JP2024047882A - Conveying device, liquid ejecting device and detecting device - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To detect the amount of movement of a conveyor belt with high accuracy. [Solution] A conveyor device 1 comprising a conveyor belt 5 for conveying media M, and a detection device 30, the detection device 30 comprising a contact belt 31 that can rotate relative to the conveyor belt 5 by contacting the conveyor belt 5, a first shaft member 32 and a second shaft member 33 around which the contact belt 31 is wound, and a detection unit 34 capable of detecting the amount of movement of the contact belt 31 when the contact belt 31 rotates, the first shaft member 32 and the second shaft member 33 being configured not to rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the contact belt 31. [Selected Figure] Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a conveying device, a liquid ejection device, and a detection device.

Conventionally, various conveying devices have been used to convey media. Among these, there is a conveying device that conveys media using a conveying belt. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an inkjet printing device that includes a conveying belt and a measuring roller that rotates in contact with the conveying belt, measures the rotation angle of the measuring roller associated with the movement of the conveying belt using an encoder, determines the amount of movement of the conveying belt according to the measurement result, and controls the feed amount of the fabric according to the amount of movement.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 07-101121

However, in the inkjet printing device of Patent Document 1, there is a risk that the measurement roller may become eccentric due to manufacturing tolerances, etc. In the inkjet printing device of Patent Document 1, if the measurement roller is eccentric, the accuracy of measuring the rotation angle of the measurement roller by the encoder is low, and the accuracy of measuring the amount of movement of the conveyor belt, i.e., the feed amount of the fabric, is also low. Thus, in conventional conveying devices that convey media using a conveyor belt, it is difficult to detect the amount of movement of the conveyor belt with high accuracy.

The conveying device of the present invention, which aims to solve the above problem, comprises a conveying belt for conveying media, and a detection device, the detection device comprising a contact belt that can rotate relative to the conveying belt by contacting the conveying belt, a first shaft member and a second shaft member around which the contact belt is wound, and a detection unit that can detect the amount of movement of the contact belt when the contact belt rotates, and the first shaft member and the second shaft member are configured not to rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the contact belt.

The liquid ejection device of the present invention for solving the above problem comprises a conveyor belt for conveying a medium, an ejection unit for ejecting liquid onto the medium, and a detection device, the detection device comprising a contact belt that can be rotated relative to the conveyor belt by contacting the conveyor belt, a first shaft member and a second shaft member around which the contact belt is wound, and a detection unit capable of detecting the amount of movement of the contact belt when the contact belt is rotated, the first shaft member and the second shaft member being configured not to rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the contact belt.

The detection device of the present invention for solving the above problem is a detection device that detects the amount of movement of a conveyor belt that conveys media, and is characterized in that it includes a contact belt that can rotate relative to the conveyor belt by contacting the conveyor belt, a first shaft member and a second shaft member around which the contact belt is wound, and a detection unit that can detect the amount of movement of the contact belt when the contact belt rotates, and that the first shaft member and the second shaft member are configured not to rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the contact belt.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a liquid ejection device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view of a detection device in the liquid ejection device of FIG. 1 . FIG. 11 is a side view of a liquid ejection device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a side view of a detection device in a liquid ejection device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a shaft member of a detection device in a liquid ejection device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a shaft member of a detection device in a liquid ejection device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a detection device in the liquid ejection device of FIG. 6, and also shows an enlarged view of a partial region X. FIG. FIG. 13 is a side view of a detection device in a liquid ejection device according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a side view of a detection device in a liquid ejection device according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a side view of a detection device in a liquid ejection device according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a side view of a detection device in a liquid ejection device according to a ninth embodiment of the present invention.

First, the present invention will be briefly described.
In order to solve the above problem, a first aspect of the conveying device of the present invention comprises a conveying belt for conveying a media, and a detection device, the detection device comprising a contact belt that can rotate relative to the conveying belt by coming into contact with the conveying belt, a first shaft member and a second shaft member around which the contact belt is looped, and a detection unit that can detect the amount of movement of the contact belt as the contact belt rotates, and the first shaft member and the second shaft member are configured so as not to rotate in conjunction with the driven rotation of the contact belt.

According to this aspect, the detection device includes a contact belt that can rotate relative to the conveyor belt by contacting the conveyor belt, a first shaft member and a second shaft member around which the contact belt is wound, and a detection unit capable of detecting the amount of movement of the contact belt when the contact belt rotates, and the first shaft member and the second shaft member are configured not to rotate with the rotation of the contact belt. Therefore, even if the first shaft member and the second shaft member are deformed or eccentric due to manufacturing tolerances or the like, the contact belt can move relative to the conveyor belt without error by sliding against the first shaft member and the second shaft member, and even if the first shaft member and the second shaft member are deformed or eccentric due to manufacturing tolerances or the like, the detection unit can detect the amount of movement of the contact belt with high accuracy without being affected. Therefore, the amount of movement of the conveyor belt can be detected with high accuracy.

The conveying device of the second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that in the first aspect, the first shaft member has a first outer peripheral surface capable of contacting the inner peripheral surface of the contact belt, the second shaft member has a second outer peripheral surface capable of contacting the inner peripheral surface of the contact belt, and at least one of the first outer peripheral surface and the second outer peripheral surface has a recess in which a lubricant is held.

