JP4678646B2 - Inkjet printer - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention belongs to a technical field related to an ink jet printer in which a print paper set in a paper set unit is pulled out from the paper set unit and conveyed to the print unit, and printing is performed on the print surface of the print paper. .

  In general, an ink jet printer used in a photographic print system or the like includes a paper set unit in which print paper is set, and conveyance for pulling out the print paper set in the paper set unit from the paper set unit and conveying it to the print unit. And road. In this printing unit, printing is performed by ejecting ink from the print head to the print paper, and the print paper printed by the printing unit is discharged to the outside.

  In the ink jet printer as described above, long paper wound in a roll shape is used, and the print paper is set in the paper set portion in a state wound in a roll shape. For this reason, the printed paper conveyed to the printing unit is curled by the curl of the roll.

  However, when the print paper is curled as described above, the flatness of the print paper in the print section is deteriorated, which is a factor that adversely affects the print quality particularly in an ink jet printer. For this reason, conventionally, the flatness of the print paper is ensured by sucking the print paper to the print table by the suction device in the printing unit (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

On the other hand, it is also known to correct the curl by bending the conveyance path largely in the middle of the conveyance path to the print unit and bending the printed paper to the side opposite to the curl (for example, Patent Document 2). If the curl is corrected on the upstream side of the print unit in this way, there is a possibility that flatness can be secured with a simple and small suction device, or even if the suction device is eliminated. Becomes higher.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-260827 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-86411

  By the way, in the ink jet printer described in Patent Document 2, the curling is corrected by bending the print paper to the opposite side of the curl by bending the conveyance path. As described above, there is a possibility that the curl of the print paper cannot be sufficiently corrected by simply bending the print paper to the side opposite to the curl.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and an object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet printer using curled print paper, without providing a suction device, or by using a small suction device to print in a printing unit. The purpose is to ensure sufficient flatness of the paper.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, the print paper set in a rolled state is pulled out from the paper set unit, and the print paper is placed on the roll in the middle of the conveyance path for conveying it to the print unit. A curl correcting device for correcting the curl by bending in a direction perpendicular to the curl due to the curl is provided.

  Specifically, the first invention is a paper set unit that is set in a state in which a long print paper is wound in a roll shape, a print unit that performs printing on the print paper, and the paper set. An ink jet printer including a transport path for transporting print paper set in the print section to the print section is an object.

A curl correcting device provided in the middle of the transport path for correcting curling of the transported print paper; and an upstream transport path upstream of the curl correcting device in the transport path. It further includes cutting means for cutting the printed paper drawn from the set section into a predetermined length .

Further, the curl correction apparatus includes a first roller portion provided with a plurality of rotatable rollers arranged at predetermined intervals in the paper width direction of the printed paper to be conveyed, and the first roller portion. And a second roller portion provided with a plurality of rotatable rollers provided so as to enter between the plurality of rollers, respectively, and the print paper is disposed between the first roller portion and the second roller portion. The first paper roller and the second paper roller are configured to correct the curl of the printed paper by passing the paper through the receiving position corresponding to the downstream end of the upstream transport path, and the transport path in the transport path. A print that is configured to be movable between a feeding position corresponding to an upstream end of a downstream conveyance path downstream of the curl correction apparatus and conveyed from the upstream conveyance path at the receiving position. With draw receives the chromatography path, conveyed to said transmission out position while gripping the printing paper after cutting, and is configured to print paper in said transmission out position to deliver to the downstream-side transport path.

In the case of the above configuration, the first roller portion provided with a plurality of rotatable rollers arranged at a predetermined interval in the paper width direction and the plurality of rollers of the first roller portion are respectively inserted. A wave-shaped gap is formed between the second roller portion provided with a plurality of rotatable rollers provided on the first roller portion. That is, the respective rollers are alternately disposed along the axial direction of the first roller portion or the second roller portion, and are disposed so as to overlap each other when viewed in the axial direction. The printed paper passing through the gap is bent into a wave shape when viewed in the paper longitudinal direction (paper transport direction) at least during the passage of the gap. The printed paper is bent into a wave shape when viewed in the longitudinal direction of the paper, thereby ensuring the flatness of the printed paper in the longitudinal direction of the paper. That is, by curling the printed paper curled in a convex shape as viewed in the paper width direction by the roll curl, the curl due to the roll curl and the wave-shaped curl are curled and Bending can be regulated and curling due to curling of the roll can be effectively corrected. Further, since this curl correction apparatus is disposed in the middle of the conveyance path and between the paper set unit and the print unit, the curl of the print paper is corrected on the upstream side of the print unit, and the print in the print unit is printed. The flatness of the paper can be ensured .

In addition , the first roller unit and the second roller unit of the curl correction device also serve as a paper transport device that receives print paper from the upstream transport path in the transport path and transports the print paper to the downstream transport path. Fulfill. Furthermore, the curl correction device serves as a so-called switchback device that draws in the print paper conveyed from the upstream conveyance path and sends it out to the downstream conveyance path. Inkjet printers equipped with such a curl correction device that also serves as a paper transport device transport print paper by a first roller unit and a second roller unit that are movable between an upstream transport path and a downstream transport path. The printed paper can be conveyed to the printing unit without being greatly bent. As a result, even when the printed paper is wound in a roll shape, the printed paper can be conveyed without promoting curling. In addition, the print paper transported from the upstream transport path by the curl correction device is once drawn and then sent out to the downstream transport path, so that the print paper is separated from the upstream transport path and is placed in the paper set section. It is conveyed to the printing unit without being affected by the set state of the set print paper. As a result, the inclination of the print paper in the width direction in the print unit can be reduced, and the print quality can be improved.

  In the ink jet printer configured as described above, since the print paper is pulled in and sent out by the first roller portion and the second roller portion of the curl correction apparatus, the print paper is simultaneously drawn in and out of the print paper. The curl can be corrected. That is, the curl of the print paper can be corrected during the print paper transport operation.

  According to the first aspect of the invention, the curl due to curling of the roll is corrected by passing the curl correcting device having the first roller portion and the second roller portion through the print paper on the upstream side of the print portion. Even if the suction device is not provided in the print unit or the suction device is small, the flatness of the printed paper can be ensured. Further, since the printed paper is bent into a wave shape in a direction orthogonal to the curl due to the curl of the roller, the curl can be effectively corrected.

