JP4491962B2 - Ink carrier - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an ink carrier used in an ink jet printer.
[0002]
[Prior art]
An ink jet printer is a device that prints on recording paper while an ink cartridge reciprocates in a direction perpendicular to the paper feeding direction of the recording paper and ejects ink.
[0003]
As this type of device, devices shown in Japanese Utility Model Publication Nos. 7-37878, 2581426, 3-234686, and 5-4404 have been proposed. In these devices, the ink cartridge is mounted on an ink carrier. The ink carrier is removably mounted on a guide shaft extending in a direction perpendicular to the paper feed direction of the recording paper, and includes a carrier main body and a belt latch attached to the carrier main body. The belt latch is engaged with a belt provided along the guide shaft. The belt is stretched around two pulleys driven by a motor. In this apparatus, when the belt is rotationally driven during printing, the belt latch engaged with the belt follows, and the ink carrier moves while being guided by the guide shaft. At this time, printing is performed by ejecting ink onto the recording paper. When a predetermined area is printed on the recording paper, the two pulleys are reversed and the belt is driven in the reverse direction, so that the ink carrier moves in the reverse direction.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
As a conventional ink carrier, there is one in which a carrier body and a belt latch are connected through a slight gap in a moving direction in order to reduce an impact received by the ink carrier when the motor is reversed or immediately after driving. A lubricant such as grease is usually applied to the gap between the carrier body and the belt latch. In this device, since there is a gap between the carrier body and the belt latch, it is possible to suppress the vibration of the motor from being transmitted directly to the ink carrier. As a result, the running speed of the ink carrier is stabilized and the print quality is improved. improves. On the other hand, since grease is present in the gap between the carrier body and the belt latch, the load received from the motor is buffered when the motor is reversed or immediately after driving.
[0005]
However, grease has a large change in state between a high temperature and a low temperature, and therefore the grease buffering action may vary depending on the temperature environment around the device. In addition, during the manufacture of the apparatus, the buffering action of the grease slightly changes depending on the amount of grease applied and the position where the grease is applied. Such variations in the buffering action of grease may cause variations in printing quality.
[0006]
On the other hand, it is possible to eliminate the need for grease. In this case, the belt latch and the carrier body are molded integrally, and the vibration of the motor is directly transmitted to the ink carrier. An abnormal noise is generated.
[0007]
An object of the present invention is to suppress deterioration in printing quality and generation of abnormal noise in an ink carrier without using grease in an ink carrier in which a belt latch and a carrier body are connected via a gap.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The ink carrier according to claim 1 has an ink cartridge mounted thereon, and is mounted on a guide shaft extending in a direction perpendicular to the paper feed direction of the recording paper so as to be reciprocally movable, and on a belt provided corresponding to the guide shaft. It follows and reciprocates, and includes a belt latch and a carrier body. The belt latch is engaged with the belt. The carrier body has an attachment portion to which the belt latch is attached. The mounting portion of the carrier body has two wall portions that are perpendicular to the moving direction and face each other. In addition, the belt latch is disposed with an interval in the moving direction with respect to the two wall portions, and is a pair formed so as to be able to contact both wall portions of the carrier body from the moving direction and to be elastically deformable in the moving direction. It has a buffer part.
[0009]
In this ink carrier, when the belt is driven during printing, the belt latch that engages the belt follows, so that the carrier body is guided by the guide shaft, and the carrier body reciprocates in the direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the recording paper. To do. At this time, ink is ejected from the ink cartridge onto the recording paper, and printing is performed.
[0010]
In this case, when the driving of the motor is started or reversed, the load from the motor is transmitted to the belt latch via the belt, and the belt latch tends to move in the moving direction of the ink carrier. Then, the load from the motor is absorbed by the buffer portion on the moving direction side coming into contact with one wall portion and elastically deforming. When the belt is further driven, the belt latch moves integrally with the carrier body by pressing the wall portion in the movement direction via the buffer portion.