According to this aspect, at least one of the first outer peripheral surface and the second outer peripheral surface has a recess in which a lubricant is held. That is, the contact belt contacts at least one of the first shaft member and the second shaft member via the outer peripheral surface having the lubricant. This reduces the sliding load of the contact belt against at least one of the first shaft member and the second shaft member, and suppresses poor sliding between the contact belt and the first shaft member and the second shaft member, allowing the detection unit to detect the amount of movement of the contact belt with particularly high accuracy.

The conveying device of the third aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the second aspect, the recess has a first wall portion and a second wall portion that constitute at least a part of the recess and face each other in the axial direction in which the first shaft member and the second shaft member extend, and the contact belt has a protruding portion that protrudes from the inner circumferential surface of the contact belt toward the recess and is capable of abutting against at least one of the first wall portion and the second wall portion.

According to this aspect, the contact belt has a protruding portion that protrudes from the inner peripheral surface of the contact belt toward the recess and can abut against at least one of the first wall portion and the second wall portion. In this way, by fitting the protruding portion into the recess, the contact belt can be positioned relative to at least one of the first shaft member and the second shaft member, and misalignment of the contact belt relative to the first shaft member and the second shaft member can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the detection accuracy of the amount of movement of the contact belt due to the contact belt being misaligned relative to the first shaft member and the second shaft member.

The fourth aspect of the conveying device of the present invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to third aspects, the contact belt is disposed inside the conveying belt.

According to this embodiment, the contact belt is disposed on the inside of the conveyor belt. This allows the conveyor device to be made smaller than in a configuration in which the contact belt is disposed on the outside of the conveyor belt.

The fifth aspect of the conveying device of the present invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to third aspects, at least one of the first shaft member and the second shaft member is a rotatable shaft attached to the conveying device so as to be rotatable in association with the rotation of the contact belt, the conveying device is equipped with a motor connected to the rotatable shaft, and a control unit that generates a rotational torque for the motor so that the rotatable shaft does not rotate in association with the rotation of the contact belt, the conveying belt has an adhesive surface to which the media can be adhered, the contact belt contacts the adhesive surface, and the control unit is capable of determining the state of the adhesive surface based on the magnitude of the rotational torque.

According to this aspect, the conveyor belt has an adhesive surface to which the media can adhere. This allows the media to be conveyed in an optimal manner. Furthermore, although there is a risk that the conveying accuracy of the conveyor belt will decrease if the condition of the adhesive surface deteriorates, the control unit can determine the condition of the adhesive surface based on the magnitude of the rotational torque generated in the motor so that the rotatable shaft does not rotate in conjunction with the driven rotation of the contact belt. Therefore, the control unit can accurately determine the condition of the adhesive surface based on the magnitude of the rotational torque, and can prompt the user to take action if the condition of the adhesive surface deteriorates.

The sixth aspect of the present invention is a liquid ejection device comprising a conveyor belt for conveying a medium, an ejection unit for ejecting liquid onto the medium, and a detection device, the detection device comprising a contact belt that can be rotated relative to the conveyor belt by contacting the conveyor belt, a first shaft member and a second shaft member around which the contact belt is wound, and a detection unit capable of detecting the amount of movement of the contact belt when the contact belt is rotated, the first shaft member and the second shaft member being configured not to rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the contact belt.

According to this aspect, the detection device includes a contact belt that can rotate relative to the conveyor belt by contacting the conveyor belt, a first shaft member and a second shaft member around which the contact belt is wound, and a detection unit capable of detecting the amount of movement of the contact belt when the contact belt rotates, and the first shaft member and the second shaft member are configured not to rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the contact belt. Therefore, even if the first shaft member and the second shaft member are deformed or eccentric due to manufacturing tolerances or the like, the contact belt can move relative to the conveyor belt without error by sliding against the first shaft member and the second shaft member, and the detection unit can detect the amount of movement of the contact belt with high accuracy. Therefore, the amount of movement of the conveyor belt can be detected with high accuracy.

The detection device of the seventh aspect of the present invention is a detection device that detects the amount of movement of a conveyor belt that conveys media, and is characterized in that it includes a contact belt that can rotate relative to the conveyor belt by contacting the conveyor belt, a first shaft member and a second shaft member around which the contact belt is wound, and a detection unit that can detect the amount of movement of the contact belt when the contact belt rotates, and the first shaft member and the second shaft member are configured not to rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the contact belt.

According to this aspect, the detection device includes a contact belt that can rotate relative to the conveyor belt by contacting the conveyor belt, a first shaft member and a second shaft member around which the contact belt is wound, and a detection unit capable of detecting the amount of movement of the contact belt when the contact belt rotates, and the first shaft member and the second shaft member are configured not to rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the contact belt. Therefore, even if the first shaft member and the second shaft member are deformed or eccentric due to manufacturing tolerances or the like, the contact belt can move relative to the conveyor belt without error by sliding against the first shaft member and the second shaft member, and the detection unit can detect the amount of movement of the contact belt with high accuracy. Therefore, the amount of movement of the conveyor belt can be detected with high accuracy.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[Example 1]
First, an overview of a liquid ejection device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment includes a transport device 20 capable of transporting a medium M in a transport direction A. Note that, although the liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment excluding a carriage 7, which will be described later, can be regarded as the transport device 20, the entire liquid ejection device 1 including the carriage 7 can also be regarded as the transport device 20.