Further , by making the curl correction device also serve as a paper transport device that pulls in and sends out the print paper, it is not necessary to provide a separate member only for correcting the curl, thereby reducing the number of parts and reducing the cost. it can. Further, since the curl of the print paper is corrected together with the print paper transporting operation, the processing time for correcting the curl of the print paper can be shortened, and consequently the print time of the ink jet printer can be shortened.

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

《 Reference example 》
FIG. 1 shows an ink jet printer according to a reference example of the present invention. This ink jet printer is used for a photographic print system, and is connected via a communication cable to a receiving block 100 (see FIG. 9) that acquires image data and order information and performs necessary correction processing and the like. The image data transmitted from the receiving block 100 via the communication cable is printed on the print paper P based on the order information.

  The ink jet printer includes a housing 1, a magazine housing portion 2 disposed in the lower portion of the housing 1, a cassette housing portion 3 disposed in a substantially central portion in the vertical direction in the housing 1, and a housing. A print unit 4 that is disposed in an upper part of the body 1 and prints image data on the print paper P; a first transport path for transporting the print paper P from the magazine housing unit 2 to the print unit 4; A second transport path for transporting the print paper P from the cassette housing unit 3 to the print unit 4 and a second transport path for discharging the print paper P printed by the print unit 4 from the print unit 4 to the outside of the housing 1. 3 and a discharge tray 5 provided outside the housing 1 and receiving the print paper P discharged to the outside of the housing 1 through the third conveyance path. The front-rear direction of the case is the left-right direction in FIG. 1, the front side of the case is the right side of FIG. 1, and the rear side of the case is the left side of FIG. The left-right direction of the housing is a direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG.

  A print paper P, which is a long paper wound in a roll shape, is set in the magazine storage portion 2 while being stored and held in the paper magazine 8. The print paper P is wound so that the print surface to be printed is on the outside. On the other hand, a plurality of print papers P, which are cut sheets, are set in the cassette storage unit 3 while being stored and held in a rectangular box-shaped paper feed cassette 9. The print paper P in the paper feed cassette 9 is stacked in the thickness direction (vertical direction) with the print surface facing upward, and is pressed against a later-described feed roller 35 positioned above by the pressing plate 10. Yes. The magazine housing unit 2 and the cassette housing unit 3 constitute a paper set unit in which the print paper P is set. Then, the print paper P set in the magazine housing unit 2 or the cassette housing unit 3 is conveyed to the printing unit 4 as described later, printed by the printing unit 4, and discharged to the discharge tray 5. ing. In the magazine housing 2, it is also possible to set two print papers P having a small width in parallel in the left-right direction of the housing, and when two are set in parallel in this way, The set two print papers P are simultaneously pulled out from the magazine housing unit 2 and conveyed in two rows. The print unit 4 prints the two print papers P and discharges them simultaneously to the discharge tray.

  In the casing 1, a first supply unit U1, a cutter unit U2, a second supply unit U3, a switchback unit U4, a print unit U5, and a curl correction unit U6 are configured to constitute the first to third transport paths. Is provided. The first transport path is composed of a first supply unit U1, a cutter unit U2, a curl correction unit U6, a switchback unit U4, and a print unit U5 in order from the magazine accommodating portion 2. Further, the second transport path is configured by a second supply unit U3, a switchback unit U4, and a print unit U5 in order from the cassette housing portion 3. Further, the third transport path is constituted by a print unit U5.

  The first supply unit U1 is provided in the magazine housing portion 2 (paper magazine 8). The first supply unit U1 includes three support rollers 15 that support the roll-shaped print paper P, a guide member 16 that guides the print paper P to the cutter unit U2, and a print member that is provided in the middle of the guide member 16. A pressure supply roller 17 composed of driving and driven rollers 17a and 17b for transporting the paper P to the cutter unit U2, and a guide roller 18 provided on the upstream side of the guide member 16 and around which the print paper P is wound. It has. Of the three support rollers 15, a roller disposed on the front side of the casing is rotationally driven by an electric motor (not shown) to apply a rotational force to the print paper P around the center of the roll. Further, the drive roller 17a of the supply roller 17 is fed by an electric motor 30 disposed in the cutter unit U2 via a transmission belt 31 and a gear train 19 and a later-described feed roller 25 disposed in the cutter unit U2. The drive roller 25a is rotationally driven. A first paper detection sensor 20 is provided at the downstream end of the first supply unit U1, and when the print paper P is all pulled out from the magazine housing portion 2 by the first paper detection sensor 20, the first paper detection sensor 20 is provided. The rear end of the print paper P is detected. When the rear end of the print paper P is detected, the fact is notified to the operator via a display or the like.

  The cutter unit U2 is disposed on the rear side of the housing of the first supply unit U1 in a state of being fixed to the vertical frame 6 extending in the vertical direction, and is a crimp-type delivery unit that sends out the print paper P to the curl correction unit U6. A cutting roller 25, a cutter 26 that is disposed downstream of the feeding roller 25 and that cuts the print paper P and includes a fixed blade 26 a and a movable blade 26 b, a drive mechanism that drives the movable blade 26 b, and the like And a guide member 28 that extends in the horizontal direction and feeds the print paper P from the roller 25 to a cutting position by the cutter 26. The cutter 26 cuts the print paper P drawn from the magazine housing unit 2 to a predetermined length based on the order information from the receiving block 100. The feed roller 25 includes one drive roller 25 a and two driven rollers 25 b that sandwich the print paper P, and these driven rollers 25 b are pressed against the drive roller 25 a by one compression coil spring 29. As described above, the drive roller 25a is rotationally driven by the electric motor 30 through the transmission belt 31 together with the drive roller 17a of the supply roller 17 in the first supply unit U1. Then, the print paper P is moved rearward in the horizontal direction by the feed roller 25 and the guide member 28 and sent out to the curl correction unit U6, and a switchback located downstream of the curl correction unit U6 as will be described later. After being received and gripped by the roller pair 41 of the unit U4, it is cut by the cutter 26. The roller pair 41 may receive the print paper P after cutting instead of receiving the print paper P before cutting. However, in this case, since the conveyance path in the cutter unit U2 becomes long, it is preferable to receive it before cutting.