[0011]
Here, it is assumed that the rising performance of the ink carrier is improved by interposing a gap between the belt latch and the wall portion of the carrier body. However, the belt latch and the carrier body are provided with a buffer portion in the moving direction. Therefore, the load from the motor can be buffered without using grease. As a result, the running property of the ink carrier is stabilized and the printing quality is improved, and the occurrence of abnormal noise in the ink carrier due to the vibration of the motor can be suppressed.
[0012]
The ink carrier according to claim 2 is mounted with an ink cartridge, is reciprocally mounted on a guide shaft extending in a direction perpendicular to the paper feeding direction of the recording paper, and is provided corresponding to the guide shaft. an ink carrier reciprocates to follow the, and the carrier body, attached to the carrier body, and a belt latch for engaging the belt, is disposed between the belt latch and the carrier body, the moving direction The carrier body has a mounting portion to which the belt latch is mounted, and the mounting portion has two wall portions facing each other perpendicular to the moving direction. The belt latch is mounted between the two wall portions, and the belt latch and the two wall portions of the carrier body are spaced apart in the moving direction. It is arranged Te.
[0013]
In this ink carrier, the belt latch and the carrier body are elastically connected in the moving direction via the buffer portion, so that the load from the motor can be buffered without using grease.
[0014]
In this ink carrier, when the motor is reversed or driven, the belt latch comes into contact with the wall portion of the carrier body and presses and reciprocates together. However, as described above, the belt latch and the carrier body are the buffer portion. Therefore, the load from the motor can be buffered without using grease.
[0015]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[Inkjet printer]
FIG. 1 shows an inkjet printer 1 having an ink carrier 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0016]
The ink jet printer 1 includes an ink carrier 2 in which an ink cartridge 3 is mounted, a guide shaft 9, pulleys 10 and 11, a pulley belt 12, and a rail 13.
[0017]
As shown in FIG. 1, the recording paper is fed from the paper feed port 14, fed to a position facing the ink discharge portion provided at the lower part of the ink cartridge 3, and discharged from the front surface of the inkjet printer 1 in the direction of the arrow. The The guide shaft 9 extends perpendicular to the paper feeding direction of the recording paper. The pulleys 10 and 11 and the pulley belt 12 are mechanisms for reciprocating the ink carrier 2 along the guide shaft 9. The ink carrier 2 is engaged with the pulley belt 12 via a belt latch 21 described later, and the pulley 10 is rotated by a driving means (not shown), and the pulley belt 12 is rotated via the pulley 11. The ink carrier 2 reciprocates along the guide shaft 9. The rail 13 is provided in parallel to the guide shaft 9.
[0018]
In such an ink jet printer 1, the ink cartridge is scanned along the guide shaft 9 together with the ink carrier 2, and characters or images are printed on the line of the recording paper facing the ink discharge port. When printing for one line is completed, the recording paper is fed by a predetermined amount, and then the character or image of the next line is printed on the recording paper stopped again. By repeating such an operation, printing is performed on the entire recording paper.
[0019]
[Ink carrier]
FIG. 2 shows an ink carrier 2 in which an embodiment of the present invention is adopted, and FIG.
[0020]
The ink carrier 2 includes a carrier body 23 and a belt latch 21. The carrier body 23 is a resin box-shaped member having a storage portion 23a for storing an ink cartridge (not shown). The carrier body 23 has an attachment portion 25 for attaching the belt latch 21 to the lower portion of the surface (rear surface) on the side to be attached to the guide shaft 9. The mounting portion 25 is formed with two wall portions 25a that are perpendicular to the moving direction of the ink carrier 2 and face each other. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the belt latch 21 includes an engaging portion 21a for engaging with the pulley belt 12, and an attachment portion for the carrier body 23 formed to extend in the opposite direction to the engaging portion 21a. 25 is a resin member having an attached portion 21b for attachment to 25. As shown in FIG. 3, the belt latch 21 has a mounted portion 21 b disposed between the two wall portions 25 a of the carrier body 23 with an interval r between the two wall portions 25 a. Here, the distance r is maintained at about 0.1 to 0.2 mm. The attached portion 21b has buffer portions 27 formed on both sides so as to be able to come into contact with both wall portions 25a of the carrier body 23 from the moving direction and to be elastically deformable in the moving direction. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, each buffer portion 27 (only one side is shown in FIG. 5) has a plurality of protrusions 27c (lined up and down) with the notch 27a and the inelastic portion 27b interposed therebetween. Here, it is configured by two), and the hatched portion of each projection 27c is formed in a shape swelled toward the wall portion 25a. As shown in FIG. 3, in the belt latch 21, the protrusions 27 c are in contact with both wall portions 25 a of the carrier body 23 in a state where the attached portion 21 b is attached to the carrier body 23.