The transport device 20 includes a payout section 2 that can set a roll of media M and rotate in a rotation direction C1 to pay out the media M. The transport device 20 also includes a transport belt 5 that can transport the media M paid out from the payout section 2 in a transport direction A. The transport device 20 includes a driven roller 3 located upstream in the transport direction A, a drive roller 4 located downstream in the transport direction A, and a transport belt 5 that is an endless belt that is stretched across the driven roller 3 and the drive roller 4.

Here, the conveyor belt 5 is an adhesive belt having an adhesive surface 5a on which an adhesive is applied to the outer surface, which is the support surface for the media M. As shown in FIG. 1, with the media M attached to the adhesive surface 5a, the media M is supported by the conveyor belt 5 and conveyed. In the liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment, the support area for the media M on the conveyor belt 5 is the upper area bridged by the driven roller 3 and the driving roller 4. In addition, the driving roller 4 is a roller that rotates by the driving force of the motor 14, and the driven roller 3 is a roller that rotates by following the rotation of the conveyor belt 5 that accompanies the rotation of the driving roller 4.

The liquid ejection device 1 also includes a carriage 7 that can reciprocate in the width direction B of the conveyor belt 5, and a head 8 attached to the carriage 7. The head 8 functions as a printing unit that can print an image on the medium M conveyed in the conveying direction A, or in other words, as an ejection unit that ejects liquid ink onto the medium M. The head 8 is provided at a position facing the support area of the medium M on the conveyor belt 5, and is capable of ejecting ink. At this time, it can be said that the support area of the medium M on the conveyor belt 5 is an opposing area that faces the head 8. The liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment is capable of ejecting ink from the head 8 onto the conveyed medium M while moving the carriage 7 back and forth in the width direction B that intersects with the conveying direction A to form an image. By including a carriage 7 configured as described above, the liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment is capable of forming a desired image on the medium M by repeating the following steps: conveying the medium M in the conveying direction A by a predetermined conveyance amount, and ejecting ink while moving the carriage 7 in the width direction B with the medium M stopped.

The liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment is a so-called serial printer that prints by alternately repeating the transport of a predetermined amount of the medium M and the reciprocating movement of the carriage 7, but it may also be a so-called line printer that uses a line head in which nozzles are formed in a line along the width direction B of the medium M to continuously print while continuously transporting the medium M. Furthermore, it may be a printing device equipped with a printing unit that has a different configuration from the so-called inkjet type printing unit that prints by ejecting ink.

The liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment is configured such that an imaging unit 12 is provided on the carriage 7, and the imaging unit 12 can capture an image formed by ejecting ink from the head 8. The image data captured by the imaging unit 12 is sent to the control unit 40. Based on the detection results of the detection device 30, described in detail below, and the data, the control unit 40 can determine whether or not the predetermined transport amount per rotation of the conveyor belt 5 deviates from the predetermined amount, and if so, how much it deviates. The control unit 40 controls all of the components of the liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment.

A media attachment section 6 is formed at a position facing the conveyor belt 5 upstream of the carriage 7 in the conveying direction A. The media attachment section 6 presses the media M against the conveyor belt 5 across the width direction B, so that the media M is attached to the conveyor belt 5 while preventing wrinkles and other defects.

Furthermore, downstream of the carriage 7 in the conveying direction A, a detection device 30, the details of which will be described later, is provided. The detection device 30 is a device for detecting the amount of movement of the conveyor belt 5.

When the medium M on which an image is formed by ejecting ink from the head 8 is discharged from the liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment, it is sent to a drying device that volatilizes the ink components ejected onto the medium M, or a winding device that winds up the medium M on which the image is formed, which are provided downstream of the liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment.

Here, a printable material can be preferably used as the medium M. The printable material refers to the fabric, clothing, and other clothing products that are the subject of printing. Fabrics include woven fabrics, knitted fabrics, and nonwoven fabrics made of natural fibers such as cotton, silk, and wool, chemical fibers such as nylon, and composite fibers that are mixtures of these. Clothing and other clothing products also include sewn T-shirts, handkerchiefs, scarves, towels, carrier bags, cloth bags, curtains, sheets, bed covers, and other furniture, as well as fabrics that exist as parts before and after cutting before sewing.

In addition to the above-mentioned printing materials, media M may include paper specially designed for inkjet printing, such as plain paper, fine paper, and glossy paper. Media M may also include, for example, plastic films that have not been surface-treated for inkjet printing, i.e., that do not have an ink-absorbing layer, as well as substrates such as paper coated with plastic or substrates with plastic films bonded thereto. Examples of such plastics include, but are not limited to, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, polystyrene, polyurethane, polyethylene, and polypropylene.