  The curl correction unit U6 is configured to be a roller pair 61 that is configured to be rotatable forward and backward about the central axis and that is opposed to each other in the vertical direction and allows the print paper P to pass therethrough. As shown in FIG. 2, the first roller portion 61a located on the upper side of the roller pair 61 is adjacent to a large-diameter portion 61a1 as a plurality of rollers arranged at predetermined intervals in the rotation axis direction. And a plurality of small diameter portions 61a2 provided between the diameter portions 61a1. Similarly, the second roller portion 61b located on the lower side of the roller pair 61 also has a large-diameter portion 61b1 as a plurality of rollers arranged at predetermined intervals in the rotation axis direction, and an adjacent large-diameter portion. A plurality of small diameter portions 61b2 provided between 61b1 and the large diameter portion 61b1 of the second roller portion 61b is opposed to the small diameter portion 61a2 of the first roller portion 61a, and the small diameter of the second roller portion 61b. The portion 61b2 is opposed to the large diameter portion 61a1 of the first roller portion 61a. In addition, the first roller portion 61a and the second roller portion 61b include a large diameter portion 61a1 of the first roller portion 61a, a large diameter portion and small diameter portions 61b1 and 61b2 of the second roller portion 61b, and a second roller portion 61b. The large-diameter portion 61b1 and the large-diameter portion of the first roller portion 61a and the small-diameter portions 61a1, 61a2 are not in contact with each other, and the outer peripheral edge portion of the large-diameter portion 61a1 of the first roller portion 61a and the second roller portion 61b. It arrange | positions so that it may overlap with the outer peripheral edge part of the large diameter part 61b1 up and down seeing in a rotating shaft direction. In this way, the plurality of large diameter portions 61b1 of the second roller portion 61b enter between the plurality of large diameter portions 61a1 of the first roller portion 61a, that is, the large diameter portions 61a1 of the first roller portion 61a. The large diameter portion 61b1 of the second roller portion 61b is arranged in a so-called staggered manner in the rotation axis direction. As shown in FIG. 3, a wave-shaped gap is formed between the first roller portion 61 a and the second roller portion 61 b configured as described above as viewed from the paper conveying direction. The second roller portion 61b is configured to be movable by a known moving mechanism (not shown) such as a cam mechanism in the direction facing the first roller portion 61a. The first roller portion 61a and the second roller The gap formed between the portion 61b is configured to be adjustable to a desired width. Thus, as will be described later, the curl correction amount for correcting the curl of the print paper P is appropriately set. In addition, although the 1st roller part 61a and the 2nd roller part 61b are each comprised rotatably, the shaft part of the 1st roller part 61a and the 2nd roller part 61b is being fixed, and each axis | shaft is fixed. The large-diameter portion 61a1 and the large-diameter portion 61b1 may be configured to be rotatable with respect to the portion.

  The second supply unit U3 includes a feed roller 35 that comes into contact with the print surface of the print paper P positioned at the top of a plurality of print papers P (cut sheet paper) set in the cassette housing unit 3, and the feed roller 35. And an electric motor 36 that drives the cutting roller 35 through a gear train 37. By driving the feeding roller 35, only one print paper P located at the top moves horizontally in the rearward direction of the housing. Then, it is sent out to the switchback unit U4.

  The switchback unit U4 constitutes a switchback device provided in the middle of the first transport path and the second transport path. The switchback unit U4 is transported from an upstream transport path (that is, the first supply unit U1, the cutter unit U2, the curl correction unit U6, or the second supply unit U3) located upstream of the switchback unit U4. The print paper P is received and sent to the downstream conveyance path (that is, the print unit U5) located downstream of the switchback unit U4 in the direction opposite to the print paper movement direction at the time of receiving the print paper P. ing. That is, in the upstream conveyance path, the print paper P is conveyed toward the rear side of the housing with the print surface facing upward, and in the downstream conveyance path provided at a position above the upstream conveyance path, The paper P is transported toward the front side of the casing opposite to the upstream transport path with the print surface facing upward. However, in the switchback unit U4, the traveling direction of the print paper P faces the print surface upward. In this state, the print paper P is reversed without being bent so that the print paper P can be smoothly transferred from the upstream transport path to the downstream transport path without bending the print paper P.

  Specifically, the switchback unit U4 includes a gripping member that receives and grips the print paper P transported from the upstream transport path. In the present embodiment, the gripping member is configured as a roller pair 41 that is configured to be rotatable forward and backward about the central axis, and is opposed to each other in the vertical direction, and sandwiches the print paper P therebetween. One (the roller in contact with the back surface of the print paper P in this embodiment) is the driving roller 41a, and the other (the roller in contact with the print surface of the print paper P) is the driven roller 41b. The drive roller 41a is rotationally driven around the central axis by an electric motor 42 and a transmission belt 43 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) as a drive mechanism, and the drive roller 41a By forward rotation and reverse rotation, the printing paper P is received and retracted from the upstream conveying path, and the printing paper P is sent to the downstream conveying path. Note that both rollers of the roller pair 41 may be driven, and the functions of driving and driven may be reversed up and down.

  The roller pair 41 is linearly moved in the vertical direction by the moving mechanism at the housing rear side position of the curl correction unit U6, the second supply unit U3, and the print unit U5. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the moving mechanism includes a rail mount 45 that is fixed to the vertical frame 6 and extends in the vertical and horizontal directions of the casing, and a vertical position at one end of the rail mount 45 in the horizontal direction of the casing. A traveling rail 46 attached to extend, and a drive belt 48 that is wound around two pulleys 47 provided near the upper and lower ends of the traveling rail 46 and extends along the traveling rail 46, and a rail mount 45. And an electric motor 49 directly attached to the lower pulley 47. The drive belt 48 is driven forward and reverse by the electric motor 49. A bracket 50 is attached and fixed to the drive belt 48, and a slide member 51 that fits and slides on the travel rail 46 is fixed to the bracket 50, and the drive belt 48 is driven forward and backward by the electric motor 49. As a result, the bracket 50 reciprocates in the vertical direction. The vertical position of the bracket 50 can be determined by measuring the amount of movement (for example, the amount of rotation of the motor) from a reference position (for example, the lowermost end) where a sensor or the like for detecting the bracket 50 is provided. .

