown in FIG. 3, first connection grooves 61 and second connection grooves 62 are alternately arranged along the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the shape of the portion of the ejection surface 47 surrounded by the first connection groove 61, the second connection groove 62 and the first groove 41 is triangular. Similarly, the shape of the portion of the discharge surface 47 surrounded by the first connection groove 61, the second connection groove 62 and the second groove 42 is also triangular.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the support base 40 taken along the VV cross section of FIG. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the depth D11 of the first groove 41 and the depth D12 of the second groove 42 are the same. However, the depth D11 may be deeper or shallower than the depth D12. Although illustration is omitted, the depths of the first groove 41 to the fifth groove 45 are the same here, but may be different. The depth D16 of the connection groove 60 is shallower than the depth D11 of the first groove 41 and shallower than the depth D12 of the second groove 42 . However, the depth D16 of the connection groove 60 may be the same as the depths D11 and D12, or may be deeper than the depths D11 and D12. Although not shown, the depth D16 of the connection groove 60 is shallower than the depths of the third to fifth grooves 43 to 45, respectively.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the width D21 of the first groove 41 and the width D22 of the second groove 42 are the same. However, the width D21 may be larger or smaller than the width D22. Although not shown, the widths of the first to fifth grooves 41 to 45 are the same here, but may be different. A width D26 of the connection groove 60 is smaller than the width D21 of the first groove 41 and smaller than the width D22 of the second groove 42 . However, the width D26 of the connection groove 60 may be the same as the widths D21 and D22, or may be larger than the widths D21 and D22. Although not shown, the width D26 of the connection groove 60 is smaller than the widths of the third to fifth grooves 43 to 45, respectively.

In this embodiment, the diameter D31 of the first suction hole 51 and the diameter D32 of the second suction hole 52 are the same. However, the diameter D31 may be larger or smaller than the diameter D32. Although illustration is omitted, the diameters of the first suction hole 51 to the fifth suction hole 55 are the same, but may be different. In this embodiment, the width D26 of the connection groove 60 is smaller than the diameter D31 of the first suction hole 51 and smaller than the diameter D32 of the second suction hole 52 . However, the width D26 of the connection groove 60 may be the same as the diameters D31 and D32, or may be larger than the diameters D31 and D32. Although not shown, the width D26 of the connection groove 60 is smaller than the diameters of the third to fifth suction holes 53 to 55, respectively.

The configuration of the support base 40 has been described in detail above. In this embodiment, during printing, the medium 5 is attracted to the support surface 46 of the support table 40 as shown in FIG. Specifically, the suction device 35 is activated, the suction motor 37 is driven, and the suction fan 36 is rotated. When the adsorption device 35 is activated, the air above the adsorption holes 50 is sucked through the adsorption holes 50 . As a result, the portion of the medium 5 above the suction holes 50 is sucked toward the suction holes 50 and adheres to the support surface 46 . In this embodiment, for example, the air inside the first groove 41 is sucked through the first suction holes 51 . As a result, the portion of the medium 5 above the first groove 41 is also sucked by the suction device 35 , and is thus sucked onto the support surface 46 . Similarly, the air in the second groove 42, the third groove 43, the fourth groove 44 and the fifth groove 45 is separated from the second suction hole 52, the third suction hole 53, the fourth suction hole 54 and the fifth suction hole respectively. Sucked through 55. Therefore, the portions of the medium 5 above the second groove 42 , the third groove 43 , the fourth groove 44 and the fifth groove 45 are also sucked by the suction device 35 , and are thus sucked onto the support surface 46 .

In this embodiment, the air in the connecting groove 60 formed in the discharge surface 47 is sucked through the first suction holes 51 and the second suction holes 52 via the first grooves 41 and the second grooves 42 . Therefore, the portion of the medium 5 positioned between the first groove 41 and the second groove 42 is also attracted to the support surface 46 . In this manner, the medium 5 supported by the support surface 46 is printed while being attracted to the support surface 46 .