When a printable material is used as the medium M, the printable material is prone to ink seepage, a phenomenon in which ink ejected onto the medium M seeps through to the back surface, and the conveyor belt 5 may become dirty with ink. Therefore, the liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a cleaning unit 9 for cleaning ink that has seeped through and adhered to the conveyor belt 5. The cleaning unit 9 of this embodiment is equipped with a cleaning brush 10 that is soaked in cleaning liquid and comes into contact with the conveyor belt 5, and a blade unit 11 that wipes the cleaning liquid that has adhered to the conveyor belt 5 by bringing the cleaning brush 10 into contact with the conveyor belt 5. Furthermore, the liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment is equipped with an air blower unit 13 that can dry any cleaning liquid that has not been wiped off by the blade unit 11.

The liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment can transport the media M in the transport direction A by rotating the drive roller 4 in the rotation direction C1. The liquid ejection device 1 can also transport the media M in the direction opposite to the transport direction A by rotating the drive roller 4 in the rotation direction C2, which is the opposite direction to the rotation direction C1.

Next, the details of the detection device 30, which is a main part of the liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment, will be described with reference to FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment has, as the detection device 30, a detection device 30A including a contact belt 31 that can rotate relative to the conveyor belt 5 by contacting the conveyor belt 5, a first shaft member 32 and a second shaft member 33 around which the contact belt 31 is wound, and a detection unit 34 that can detect the amount of movement of the contact belt 31 when the contact belt 31 rotates.

The first shaft member 32A in this embodiment as the first shaft member 32 is a cylindrical shaft member fixed to a frame (not shown) provided in the liquid ejection device 1. Similarly, the second shaft member 33A in this embodiment as the second shaft member 33 is a cylindrical shaft member fixed to a frame. The first shaft member 32A has a first outer peripheral surface 32a which is a circumferential surface, and the friction coefficient against the inner peripheral surface 31a of the contact belt 31 is small, making it easy for the contact belt 31 to slide. Similarly, the second shaft member 33A has a second outer peripheral surface 33a which is a circumferential surface, and the friction coefficient against the inner peripheral surface 31a of the contact belt 31 is small, making it easy for the contact belt 31 to slide.

In addition, in the detection device 30A of this embodiment, the detection unit 34 is disposed on one side corresponding to the upper side in FIG. 2 at a position between the first shaft member 32A and the second shaft member 33A in the direction T in which tension is applied by the first shaft member 32A and the second shaft member 33A, and is in contact with the adhesive surface 5a of the conveyor belt 5 on the other side corresponding to the lower side in FIG. 2. In other words, in the detection device 30A of this embodiment, the contact belt 31 moves in conjunction with the movement of the conveyor belt 5, and at that time, the contact belt 31 slides against the first shaft member 32A and the second shaft member 33A fixed to the frame. The detection unit 34 is configured to be able to detect the amount of movement of the contact belt 31.

In this embodiment, both the first shaft member 32A and the second shaft member 33A are fixed to the frame by being screwed. However, there is no particular limitation on the configuration for sliding the contact belt 31 relative to the first shaft member 32 and the second shaft member 33. For example, the first shaft member 32 and the second shaft member 33 may be fixed to the frame by welding. Also, for example, the first shaft member 32 and the second shaft member 33 may be configured as a rotatable shaft such as a rotatable roller, and when the detection unit 34 detects the amount of movement of the contact belt 31, the first shaft member 32 and the second shaft member 33, which are rotatable shafts, may be configured to not rotate using a magnetic brake, a motor, or the like.

The detection unit 34A in this embodiment as the detection unit 34 is a magnetic sensor. The contact belt 31 is provided with a scale (magnetic scale) that can be read by the detection unit 34A, which is a magnetic sensor. It is also possible to use a configuration other than a magnetic sensor such as the detection unit 34A in this embodiment as the detection unit 34. However, a magnetic sensor can accurately detect the amount of movement of the contact belt 31 even if it is contaminated with, for example, ink.

As described above, the detection device 30 of the liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment includes the contact belt 31 that can rotate relative to the conveyor belt 5 by contacting the conveyor belt 5, the first shaft member 32 and the second shaft member 33 around which the contact belt 31 is wound, and the detection unit 34 that can detect the amount of movement of the contact belt 31 when the contact belt 31 rotates relative to the conveyor belt 5, and the first shaft member 32 and the second shaft member 33 are configured not to rotate with the rotation of the contact belt 31. Therefore, in the liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment, even if the first shaft member 32 and the second shaft member 33 are deformed or eccentric due to manufacturing tolerances, the scale of the contact belt 31 can move relative to the conveyor belt 5 without error by sliding against the first shaft member 32 and the second shaft member 33, and the detection unit 34 can detect the amount of movement of the contact belt 31 with high accuracy. Therefore, the liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment can detect the amount of movement of the conveyor belt 5 with high accuracy. Furthermore, the detection device 30 configured in this manner has a high degree of freedom in terms of placement relative to the liquid ejection device 1, and the scale can be made shorter compared to a configuration in which the scale is provided on the conveyor belt 5, thereby enabling cost reduction.

[Example 2]
The liquid ejection device 1 of Example 2 will be described below with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a diagram corresponding to Fig. 1 showing the liquid ejection device 1 of Example 1. Here, the liquid ejection device 1 of this example has the same configuration as the liquid ejection device 1 of Example 1 except for the arrangement of the detection device 30, so a description of the common parts will be omitted. Note that components common to Example 1 above are indicated by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions will be omitted.