  A support plate 52 is fixed to the bracket 50, and one end portions of the driving roller 41 a and the driven roller 41 b in the roller pair 41 are rotatably supported by the support plate 52. Along with the movement, the roller pair 41 moves linearly in the vertical direction. Although not shown, the other end portions of the driving roller 41a and the driven roller 41b are supported by a support portion formed at the other end portion in the left-right direction of the housing of the rail mount 45 so as to be slidable in the vertical direction. .

  The above-described electric motor 42 for driving the drive roller 41a is fixed to the support plate 52. Pulleys 54 are fixed to the rotating shaft of the electric motor 42 and one end of the driving roller 41a. The transmission belt 43 is wound around both pulleys 54, and the driving roller is passed through the transmission belt 43. 41a is driven.

  By the moving mechanism, the roller pair 41 is provided at a receiving position for receiving the print paper P from the upstream transport path, and at a position spaced apart from the receiving position by a predetermined distance and transports the print paper P on the downstream side. It moves linearly between the delivery position and the delivery position. That is, the height position (position near the lower end of the traveling rail 46) substantially the same as the downstream end of the curl correction unit U6 is a reception position (hereinafter referred to as a first reception position) for receiving the print paper P from the curl correction unit U6. The receiving position (hereinafter referred to as the second receiving position) for receiving the print paper P from the second supplying unit U3 is located at substantially the same height as the downstream end of the second supplying unit U3 (substantially the central position in the vertical direction of the traveling rail 46). ). On the other hand, a height position (position near the upper end of the traveling rail 46) that is substantially the same as the upstream end of the print unit U5 is a sending position for sending the print paper P to the print unit U5. Thus, the downstream end of the upstream conveyance path and the upstream end of the downstream conveyance path are separated by a predetermined distance (a value determined by the arrangement of the units U1 to U6 and set to the smallest possible value). In response to this, the roller pair 41 moves.

  The switchback unit U4 receives and grips the print paper P from the upstream conveyance path (curl correction unit U6) by the roller pair 41 at the first receiving position and after the print paper P is cut by the cutter 26. Or, after receiving and gripping the print paper P from the upstream conveyance path (second supply unit U3) by the roller pair 41 at the second receiving position, the roller pair 41 that grips the print paper P by the moving mechanism. The print paper P is moved to the sending position while being separated from the upstream feed path, and the downstream feed path is opposite to the moving direction of the print paper P when the print paper P is received at the send position. It is configured to send out. The moving direction of the print paper P sent out to the downstream side conveyance path is in the horizontal direction opposite to the moving direction at the time of reception (frontward of the casing).

  As shown in FIG. 4, the support plate 52 has first and second support portions for supporting the print paper P positioned below the print paper P gripped by the roller pair 41 at the front and rear portions of the casing of the roller pair 41. The second support members 56 and 57 are fixed (not shown in FIG. 5). The first support member 56 has a role of guiding the print paper P from the curl correction unit U6 to the roller pair 41 in a horizontal state. The first support member 56 is provided with a second paper detection sensor 58 for detecting the print paper P.

  On the other hand, a bent portion bent downward is formed at the rear portion of the housing of the second support member 57, and a pressing roller 59 is in contact with the bent portion. The presser roller 59 is rotatably attached to the tip of the arm 60 that is rotatably supported by the support plate 52, and abuts against the bent portion of the second support member 57 by the weight of the presser roller 59. ing. The bent portion of the second support member 57 and the pressing roller 59 prevent the printed paper P gripped by the roller pair 41 from dropping down and coming into contact with the rear inner wall surface of the housing 1. That is, on the rear side of the switchback unit U4 in the casing 1 (the portion corresponding to the moving range of the roller pair 41 on the opposite side of the upstream conveyance path and the downstream conveyance path with respect to the roller pair 41). Is provided with a space 12 for the print paper P that is gripped by the roller pair 41. By hanging the print paper P downward as described above, the front and rear direction of the space space 12 in the front and rear of the housing is provided. The length along the (upstream direction of the upstream conveyance path) can be made as small as possible. On the other hand, by hanging the print paper P downward, the space 12 for the print paper P gripped by the roller pair 41 is below the portion corresponding to the moving range (below the first receiving position). Although it is necessary to extend, in the present embodiment, with respect to the first transport path, the upstream transport path located on the upstream side of the switchback unit U4 and the first receiving position are set to the print paper P set in the magazine housing portion 2. Therefore, the space 12 can be easily extended downward without increasing the height of the housing 1.

  Although not shown, restriction members for restricting the movement of the print paper P in the width direction are provided at both ends of the first and second support members 56 and 57 in the paper width direction. Both regulating members are configured to be able to change the interval in accordance with the paper width (the width of the paper can be determined by detecting the identification code portion provided in the paper magazine 8). When the print paper P is conveyed in two rows as described above, another regulating member enters the conveyance path at the center between the two regulating members, and is conveyed in two rows by these three regulating members. The movement of each printed paper P in the width direction is restricted.

  The print unit U5 is provided at a fixed base 65 fixed to a horizontal frame 7 extending in the horizontal direction at the upper end position of the vertical frame 6, and is provided at an intermediate portion in the vertical direction of the fixed base 65, and supports the print paper P during printing. A print table 66 and a print head 67 facing the print paper P located on the print table 66 and ejecting ink to the print paper P for printing are provided. The print table 66 and the print head 67 constitute the print unit 4.