As described above, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the printer 10 includes the support base 40, the ink head 22, the head moving mechanism 30, the medium moving mechanism 70, and the suction device 35 (see FIG. 2). I have. The support table 40 supports the medium 5 and has a support surface 46 in which suction holes 50 are formed, as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the ink head 22 is arranged above the support base 40 . The head moving mechanism 30 shown in FIG. 1 moves the ink head 22 in the main scanning direction Y relative to the medium 5 supported by the support table 40 . The medium moving mechanism 70 moves the medium 5 supported by the support base 40 in the sub-scanning direction X relative to the ink head 22 . The adsorption device 35 shown in FIG. 2 causes the medium 5 supported by the support surface 46 to be adsorbed onto the support surface 46 through the adsorption holes 50 . As shown in FIG. 3, on the support surface 46, the first grooves 41 extending in the main scanning direction Y and the first grooves 41 extending in the main scanning direction Y are arranged so as to be aligned with the first grooves 41 in the sub-scanning direction X. A second groove 42 and a connection groove 60 connecting the first groove 41 and the second groove 42 are formed. The suction holes 50 are the first suction holes 51 formed in the first grooves 41 and arranged side by side in the main scanning direction Y, and the second suction holes 51 formed in the second grooves 42 and arranged side by side in the main scanning direction Y. and a suction hole 52 .

For example, conventionally, among the suction holes arranged side by side in the main scanning direction Y, the portion of the medium 5 positioned between the suction holes adjacent to each other in the main scanning direction Y was difficult to be attracted. In particular, when the medium 5 is a thin medium such as a film, the medium 5 is soft and is easily attracted to the suction holes. As a result, the medium 5 clogs the suction holes, and the portion of the medium 5 positioned between the suction holes adjacent to each other in the main scanning direction Y may not be suctioned and may float with respect to the support table. rice field. However, in the present embodiment, the first suction holes 51 arranged side by side in the main scanning direction Y are formed in the first grooves 41 extending in the main scanning direction Y, and the first suction holes 51 arranged side by side in the main scanning direction Y are formed. The second suction hole 52 is formed in the second groove 42 extending in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the first suction holes 51 and the second suction holes 52 are formed at positions one step lower than the medium 5 supported by the support table 40 . Therefore, even if the medium 5 is a thin medium such as a film, the first suction holes 51 and the second suction holes 52 are less likely to be blocked by the medium 5 . Furthermore, in the present embodiment, since the first suction holes 51 and the second suction holes 52 are less likely to be blocked by the medium 5, the portion of the medium 5 positioned between the first suction holes 51 adjacent in the main scanning direction Y is the second suction hole. A portion of the medium 5 that is sucked through the first suction holes 51 and the first grooves 41 and that is positioned between the second suction holes 52 adjacent in the main scanning direction Y is sucked through the second suction holes 52 and the second grooves 42 . be able to. Further, in the present embodiment, since the first groove 41 and the second groove 42 are connected by the connection groove 60, the portion of the medium 5 located between the first groove 41 and the second groove 42 is a connection groove. It will be sucked through the groove 60 . Therefore, it is possible to make it difficult for the medium 5 to be printed to rise from the support surface 46 .

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4 , the first suction hole 51 and the second suction hole 52 are arranged along the extension line L1 of the connection groove 60 . Therefore, the air in the connection groove 60 is directly sucked through the first suction holes 51 and the second suction holes 52 . As a result, the air in the connection groove 60 can be easily sucked through the first suction hole 51 and the second suction hole 52, so that the portion of the medium 5 positioned between the first groove 41 and the second groove 42 is kept on the support surface. It is easy to make it stick to 46.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the depth D16 of the connection groove 60 is shallower than the depth D11 of the first groove 41 and shallower than the depth D12 of the second groove 42 . For example, forming the connection groove 60 in the support surface 46 requires cost, and in order to reduce the cost, it is preferable that the depth D16 of the connection groove 60 is shallow. Since the air in the connection groove 60 is sucked from both the first suction hole 51 and the second suction hole 52, even if the depth D16 of the connection groove 60 is made shallow, the first groove 41 and the second groove 42 The portion of the medium 5 located between can be adsorbed. From the above, by making the depth D16 of the connection groove 60 shallower than the depth D11 of the first groove 41 and shallower than the depth D12 of the second groove 42, the connection groove 60 can be formed. The portion of the medium 5 positioned between the first groove 41 and the second groove 42 can be adsorbed while reducing the required cost.