The detection device 30 in the liquid ejection device 1 of Example 1 was configured to be provided above the conveyor belt 5, i.e., on the outside of the conveyor belt 5, as shown in FIG. 1. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, the detection device 30 in the liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment is provided on the inside of the conveyor belt 5. For this reason, the liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment can be made smaller than the liquid ejection device 1 of Example 1 in which the contact belt 31 is disposed on the outside of the conveyor belt 5.

The detection device 30 of this embodiment has the same configuration as the detection device 30 of the liquid ejection device 1 of the first embodiment. That is, the detection device 30 of this embodiment is the detection device 30A, like the detection device 30 of the liquid ejection device 1 of the first embodiment. However, in the liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment, the detection device 30A is arranged upside down compared to the liquid ejection device 1 of the first embodiment.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, in the liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment, the detection device 30A is disposed in an area facing the carriage 7 in a side view. With this configuration, the amount of movement of the conveyor belt 5 in the image forming area of the liquid ejection device 1 can be detected particularly accurately.

[Example 3]
The liquid ejection device 1 of Example 3 will be described below with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a diagram corresponding to Fig. 2 showing the liquid ejection device 1 of Example 1. Here, the liquid ejection device 1 of this example has the same configuration as the liquid ejection device 1 of Example 1 except for the configuration of the detection device 30, so a description of the common parts will be omitted. Note that components common to Examples 1 and 2 are indicated by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions will be omitted.

As described above, the detection device 30A in the liquid ejection device 1 of Example 1 includes the detection unit 34A, which is a magnetic sensor, as the detection unit 34. On the other hand, the detection device 30B in the liquid ejection device 1 of the present embodiment includes the detection unit 34B, which is a camera capable of capturing an image of the contact belt 31, as the detection unit 34. In addition, the detection device 30B in the liquid ejection device 1 of the present embodiment includes the detection unit 34B instead of the detection unit 34A, and accordingly, the contact belt 31 is provided with a printed scale that can be read by the detection unit 34B. In addition, the detection device 30B in the liquid ejection device 1 of the present embodiment is disposed in the same position as the detection device 30A in the liquid ejection device 1 of Example 1, but may be disposed in a different position.
[Example 4]
The liquid ejection device 1 of Example 4 will be described below with reference to Fig. 5. The liquid ejection device 1 of this example has the same configuration as the liquid ejection device 1 of Example 1 except for the configuration of the detection device 30, specifically, the configuration of the first shaft member 32 and the second shaft member 33, so a description of the common parts will be omitted. Note that the components common to Examples 1 to 3 are indicated by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions will be omitted.

As described above, in the detection device 30A in the liquid ejection device 1 of the first embodiment, the first shaft member 32A and the second shaft member 33A are cylindrical shaft members of similar shapes that are fixed to the frame, and the first outer peripheral surface 32a and the second outer peripheral surface 33a, which are the circumferential surfaces, are not provided with unevenness. On the other hand, in the detection device 30C in the liquid ejection device 1 of the present embodiment, the first shaft member 32B and the second shaft member 33B are cylindrical shaft members of similar shapes that are fixed to the frame, which is common to the first shaft member 32A and the second shaft member 33A, but as shown in FIG. 5, recesses 35 are formed on the first outer peripheral surface 32a and the second outer peripheral surface 33a, which are the circumferential surfaces. In detail, two groove-shaped recesses 35A extending in the width direction B are formed as the recesses 35. A lubricant is held in the recesses 35A.

In other words, in the liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment, the first shaft member 32B has a first outer peripheral surface 32a that can come into contact with the inner peripheral surface 31a of the contact belt 31, the second shaft member 33B has a second outer peripheral surface 33a that can come into contact with the inner peripheral surface 31a of the contact belt 31, and the first outer peripheral surface 32a and the second outer peripheral surface 33a have recesses 35A in which a lubricant is held. As in the liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment, by having recesses 35 in which a lubricant is held on at least one of the first outer peripheral surface 32a and the second outer peripheral surface 33a, that is, by the contact belt 31 coming into contact with at least one of the first shaft member 32B and the second shaft member 33B via the outer peripheral surface having a lubricant, the sliding load of the contact belt 31 against at least one of the first shaft member 32B and the second shaft member 33B can be reduced. Furthermore, by suppressing poor sliding between the contact belt 31 and the first shaft member 32B and the second shaft member 33B, the detection unit 34 can detect the amount of movement of the contact belt 31 with particularly high accuracy. Also, the detection device 30C in the liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment is disposed in a position similar to that of the detection device 30A in the liquid ejection device 1 of Example 1, but may be disposed in a different position.

[Example 5]
The liquid ejection device 1 of Example 5 will be described below with reference to Figures 6 and 7. Here, Figure 6 is a view corresponding to Figure 5 of the liquid ejection device 1 of Example 4. The liquid ejection device 1 of this example has the same configuration as the liquid ejection device 1 of Example 1 except for the configuration of the detection device 30, specifically, the configuration of the first shaft member 32 and the second shaft member 33, so a description of the common parts will be omitted. Note that the components common to Examples 1 to 4 above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions will be omitted.