  The print table 66 is not configured to suck and hold the print paper P from below the print table 66 with a fan or the like, and does not have a suction hole or the like as shown in FIG. . At both ends of the print table 66 in the paper width direction (X direction shown in FIG. 6), a plurality of grooves 66a (6 on each side in this embodiment) extending in the paper transport direction (Y direction) are formed in the paper width direction. It is formed to line up at a predetermined interval. Each of the grooves 66a is provided corresponding to both positions in the width direction of the print paper P having various sizes. In each groove 66a, the ink ejected from the print head 67 is arranged in the width direction of the print paper P. An ink absorbing material 68 for absorbing the ink is fitted when it comes off from both ends (especially, it easily comes off when performing borderless printing). A concave portion 66b is formed in the central portion of the print table 66 in the paper width direction, corresponding to each position of three head units 67a described later, and 2 pieces of print paper P are placed in each concave portion 66b. An ink absorbing material 69 that absorbs ink preliminarily ejected (trial strike before printing) from each head unit 67a of the print head 67 when being printed in a row is fitted.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the print head 67 has a plurality of ink discharge nozzles 67b in the sub-scanning direction (paper transport direction (Y direction)) on the bottom surface (the surface facing the print table 66). Three head units 67a are provided so as to form a row, and these three head units 67a are arranged at intervals in the sub-scanning direction. Although only one row of nozzles of each head unit 67a is shown in FIG. 6, in practice, a plurality of nozzle rows are arranged in the paper width direction corresponding to each of a plurality of colors of ink. Further, the number of head units 67a is not necessarily three, but may be one or two, or may be four or more.

  The upper surface of the print head 67 is fixedly attached to a drive belt 70 for reciprocating the print head 67 in the main scanning direction (direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 1 (X direction shown in FIG. 6)). The drive belt 70 extends in the main scanning direction, and is wound around two pulleys 71 (only one is shown in FIG. 1) disposed at both ends thereof and rotatably supported on the upper portion of the fixed base 65. It is hung. The one pulley 71 is rotationally driven by an electric motor (not shown). A guide rail 72 extending in the main scanning direction along the drive belt 70 is attached and fixed to the upper portion of the fixed base 65, and the print head 67 is guided by the guide rail 72 while being driven by the drive belt 70. It reciprocates in the scanning direction. The print paper P on the print table 66 is intermittently (stepwise) conveyed in the sub-scanning direction by a constant unit conveyance amount by a conveyance roller 75 provided on the upstream side of the print table 66, and this intermittent conveyance is performed. At each stop of the print paper P at the time, the print head 67 is scanned one time in the main scanning direction (one-way operation or one-time operation), and the ink of each head unit 67a at each position in the main scanning direction during this scanning. Ink is ejected from the ejection nozzle 67b. That is, after one scan of the print head 67, the print paper P is transported by the unit transport amount, and then the print head 67 is scanned once again, and this operation is repeated to print a desired image. .

  The transport roller 75 is provided at the upstream end of the print unit U5 (that is, the upstream end of the downstream transport path and in the vicinity of the roller pair 41 (see FIG. 7) positioned at the delivery position). The print paper P delivered by the roller pair 41 positioned at the delivery position is received and conveyed to the printing unit 4. Like the feed roller 25 in the cutter unit U2, the transport roller 75 includes one drive roller 75a and two driven rollers 75b that sandwich the print paper P, and the two driven rollers 75b are one compression coil spring. 76 is pressed against the driving roller 75a. The drive roller 75a is rotated by an electric motor 77 via a transmission belt 78.

  The height position of the sandwiched portion of the print paper P sandwiched by the transport roller 75 is higher than the upper surface of the print table 66, and the print paper P is wound around the drive roller 75a while being printed. The portion of the print base 66 that is wound around the drive roller 75a by the guide roller 79 that is supported from the upper end of the print table 66 so as to have a gap above the upstream end. In other words, the print paper P is conveyed in a state where the back surface of the print paper P is substantially in contact with the upper surface of the print table 66.

  On the other hand, on the downstream side of the printing table 66, two pairs of pressure bonding composed of driving and driven rollers 81a and 81b are provided to form a third transport path for discharging the printed paper P to the outside of the housing 1. The mold discharge rollers 81 are provided at intervals in the paper transport direction. The drive roller 81 a of each discharge roller 81 is driven simultaneously by the electric motor 82 via the transmission belt 83. The height of the downstream discharge roller 81 is higher than that of the upstream discharge roller 81, and the print paper P is lifted between the downstream discharge roller 81 and the upstream discharge roller 81 and the downstream side. A guide member 84 that leads to the discharge roller 81 is provided.

As described above, since the print paper P is lifted to a position higher than the upper surface of the print table 66 on the upstream side and the downstream side of the print table 66, the portion of the print paper P on the print table 66 is the print table 66. pressing et Re becomes so that the upper surface. Thereby, the flatness of the print paper P on the print table 66 is ensured. In particular, the print paper P conveyed from the magazine housing unit 2 is curled so that the central portion in the length direction protrudes toward the print surface side with respect to both ends by the rolls of the roll. Even if the print paper P is curled, the flatness can be secured without being attracted to the print table 66. In the present embodiment, as will be described later, the print paper P conveyed from the magazine accommodating portion 2 is corrected for the curl before being supplied to the print table 66, so that the flatness is further improved. Can do.

  The discharge tray 5 is provided on the front side of the discharge roller 81 outside the casing 1 and protrudes forward of the casing 1, and an auxiliary tray 5a is stored at the front end thereof. . When the length of the printed paper P to be discharged is longer than the length of the discharge tray 5, the auxiliary tray 5a can receive the long printed paper P by pulling it forward of the housing 1. ing.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the inkjet printer has a microprocessor 101 (hereinafter referred to as a CPU), a conveyance control unit 102 connected to the CPU 101 via a data bus, a head control unit 103, and a print control. Unit 104, semiconductor memory RAM / ROM 105, communication interface 106, and first paper detection sensor 20 and second paper detection sensor 58 described above.

  The transport control unit 102 controls the operation of each of the units U1 to U6. The head control unit 103 controls the operation of the print head 67. The communication interface 106 is for transmitting and receiving information to and from the reception block 100. The print control unit 104 controls the print paper P to print image data based on the image data received from the receiving block 100 via the communication interface 106.

  Under the control of the conveyance control unit 102, the units U1 to U6 operate as follows.

  When printing is performed on the print paper P set in the magazine housing unit 2, the roller pair 41 of the switchback unit U4 is positioned at the first receiving position (see FIG. 1). Then, by operating the support roller 15 and the supply roller 17 of the first supply unit U1 and the feed roller 25 of the cutter unit U2, the print paper P is pulled out from the magazine accommodating portion 2 and the roller pair 61 of the curl correction unit U6. Is conveyed to the roller pair 41 located at the first receiving position.