In order to reduce the cost of forming the connection groove 60, it is preferable to reduce the width D26 of the connection groove 60, for example. In addition, since the air in the connection groove 60 is sucked from both the first suction hole 51 and the second suction hole 52, even if the width D26 of the connection groove 60 is reduced, the first groove 41 and the second groove 42 The portion of the medium 5 located between and can be adsorbed. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the width D26 of the connection groove 60 is smaller than the width D21 of the first groove 41 and smaller than the width D22 of the second groove 42 . As a result, the portion of the medium 5 located between the first groove 41 and the second groove 42 can be adsorbed while reducing the cost required for forming the connection groove 60 .

In the present embodiment, the width D26 of the connection groove 60 is smaller than the diameter D31 of the first suction holes 51 and smaller than the diameter D32 of the second suction holes 52, as shown in FIG. As a result, the portion of the medium 5 located between the first groove 41 and the second groove 42 can be adsorbed while reducing the cost required for forming the connection groove 60 .

In the present embodiment, the support surface 46 overlaps the ink head 22 in a plan view while the ink head 22 is moving in the main scanning direction Y, and an ejection surface 47 (see FIG. 3) onto which ink is ejected from the ink head 22. )have. As shown in FIG. 3 , at least the first groove 41 , the second groove 42 , the connection groove 60 , the first suction holes 51 and the second suction holes 52 are formed in the discharge surface 47 . As a result, ink is ejected onto the portion of the medium 5 supported by the ejection surface 47 to perform printing. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the portion of the medium 5 onto which the ink is ejected from floating. Therefore, the print quality of the medium 5 can be improved.

<Second embodiment>
Next, a support base 40A according to the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the support surface 46 of the support base 40A, which corresponds to FIG. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the support base 40A, which corresponds to FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the support base 40A according to this embodiment has a support plate 58 and a sheet 56. As shown in FIGS. The support plate 58 has a plate-like shape extending in the main scanning direction Y and the sub-scanning direction X. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, the support plate 58 is formed with suction holes 50 (specifically, first suction holes 51 to fifth suction holes 55).

As shown in FIG. 7, the sheet 56 is provided on a support plate 58. As shown in FIG. Here, the sheet 56 is attached to the support plate 58 . In this embodiment, the sheet 56 constitutes the support surface 46 . Here, by providing the sheet 56 on the support plate 58, the first to fifth grooves 41 to 45 shown in FIG. 6 are formed.

In this embodiment, the sheet 56 has a first sheet 57a to a seventh sheet 57g. The first sheet 57a to the seventh sheet 57g extend in the main scanning direction Y, respectively. The first sheet 57 a is arranged between the first suction holes 51 and the second suction holes 52 . Here, connection grooves 60 (specifically, first connection grooves 61 and second connection grooves 62) are formed in the first sheet 57a.

The second sheet 57b is arranged on the opposite side of the first suction hole 51 from the second suction hole 52 side, and is arranged behind the first suction hole 51 here. The second seat 57b is arranged behind the first seat 57a. The first groove 41 is provided between the first sheet 57a and the second sheet 57b. The third sheet 57c is arranged on the side of the second suction hole 52 opposite to the first suction hole 51 side, and is arranged in front of the second suction hole 52 here. The third seat 57c is arranged forward of the first seat 57a. The second groove 42 is provided between the first sheet 57a and the third sheet 57c. The fourth sheet 57d is arranged forward of the third suction holes 53 and the third sheet 57c. The third groove 43 is provided between the third sheet 57c and the fourth sheet 57d.