The detection device 30D in the liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment has the same features as the first shaft member 32A and the second shaft member 33A in that the first shaft member 32C and the second shaft member 33C are both cylindrical shaft members fixed to a frame and have the same shape, but as shown in Figures 6 and 7, recesses 35 are formed in the first outer peripheral surface 32a and the second outer peripheral surface 33a, which are circumferential surfaces, as in the detection device 30C of the fourth embodiment. However, the recesses 35B in this embodiment as the recesses 35 are groove-shaped and extend along the circumferential direction of the first shaft member 32C and the second shaft member 33C corresponding to the rotational direction C1 and the rotational direction C2. A lubricant is held in the recesses 35B.

In other words, in the liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment, the first shaft member 32C has a first outer peripheral surface 32a that can contact the inner peripheral surface 31a of the contact belt 31, the second shaft member 33C has a second outer peripheral surface 33a that can contact the inner peripheral surface 31a of the contact belt 31, and the first outer peripheral surface 32a and the second outer peripheral surface 33a have recesses 35B in which a lubricant is held. As in the liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment, by having recesses 35 in which a lubricant is held on at least one of the first outer peripheral surface 32a and the second outer peripheral surface 33a, that is, by the contact belt 31 contacting at least one of the first shaft member 32C and the second shaft member 33C via the outer peripheral surface having a lubricant, the sliding load of the contact belt 31 against at least one of the first shaft member 32C and the second shaft member 33C can be reduced. Furthermore, by suppressing poor sliding between the contact belt 31 and the first shaft member 32C and the second shaft member 33C, the detection unit 34 can detect the amount of movement of the contact belt 31 with particularly high accuracy.

More specifically, as shown in the enlarged view of region X in FIG. 7, recess 35B of detection device 30D of this embodiment has first wall portion 37A and second wall portion 37B that constitute at least a part of recess 35B and face each other in the axial direction in which first shaft member 32C and second shaft member 33C extend, corresponding to width direction B. As shown in FIG. 7, contact belt 31 has protrusion portion 36 that protrudes from inner peripheral surface 31a of contact belt 31 toward recess 35B and can abut against first wall portion 37A and second wall portion 37B.

Like the detection device 30D of this embodiment, the contact belt 31 preferably has a protruding portion 36 that protrudes from the inner circumferential surface 31a of the contact belt 31 toward the recess 35B and can abut against at least one of the first wall portion 37A and the second wall portion 37B. In this way, by fitting the protruding portion 36 into the recess 35B, the contact belt 31 can be positioned relative to at least one of the first shaft member 32C and the second shaft member 33C, and the positional deviation of the contact belt 31 relative to the first shaft member 32C and the second shaft member 33C can be suppressed. Therefore, by adopting such a configuration, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the detection accuracy of the movement amount of the contact belt 31 due to the contact belt 31 being misaligned relative to the first shaft member 32C and the second shaft member 33C. In addition, the detection device 30D in the liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment is disposed in the same position as the detection device 30A in the liquid ejection device 1 of Example 1, but may be disposed in a different position.

[Example 6]
The liquid ejection device 1 of Example 6 will be described below with reference to Fig. 8. Here, Fig. 8 is a diagram corresponding to Fig. 2 of the liquid ejection device 1 of Example 1. The liquid ejection device 1 of this example has a similar configuration to the liquid ejection device 1 of Example 1 except that the configuration of the detection device 30 is different, more specifically, that the liquid ejection device 1 of this example is provided with a tension applying member 38 that applies tension to the contact belt 31, and therefore a description of the common parts will be omitted. Note that the components common to Examples 1 to 5 above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 8, the detection device 30E of the liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment is equipped with an elastic member 38A that applies a force in a direction that moves the first shaft member 32 and the second shaft member 33 away from each other as a tensioning member 38 that applies tension to the contact belt 31. When the contact belt 31 slackens, there is a risk that the accuracy of detecting the amount of movement of the contact belt 31 will decrease due to changes in the interval of the scale, but the detection device 30E of the liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment can suppress such a risk. The detection device 30E in the liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment is disposed in a similar position to the detection device 30A in the liquid ejection device 1 of Example 1, but may be disposed in a different position.

[Example 7]
The liquid ejection device 1 of Example 7 will be described below with reference to Fig. 9. Here, Fig. 9 is a diagram corresponding to Fig. 2 of the liquid ejection device 1 of Example 1. The liquid ejection device 1 of this example has a similar configuration to the liquid ejection device 1 of Example 3 except that the configuration of the detection device 30 is different, more specifically, the liquid ejection device 1 of this example is provided with a tension applying member 38 having a different configuration from the tension applying member 38 of the liquid ejection device 1 of Example 6, so a description of the common parts will be omitted. Note that the components common to Examples 1 to 6 above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions will be omitted.

9, the detection device 30F of the liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment is provided with an axial member 38B between the first axial member 32 and the second axial member 33, which is movable in a direction E intersecting the direction in which the first axial member 32 and the second axial member 33 are arranged, as a tensioning member 38 that applies tension to the contact belt 31. By moving the axial member 38B upward, a strong tension is applied to the contact belt 31, and by moving the axial member 38B downward, the contact belt 31 loosens. When the contact belt 31 loosens, there is a risk that the accuracy of detecting the amount of movement of the contact belt 31 will decrease due to changes in the interval of the scale, but the detection device 30E of the liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment can suppress such a risk. As shown by the detection device 30E of the sixth embodiment and the detection device 30F of this embodiment, there is no particular limitation on the configuration of the tensioning member 38. There are also no particular limitations on the configuration of the contact belt 31, and although a resin belt is preferably used, a metal contact belt 31 may also be used, and if the contact belt 31 is made of metal, it is possible to suppress the stretching of the contact belt 31 due to changes over time. The detection device 30F in the liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment is disposed in the same position as the detection device 30A in the liquid ejection device 1 of Example 1, but it may be disposed in a different position.