  Here, the printed paper P passes between the first roller portion 61a and the second roller portion 61b having the large diameter portions 61a1 and 61b1 and the small diameter portions 61a2 and 61b2, respectively. (See FIG. 3), the curl due to the curl of the roll is corrected. Thus, the printed paper P with the curl corrected is conveyed to the roller pair 41.

  The driving roller 41a of the roller pair 41 starts to drive when the leading edge of the print paper P is detected by the second paper detection sensor 58, and rotates (forward) in the counterclockwise direction in FIGS. Receives and grips the printed paper P that has been conveyed from the correction unit U6 in the rearward direction in the horizontal direction. That is, the print paper P is sandwiched between the driving roller 41a and the driven roller 41b. The drive roller 41a continues to drive and draws the print paper P into the space space 12 on the rear side of the casing. Then, after the leading edge of the print paper P is detected by the second paper detection sensor 58, after the amount determined based on the order information is conveyed, the movable blade 26b of the cutter 26 is operated to cut the print paper P. The After this cutting, the driving roller 41a continues to drive, and stops when the rear end portion of the cut print paper P is gripped by the roller pair 41. At this stage, the print paper P gripped by the roller pair 41 is not on the upstream conveyance path, but is separated from the upstream conveyance path. The operations of the support roller 15 and the supply roller 17 of the first supply unit U1 and the feed roller 25 of the cutter unit U2 are stopped after the print paper P is cut.

  Subsequently, the drive belt 48 of the switchback unit U4 operates, and the roller pair 41 moves upward and stops at the delivery position (see FIG. 7). As a result, the print paper P is conveyed from the receiving position to the sending position in a state where it is separated from the upstream conveying path (cutter unit U2).

  Thereafter, the drive roller 41a of the roller pair 41 rotates (reverses) in the clockwise direction in FIG. 7, and sends the cut print paper P to the transport roller 75 of the print unit U5 in the horizontal direction forward of the housing.

  When the print paper P is sent out, the front end of the print paper P (rear end at the time of receipt) is detected by the second paper detection sensor 58. By this detection, the transport roller 75 of the print unit U5 starts to operate. Receives the print paper P sent out from the switchback unit U4 and conveys it to the print stand 66 as it is. The roller pair 41 of the switchback unit U4 moves downward and returns to the first receiving position after the rear end of the print paper P is detected by the second paper detection sensor 58.

  The print head 67 is moved in the main scanning direction while being intermittently conveyed by the conveyance amount by the conveyance roller 75, and printing on the print table 66 is performed from the ink discharge nozzle 67 b of each head unit 67 a of the print head 67. Printing is performed by ejecting ink to the paper P.

  The printed print paper P is discharged to the outside of the housing 1 with the print surface facing upward by the discharge roller 81 and received by the discharge tray 5.

  On the other hand, when printing is performed on the print paper P set in the cassette housing portion 3, the roller pair 41 of the switchback unit U4 is positioned at the second receiving position (see FIG. 8). Then, by the operation of the feed roller 35 of the second supply unit U3, the print paper P is pulled out from the cassette housing portion 3 and conveyed to the roller pair 41 located at the second receiving position.

  Subsequently, like the print paper P pulled out from the magazine accommodating portion 2, the roller pair 41 grips the rear end portion of the print paper P, and then moves upward and stops at the sending position. As a result, the print paper P is conveyed from the receiving position to the sending position in a state where the print paper P is cut off from the upstream conveying path (second supply unit U3). In the case of the print paper P set in the cassette housing portion 3, it is not necessary to perform curl correction. Therefore, between the second supply unit U3 and the roller pair 41, the curl correction unit U6 is not used. A device for correcting the curl of the print paper P is not provided. Thereafter, the driving roller 41a of the roller pair 41 reverses and sends the print paper P to the transport roller 75 of the print unit U5 in the direction opposite to the moving direction when receiving the print paper P.

  When the print paper P is delivered to the conveyance roller 75, the leading edge of the print paper P is detected by the second paper detection sensor 58, and the conveyance roller 75 of the print unit U5 starts to operate by this detection. The transport roller 75 continues to operate without stopping, receives the print paper P sent out from the switchback unit U4, and transports it to the print table 66 as it is. The roller pair 41 of the switchback unit U4 moves downward and returns to the second receiving position after the rear end of the print paper P is detected by the second paper detection sensor 58.

  Next, in the same manner as the print paper P drawn out from the magazine housing unit 2, printing is performed by moving the print head 67 in the main scanning direction while intermittently transporting the print paper P by the transport amount by the transport roller 75. . The printed print paper P is discharged by the discharge roller 81 to the outside of the housing 1 with the print surface facing upward, and is received by the discharge tray 5.

Therefore, in the above reference example , the print paper P is bent into a wave shape in a direction perpendicular to the curl due to the curl of the roll in the magazine housing unit 2 by the curl correction unit U6, so that the curl can be corrected. As a result, the flatness of the print paper P in the print unit 4 is ensured, and the print quality can be improved.

In the above reference example, it is necessary to pass the print paper P between the upstream conveyance path and the switchback unit U4. However, the curl correction unit U6 is connected to the roller pair 41 of the cutter unit U2 and the switchback unit U4. Since the curling can be corrected before the print paper P is transferred between the cutter unit U2 and the roller pair 41 by being disposed between the front end of the print paper P, the curl is curved by the curl as the print paper P is fed out. If it is not possible to reach the roller pair 41 accurately, it is possible to prevent it. That is, it is possible to reliably transfer the print paper P between the upstream conveyance path and the switchback unit U4, and it is possible to prevent paper jam or the like from occurring.

In the reference example , the curl correction unit U6 is disposed between the cutter unit U2 and the switchback unit U4. However, the curl correction unit U6 is between the magazine housing unit 2 and the printing unit 4 and is pulled out from the magazine housing unit 2. As long as the curl due to the curl of the roll of the printed paper P can be corrected, the print paper P may be placed in any location. However, for example, when the print unit U5 is arranged immediately upstream of the print unit U5, the first roller unit 61a and the first roller unit 61a of the curl correction unit U6 are not used for the uncurled print paper P conveyed from the cassette housing unit 3. It is necessary to prevent the printed paper P from wrinkling, for example, by increasing the distance between the two roller portions 61b.