The fifth sheet 57 e is arranged between the fourth suction hole 54 and the fifth suction hole 55 . Here, the fifth sheet 57e is formed with a roller hole 48a in which the grit roller 71 is provided. The sixth sheet 57f is arranged behind the fourth suction hole 54 and the fifth sheet 57e. The fourth groove 44 is provided between the fifth sheet 57e and the sixth sheet 57f. The seventh sheet 57g is arranged forward of the fifth suction holes 55 and the fifth sheet 57e. The fifth groove 45 is provided between the fifth sheet 57e and the seventh sheet 57g.

Materials for forming the support plate 58 and the sheet 56 (specifically, the first sheet 57a to the seventh sheet 57g) are not particularly limited. The support plate 58 and the sheet 56 may be made of the same material, or may be made of different materials. The support plate 58 is made of metal, for example. The sheet 56 is made of resin, for example.

In this embodiment, the first to fifth grooves 41 to 45 can be easily formed by a simple method of adhering the sheet 56 to the support plate 58 and without processing the grooves on the support surface 46. can. Therefore, the first to fifth grooves 41 to 45 can be easily formed even in the existing support base 40A having the flat support plate 58. FIG.

In each embodiment described above, the first suction hole 51 and the second suction hole 52 are arranged on the extension line L1 of the connection groove 60 . However, one or both of the first suction holes 51 and the second suction holes 52 may not be arranged on the extension line L1 of the connection groove 60 . For example, the connection groove 60 may be a groove extending in the sub-scanning direction X. FIG. Also, the connection groove 60 may not be a linear groove, and may be a curved groove, for example.

5 medium 10 printer 22 ink head 30 head moving mechanism 35 suction device 40 support base 41 first groove 42 second groove 46 support surface 47 discharge surface 50 suction hole 51 first suction hole 52 second suction hole 55 support plate 56 sheet 57a First sheet 57b Second sheet 57c Third sheet 60 Connection groove 70 Medium moving mechanism

Claims (7)

a support table that supports the medium and has a support surface in which suction holes are formed;
an ink head disposed above the support;
a head moving mechanism for moving the ink head in a main scanning direction relative to the medium supported by the support base;
a medium moving mechanism for moving the medium supported by the support table in a sub-scanning direction relative to the ink head;
an adsorption device that adsorbs the medium supported by the support surface to the support surface through the adsorption holes;
with
The support surface includes:
a first groove extending in the main scanning direction;
a second groove arranged so as to be aligned with the first groove in the sub-scanning direction and extending in the main scanning direction;
a connection groove that connects the first groove and the second groove;
is formed and
The adsorption holes are
first suction holes formed in the first groove and arranged side by side in the main scanning direction;
second suction holes formed in the second groove and arranged side by side in the main scanning direction;
a printer. 2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein said first suction hole and said second suction hole are arranged on an extension line of said connection groove. 3. A printer according to claim 1, wherein the depth of said connecting groove is shallower than the depth of said first groove and shallower than the depth of said second groove. 4. The printer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the width of said connection groove is smaller than the diameter of said first suction hole and smaller than the diameter of said second suction hole. 5. A printer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the width of said connecting groove is smaller than the width of said first groove and smaller than the width of said second groove. The support surface has an ejection surface that overlaps with the ink head in plan view when the ink head is moving in the main scanning direction, and onto which ink is ejected from the ink head,
6. The ejection surface according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first groove, the second groove, the connection groove, the first suction hole and the second suction hole are formed in the ejection surface. printer. The support base is
a support plate on which the first suction holes and the second suction holes are formed;
a sheet provided on the support plate and forming the support surface;
has
The sheet is
a first sheet disposed between the first suction hole and the second suction hole and extending in the main scanning direction;
a second sheet arranged on the opposite side of the first suction holes from the second suction holes and extending in the main scanning direction;
a third sheet disposed on a side of the second suction holes opposite to the first suction holes and extending in the main scanning direction;
has
The first groove is provided between the first sheet and the second sheet,
The second groove is provided between the first sheet and the third sheet,
7. A printer according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said connecting groove is formed in said first sheet.

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