[Example 8]
The liquid ejection device 1 of Example 8 will be described below with reference to Fig. 10. Here, Fig. 10 is a diagram corresponding to Fig. 2 of the liquid ejection device 1 of Example 1. The liquid ejection device 1 of this example has a similar configuration to the liquid ejection device 1 of Example 3 except that the configuration of the detection device 30 is different, specifically, the sizes of the first shaft member 32 and the second shaft member 33 are different, so a description of the common parts will be omitted. Note that the components common to Examples 1 to 7 above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions will be omitted.

In the detection device 30 of the liquid ejection device 1 of Examples 1 to 7, the first shaft member 32 and the second shaft member 33 have the same size. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10, in the detection device 30G of the liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment, the first shaft member 32D and the second shaft member 33D have different sizes. Thus, there is no particular limitation on the size of the first shaft member 32 and the second shaft member 33. Also, as in the detection device 30F of the liquid ejection device 1 of Example 6, an additional shaft member may be provided in addition to the first shaft member 32 and the second shaft member 33, and there is no limitation on the number of the shaft members, and the shaft member may not also serve as the tension member 38. The detection device 30G in the liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment is disposed in the same position as the detection device 30A in the liquid ejection device 1 of Example 1, but may be disposed in a different position.

[Example 9]
The liquid ejection device 1 of Example 9 will be described below with reference to Fig. 11. Here, Fig. 11 is a diagram corresponding to Fig. 2 of the liquid ejection device 1 of Example 1. The liquid ejection device 1 of this example has the same configuration as the liquid ejection device 1 of Example 1 except for the different configuration of the detection device 30, so a description of the common parts will be omitted. Note that the components common to Examples 1 to 8 above are indicated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description will be omitted.

As described above, in the detection device 30 of the liquid ejection device 1 of Examples 1 to 8, both the first shaft member 32 and the second shaft member 33 are fixed to the frame and are configured not to rotate with the rotation of the contact belt 31. On the other hand, in the detection device 30H of the liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment, both the first shaft member 32E and the second shaft member 33E are roller-shaped rotatable shafts attached to the frame of the liquid ejection device 1 so as to be rotatable with the rotation of the contact belt 31. However, this is not limited to such a configuration, and for example, only one of the first shaft member 32 and the second shaft member 33 may be a rotatable shaft attached to the frame of the liquid ejection device 1 so as to be rotatable with the rotation of the contact belt 31.

The liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment further includes a motor 39 connected to the rotatable shaft as shown in FIG. 11, and a control unit 40 as shown in FIG. 1 that can generate a rotational torque for the motor 39 so that the rotatable shaft does not rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the contact belt 31. Here, the motor 39 includes motors 39A and 39B, with motor 39A connected to the first shaft member 32E and motor 39B connected to the second shaft member 33E. The conveyor belt 5 has an adhesive surface 5a that can adhere the media M, the contact belt 31 contacts the adhesive surface 5a, and the control unit 40 is configured to be able to determine the state of the adhesive surface 5a based on the magnitude of the rotational torque.

Thus, in the liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment, the conveyor belt 5 has an adhesive surface 5a to which the media M can adhere. Therefore, the media M can be conveyed suitably. Furthermore, if the condition of the adhesive surface 5a deteriorates, there is a risk that the conveying accuracy of the conveyor belt 5 will decrease. However, in the liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment, the control unit 40 can determine the condition of the adhesive surface 5a based on the magnitude of the rotational torque generated by the motor 39 so that the rotatable shaft does not rotate in conjunction with the driven rotation of the contact belt 31. Therefore, in the liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment, the control unit 40 can accurately determine the condition of the adhesive surface 5a based on the magnitude of the rotational torque, and can prompt the user to take action if the condition of the adhesive surface 5a deteriorates.

When the adhesive surface 5a deteriorates, the adhesive force acting on the contact belt 31 decreases. When the adhesive force acting on the contact belt 31 decreases, the force acting on at least one of the first shaft member 32 and the second shaft member 33 when the contact belt 31 is rotated by the rotation also decreases. This force is converted into a torque that rotates at least one of the first shaft member 32 and the second shaft member 33 in the same direction as the direction in which the contact belt 31 is rotated by the rotation. Therefore, when the adhesive surface 5a deteriorates, the rotation torque for restricting at least one of the first shaft member 32 and the second shaft member 33 from rotating in the direction in which the contact belt 31 is rotated by the rotation decreases, and the magnitude of the input to the motor 39 decreases. According to the configuration of this embodiment, by applying this principle, the control unit 40 can determine the state of the adhesive surface 5a based on the magnitude of the input. As a result, the mechanism for detecting the movement amount of the conveyor belt 5 can also serve as a mechanism for grasping the state of the adhesive force, and the configuration of the liquid ejection device 1 can be simplified compared to the case in which the mechanism for grasping the state of the adhesive force is provided separately from the mechanism for detecting the movement amount of the conveyor belt 5.