In the above reference example , the print paper P is transported by the switchback unit U4 between the upstream transport path and the downstream transport path. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the upstream transport path and the downstream transport path are not limited thereto. A conveyance roller may be provided between the side conveyance path and the print paper P may be continuously conveyed from the upstream conveyance path to the downstream conveyance path. In such a case, the curl correction unit U6 can be disposed at any location as long as it is in the middle of the conveyance path and between the magazine storage unit 2 and the printing unit 4.

"Implementation-shaped state of the invention"
Figure 10 shows an ink jet printer according to the embodiment forms state of the present invention. In this inkjet printer, the switchback unit U4 also serves as a curl correction device (in other words, the curl correction unit U6 also serves as a switchback device) in contrast to the inkjet printer according to the reference example . That is, in this embodiment shaped state, as shown in FIG. 10, the roller pair 62 of the curl straightening unit U62 is instead of the roller pair 41 of the switchback unit U4 in reference example are disposed on the support plate 52.

Specifically, a switchback unit U42 according to the present embodiment forms condition includes a gripping member for gripping receives the print paper P conveyed from the upstream conveying path. Each of the gripping members is configured as a roller pair 62 that is configured to be rotatable forward and backward around the central axis and that is opposed to each other in the vertical direction and sandwiches the print paper P therebetween, and one of the roller pairs 62 (this embodiment) In this case, the roller that contacts the back surface of the print paper P is the second roller portion 62b that rotates, and the other roller (the roller that contacts the print surface of the print paper P) is the first roller portion 62a that is driven to rotate.

  As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 11, the first roller portion 62 a is formed between a large-diameter portion 62 a 1 as a plurality of rollers arranged at a predetermined interval in the rotation axis direction and an adjacent large-diameter portion 62 a 1. And a plurality of small diameter portions 62a2. Similarly, the second roller portion 62b has a plurality of small diameters provided between a large diameter portion 62b1 as a plurality of rollers arranged at predetermined intervals in the rotation axis direction and an adjacent large diameter portion 62b1. The large diameter portion 62b1 of the second roller portion 62b is opposed to the small diameter portion 62a2 of the first roller portion 62a, and the small diameter portion 62b2 of the second roller portion 62b is large of the first roller portion 62a. It faces the diameter portion 62a1. The first roller portion 62a and the second roller portion 62b are a large diameter portion 62a1 of the first roller portion 62a and a small diameter portion 62b2 of the second roller portion 62b, and a small diameter portion 62a2 of the first roller portion 62a and the second roller. The large diameter portion 62b1 of the portion 62b is not in contact with each other, and the outer peripheral edge portion of the large diameter portion 62a1 of the first roller portion 62a and the outer peripheral edge portion of the large diameter portion 62b1 of the second roller portion 62b are viewed in the rotational axis direction. It arrange | positions so that it may overlap up and down. In this way, the plurality of large diameter portions 62b1 of the second roller portion 62b are respectively inserted between the plurality of large diameter portions 62a1 of the first roller portion 62a, that is, the large diameter portions 62a1 of the first roller portion 62a and The large diameter portion 62b1 of the second roller portion 62b is arranged in a so-called staggered manner in the rotation axis direction. The first roller portion 62a is configured to be movable by a known moving mechanism (not shown) such as a cam mechanism in a direction facing the second roller portion 62b. The first roller portion 62a and the second roller The gap formed between the portion 62b is configured to be adjustable to a desired width. Thus, the curl correction amount for correcting the curl of the print paper P is appropriately set. In addition, although the 1st roller part 62a and the 2nd roller part 62b are each comprised so that rotation is possible, each axial part of the 1st roller part 62a and the 2nd roller part 62b is being fixed, and each axis | shaft is fixed. The large-diameter portion 62a1 and the large-diameter portion 62b1 may be configured to be rotatable with respect to the portion.

The first roller portion 62a is rotationally driven around the central axis by an electric motor 42 and a transmission belt 43 as a drive mechanism, as in the reference example . This first roller portion By forward rotation and reverse rotation of 62a, the printing paper P is received and retracted from the upstream conveyance path, and the printing paper P is sent out to the downstream conveyance path. Other configurations of the switchback unit U42 are the same as those of the switchback unit U4 of the reference example .

In the inkjet printer according to an exemplary shaped state, under the control of the conveyance control unit 102, each unit U1~U62 operates as follows. Note that description of operations similar to those of the reference example is omitted.

  When printing is performed on the print paper P set in the magazine housing portion 2, the roller pair 62 of the switchback unit U42 is positioned at the first receiving position (see FIG. 10). Then, by operating the support roller 15 and supply roller 17 of the first supply unit U1 and the feed roller 25 of the cutter unit U2, the print paper P is pulled out of the magazine housing portion 2 and is positioned at the first receiving position. Transport to pair 62.

Here, the curl correction unit U6 in the reference example is not provided on the downstream side of the cutter unit U2, and the print paper P sent out in the horizontal direction from the downstream end of the guide member 28 of the cutter unit U2 is the first as it is. It is conveyed to the roller pair 62 located at the receiving position.

  The second roller portion 62b of the roller pair 62 starts to drive when the leading edge of the print paper P is detected by the second paper detection sensor 58 and rotates (forward) in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. Receives and grips the print paper P that has been transported rearward from the housing in the horizontal direction from U2. After that, after conveying the amount determined based on the order information, the movable blade 26b of the cutter 26 is operated to cut the print paper P, and the rear end portion of the cut print paper P is gripped by the roller pair 62. Now, the driving of the second roller portion 62b stops.

  In this way, the print paper P passes between the first roller portion 62a and the second roller portion 62b having the large diameter portions 62a1 and 62b1 and the small diameter portions 62a2 and 62b2, respectively, thereby correcting curling due to roll curl.