[0021]
In the ink carrier 2 configured as described above, when a motor (not shown) is driven or reversed, the load from the motor is transmitted to the belt latch 21 via the pulley belt 12, and the belt latch 21 moves the ink carrier 2. Move in the direction. Then, the portion of the protrusion 27c of the buffer portion 27 on the moving direction side that swells toward the wall portion 25a is elastically deformed by receiving the reaction force from the wall portion 25a, thereby absorbing the load transmitted from the motor. When the pulley belt 12 is further driven, the belt latch 21 moves integrally with the carrier body 23 by pressing the wall portion 25a in the moving direction via the buffer portion 27.
[0022]
Here, the rising performance of the ink carrier 2 is improved by interposing a gap between the belt latch 21 and the wall 25a of the carrier body 23. However, the belt latch 21 and the carrier body 23 are elastic in the moving direction. Therefore, the load from the motor can be buffered without using grease as in the prior art. As a result, the running property of the ink carrier 2 is stabilized and the printing quality is improved, and it is possible to suppress the generation of abnormal noise in the ink carrier 2 due to the vibration of the motor.
[0023]
[Other Embodiments]
(A) The pair of buffer portions 27 of the belt latch 21 may be separate members such as a leaf spring and a disc spring.
[0024]
(B) The design items such as the number and shape of the protrusions 27c of the pair of buffer portions 27 are not limited to those described in the above embodiment.
[0025]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, since the belt latch and the carrier body are elastically connected in the moving direction, the load from the motor can be buffered without using grease.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an essential part of an ink jet printer provided with an ink carrier according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the ink carrier.
FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a main part of the ink carrier.
FIG. 4 is a bottom view of a belt latch of the ink carrier.
FIG. 5 is a side view of the belt latch.
[Explanation of symbols]
2 Ink carrier 9 Guide shaft 12 Pulley belt 21 Belt latch 23 Carrier body 25 Mounting portion 25a Wall portion 27 Buffer portion r Interval

Claims (2)

An ink carrier mounted with an ink cartridge, reciprocally mounted on a guide shaft extending in a direction perpendicular to the paper feed direction of the recording paper, and reciprocating following a belt provided corresponding to the guide shaft. There,
A belt latch engaged with the belt;
A carrier body having a mounting portion to which the belt latch is mounted;
The mounting portion of the carrier body has two wall portions facing each other perpendicular to the moving direction,
The belt latch is disposed so as to be spaced from each other in the movement direction with respect to the two wall portions, and is configured to be able to contact both wall portions of the carrier body from the movement direction and to be elastically deformable in the movement direction. An ink carrier having a pair of buffer portions. An ink carrier mounted with an ink cartridge, reciprocally mounted on a guide shaft extending in a direction perpendicular to the paper feed direction of the recording paper, and reciprocating following a belt provided corresponding to the guide shaft. There,
The carrier body,
A belt latch attached to the carrier body and engaged with the belt ;
A buffer portion disposed between the carrier body and the belt latch and elastically deformable in a moving direction ;
The carrier body has an attachment portion to which the belt latch is attached,
The mounting portion has two wall portions facing each other perpendicular to the moving direction,
The belt latch is mounted between the two walls;
An ink carrier in which the belt latch and the two wall portions of the carrier body are arranged with a gap in the moving direction .

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