In this embodiment, a rotary encoder or the like is provided on at least one of the first shaft member 32 and the second shaft member 33, and position control is performed so that the rotational positions of the first shaft member 32 and the second shaft member 33 are fixed. Examples of position control include PID and MPC. For example, when the motor 39 is a stepping motor, the current input to the motor 39 is an excitation current. This allows the rotor of the motor 39 to be fixed without switching the phase through which the current flows, that is, by fixing the direction of the magnetic field. The larger the excitation current, the greater the rotational torque corresponding to the force with which the motor 39 fixes the rotatable shaft can be increased. Here, the detection device 30H in the liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment is disposed in the same position as the detection device 30A in the liquid ejection device 1 of Example 1, but may be disposed in a different position.

The present invention is not limited to the above examples, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims, and it goes without saying that these are also included within the scope of the present invention.

1...Liquid ejection device, 2...Feed-out section, 3...Drive roller, 4...Driving roller, 5...Conveyor belt, 5a...Adhesive surface, 6...Media attachment section, 7...Carriage, 8...Head (ejection section), 9...Cleaning section, 10...Cleaning brush, 11...Blade section, 12...Imaging section, 13...Blower section, 14...Motor, 20...Conveyor device, 30...Detection device, 30A...Detection device, 30B...Detection device, 30C...Detection device, 30D...Detection device, 30E...Detection device, 30F...Detection device, 30G...Detection device, 30H...Detection device, 31...Contact belt, 31a...Inner surface, 32...First shaft member, 32A...First shaft member, 3 2B...first shaft member, 32C...first shaft member, 32D...first shaft member, 32E...first shaft member, 32a...first outer peripheral surface, 33...second shaft member, 33A...second shaft member, 33B...second shaft member, 33C...second shaft member, 33D...second shaft member, 33E...second shaft member, 33a...second outer peripheral surface, 34...detection portion, 34A...detection portion, 34B...detection portion, 35...recess, 35A...recess, 35B...recess, 36...projection portion, 37A...first wall portion, 37B...second wall portion, 38...tensioning member, 38A...elastic member, 38B...shaft member, 39...motor, 39A...motor, 39B...motor, 40...control portion, M...media

Claims (7)

A conveyor belt for conveying a medium and a detection device are provided.
The detection device includes:
a contact belt that is in contact with the conveyor belt and is rotatable relative to the conveyor belt;
a first shaft member and a second shaft member around which the contact belt is wound;
a detection unit capable of detecting an amount of movement of the contact belt when the contact belt is driven to rotate;
Equipped with
A conveying device, wherein the first shaft member and the second shaft member are configured not to rotate in association with the rotation of the contact belt. 2. The conveying device according to claim 1,
the first shaft member has a first outer circumferential surface capable of contacting an inner circumferential surface of the contact belt,
the second shaft member has a second outer circumferential surface capable of contacting an inner circumferential surface of the contact belt,
A conveying device, characterized in that at least one of the first outer peripheral surface and the second outer peripheral surface has a recess in which a lubricant is held. 3. The conveying device according to claim 2,
The recess includes a first wall portion and a second wall portion that constitute at least a portion of the recess and face each other in an axial direction in which the first shaft member and the second shaft member extend,
The contact belt has a protruding portion that protrudes from an inner circumferential surface of the contact belt toward the recess and is capable of abutting at least one of the first wall portion and the second wall portion. The conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The conveying device, wherein the contact belt is disposed inside the conveying belt. 4. The conveying device according to claim 1,
At least one of the first shaft member and the second shaft member is a rotatable shaft attached to the conveying device so as to be rotatable in association with the driven rotation of the contact belt,
a motor connected to the rotatable shaft; and a control unit configured to generate a rotational torque for the motor so that the rotatable shaft does not rotate in accordance with the driven rotation of the contact belt,
the conveyor belt has an adhesive surface to which the medium can be adhered,
The contact belt is in contact with the adhesive surface,
The conveying device, wherein the control unit is capable of determining a state of the adhesive surface based on the magnitude of the rotational torque. The apparatus includes a conveyor belt for conveying a medium, a discharge unit for discharging a liquid onto the medium, and a detection device;
The detection device includes:
a contact belt that is in contact with the conveyor belt and is rotatable relative to the conveyor belt;
a first shaft member and a second shaft member around which the contact belt is wound;
a detection unit capable of detecting an amount of movement of the contact belt when the contact belt is driven to rotate;
Equipped with
The liquid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein the first shaft member and the second shaft member are configured not to rotate in association with the rotation of the contact belt. A detection device for detecting an amount of movement of a conveyor belt that conveys a medium,
a contact belt that is in contact with the conveyor belt and is rotatable relative to the conveyor belt;
a first shaft member and a second shaft member around which the contact belt is wound;
a detection unit capable of detecting an amount of movement of the contact belt when the contact belt is driven to rotate;
Equipped with
A detection device, characterized in that the first shaft member and the second shaft member are configured not to rotate in association with the rotation of the contact belt.

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