  Subsequently, the roller pair 62 moves upward and stops at the delivery position. Thereafter, the roller pair 62 sends the cut print paper P to the transport roller 75 of the print unit U5. The conveyance roller 75 receives the print paper P sent out from the switchback unit U42 and conveys it to the print table 66 as it is. Then, the printing unit 4 performs printing on the print paper P. The printed print paper P is discharged to the outside of the housing 1 and received by the discharge tray 5.

  On the other hand, when printing is performed on the print paper P set in the cassette housing unit 3, printing is performed from the cassette housing unit 3 by the roller pair 62 of the switchback unit U42 that is positioned at the second receiving position. Receive paper P. At this time, the gap between the first roller portion 62a and the second roller portion 62b of the roller pair 62 can sandwich the print paper P between the first roller portion 62a and the second roller portion 62b, and the print paper P In addition, it is set to such an extent that the wavy shape does not appear when viewed in the longitudinal direction of the paper. That is, since it is not necessary to correct the curl for the print paper P set in the cassette accommodating portion 3, the roller pair 62 does not serve as a curl correcting device but serves only as a paper conveying device. Yes.

  Then, similarly to the print paper P pulled out from the magazine accommodating portion 2, the roller pair 62 grips the rear end portion of the print paper P, and then moves upward to stop at the sending position. Thereafter, the roller pair 62 sends the print paper P to the transport roller 75 of the print unit U5. The print paper P sent out to the print unit U5 is printed in the printing unit 4 and discharged to the discharge tray 5.

Therefore, the above-described type condition, the roller pair 62 is a paper transporting apparatus and a switchback device also serves as a curl correction unit U62, there is no need to separately provide a member only for correcting the curl, to reduce the number of parts Cost reduction. Further, since the curl of the print paper P is corrected together with the switchback operation in the paper transport, the processing time for correcting the curl of the print paper P can be shortened, and consequently the print time of the ink jet printer can be shortened. Can do.

<< Other Embodiments >>
In the above-described type condition and Reference Example, the first and second roller portions 61a, 61b (62a, 62b) large-diameter portion 61a1,61b1 (62a1,62b1) of an outer diameter is largest in the central part in an axial direction The outer diameter is smaller toward the end side, but it is not limited to this. For example, the large diameter portions 61a1 and 61b1 (62a1 and 62b1) may be formed in a cylindrical shape having a constant outer diameter. That is, the large-diameter portions 61a1 and 61b1 (62a1 and 62b1) having relatively large outer diameters and the small-diameter portions 61a2 and 61b2 (62a2 and 62b2) having relatively small outer shapes are alternately arranged to form the first roller portion. A wavy gap may be formed between 61a (62a) and the second roller portion 61b (62b). Further, in the above-described type condition and reference examples, the large diameter portion of the first roller part 61a (62a) 61a1 and (62a1) and the large diameter portion of the second roller section 61b (62b) 61b1 (62b1), but each of four The three large-diameter portions 61a1 (62a1) of the first roller portion 61a (62a) and the large-diameter portions 61b1 (62b1) of the second roller portion 61b (62b) are staggered in the rotation axis direction. As long as it is configured to be alternately arranged, the number of large diameter portions 61a1 (62a1) and 61b1 (62b1) may be any number.

Further, in the above-described type status and reference examples, but was provided with both of the magazine containing portion 2 and the cassette accommodating portion 3 may be provided only magazine housing portion 2, providing a plurality of magazine housing portion 2 as It may be.

In addition, the ink-jet printer in the above-described type condition and Reference Examples, the printer of the present invention is applied to an ink jet printer used for a photographic printing system, in which the print paper P to be conveyed from the paper setting portion to the print unit 4 If so, the present invention can be applied to anything.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is useful for an ink jet printer in which print paper set in a paper set portion is pulled out from the paper set portion and conveyed to the print portion, and is particularly useful for an ink jet printer used in a photographic print system.

It is the schematic seen from the housing | casing side which shows the structure of the inkjet printer which concerns on the reference example of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the roller pair of a curl correction unit. It is the figure seen from the case front side which shows the roller pair of a curl correction unit. It is the figure seen from the housing | casing side which shows the structure of a switchback unit. It is the figure seen from the housing | casing rear which shows the principal part of a switchback unit. It is a top view which shows a printing stand. FIG. 2 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1 illustrating a state when a roller pair of the switchback unit is located at a delivery position. FIG. 3 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1 showing a state when a roller pair of the switchback unit is located at a second receiving position. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a control system. It shows a configuration of an ink jet printer according to an exemplary shape condition of the present invention, is a schematic view seen from the casing side direction. It is the figure seen from the housing | casing rear which shows the principal part of a switchback unit.

P Print paper U6, u62 Curl correction unit (Curl correction device)
2 Magazine storage (paper set)
26 Cutter (cutting means)
4 Print part 61a, 62a First roller part 61a1, 61b1, 62a1, 62b1 Large diameter part (roller)
61b, 62b Second roller part

Claims (1)

A paper set unit that is set in a state in which a long print paper is wound in a roll shape, a print unit that performs printing on the print paper, and a print paper that is set in the paper set unit. An ink jet printer having a transport path for transporting to
A curl correcting device that is provided in the middle of the transport path and corrects curl of the transported printed paper ;
A cutting means provided in the upstream conveyance path upstream of the curl correction device in the conveyance path, and cutting the printed paper drawn out from the paper set unit into a predetermined length ;
The curl correction device is
A first roller part provided with a plurality of rotatable rollers arranged at a predetermined interval in the paper width direction of the printed paper to be conveyed, and a plurality of rollers of the first roller part so as to enter respectively. And a second roller portion provided with a plurality of rotatable rollers provided in the
It is configured to correct the curl of the print paper by passing the print paper through the gap between the first roller portion and the second roller portion ,
The first roller portion and the second roller portion are
It is configured to be movable between a receiving position corresponding to the downstream end of the upstream conveyance path and a delivery position corresponding to the upstream end of the downstream conveyance path downstream of the curl correction device in the conveyance path. And
The print paper transported from the upstream transport path at the receiving position is received and pulled, and the cut print paper is gripped and transported to the transport position, and the print paper is transported to the transport position at the transport position. An ink jet printer configured to be sent out to a downstream conveyance path .

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