JP5482531B2 - Recording apparatus and recording method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a recording apparatus and a recording method.

  Recording devices such as ink jet printers are already well known.

  In such a recording apparatus, a transport path for transporting a recording medium, a cover that can be opened and closed to cover the transport path in a closed state, and a cover provided on the cover, the transport path in a state in which the cover is closed Some of the above recording media have a plurality of blowers capable of blowing air.

JP 2009-34931 A

  By the way, in the recording apparatus, if a large number of blowers are provided on the cover, the blower can uniformly send the wind onto the recording medium. However, if this is done, the handling performance of the cover (for example, the cover is heavy and difficult to open and close the cover) is deteriorated due to the provision of a large number of fans in the cover. However, if the number of blowers is reduced in order to improve the handleability of the cover, there is a risk that the wind cannot be evenly sent over the recording medium.

  This invention is made | formed in view of this subject, The place made into the objective is to improve the handling property of a cover, implement | achieving suitable ventilation with a fan.

The main present invention provides a transport path for transporting a recording medium, an openable / closable cover that covers the transport path in the closed state, and the cover on the transport path in the closed state. A recording apparatus having a plurality of blowers capable of blowing air to a recording medium, wherein the plurality of blowers are arranged in a staggered manner.
Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

2 is a schematic front view of the printer 11. FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating an appearance of the printer 11 with a cover 33 closed. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating an appearance of the printer 11 with a cover 33 opened. 2 is a block diagram of the overall configuration of a printer 11. FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a positional relationship of the platen 17, the continuous paper S, the axial fan 300, and the intake port 310 (filter 320) when the printer 11 is viewed from the side. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a positional relationship of the platen 17, the continuous paper S, the axial fan 300, and the air inlet 310 (filter 320) when the printer 11 is viewed from directly above. FIG.

  At least the following will be made clear by the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

A transport path for transporting the recording medium;
An openable and closable cover that covers the transport path in a closed state;
A plurality of blowers provided on the cover and capable of blowing air to the recording medium on the transport path in a state where the cover is closed;
In a recording apparatus having
The recording apparatus, wherein the plurality of blowers are arranged in a staggered manner.
According to such a recording apparatus, it is possible to improve the handleability of the cover while realizing appropriate air blowing by the blower.

Further, in the staggered arrangement, at positions corresponding to both the first part where the blower is located and the second part where the blower adjacent to the first part is not located,
An intake port may be provided.
In such a case, more appropriate air blowing by the blower is realized.

The cover is rotatably connected to the recording apparatus main body,
A part of the plurality of blowers is arranged in a direction along the rotation axis direction of the cover, and the first blower row is located farther from the rotation shaft than the first blower row. A second blower row partially aligned in the direction along the rotational axis direction,
The number of fans belonging to the first fan row may be greater than the number of fans belonging to the second fan row.
In such a case, the handling property of the cover is further improved.

Next, a recording method for recording an image on a recording medium on a conveyance path,
A cover that can be opened and closed to cover the transport path in the closed state; and a plurality of blowers that are provided on the cover and that can blow air to the recording medium on the transport path when the cover is closed, A recording method, wherein the image is recorded using a recording device in which a plurality of blowers are arranged in a staggered manner.
According to this recording method, it is possible to improve the handleability of the cover while realizing appropriate air blowing by the blower.

=== About Configuration Example of Printer 11 ===
Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the recording apparatus of the present invention is embodied in a lateral type ink jet printer will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of the printer 11. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the printer 11 with the cover 33 closed. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the printer 11 with the cover 33 opened. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the overall configuration of the printer 11. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship of the platen 17, the continuous paper S, the axial fan 300, and the air inlet 310 (filter 320) when the printer 11 is viewed from the side. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship of the platen 17, the continuous paper S, the axial fan 300, and the air inlet 310 (filter 320) when the printer 11 is viewed from directly above. In the following description, the terms “front-rear direction”, “left-right direction”, and “up-down direction” refer to the directions indicated by arrows in FIGS. 1 to 3, 5, and 6. .

  As shown in FIG. 1, a printer 11 as a recording apparatus includes a cuboid body case 12. The main body case 12 is roughly divided into three along the left-right direction, and is a feeding part 13, a printing part 14, and a winding part 15 from the left side to the right side. A flat base 16 that divides the interior of the main body case 12 in the vertical direction is provided at a position slightly above the center in the vertical direction in the main body case 12.

  At a position corresponding to the printing unit 14 on the base 16, a platen 17 that is a support unit of a rectangular plate-like rigid body is disposed. The main body case 12 accommodates a transport unit 18 for transporting the continuous paper S as an example of a long recording medium.

  The transport unit 18 includes a winding shaft 20 extending in the front-rear direction, rollers 21 to 25, a winding shaft 26, and a transport motor 27 for rotating the winding shaft 26. The winding shaft 20 and the roller 21 are accommodated in the feeding portion 13, the rollers 22 to 25 and the transport motor 27 are accommodated in the printing portion 14, and the winding shaft 26 is accommodated in the winding portion 15.

  The continuous paper S is wound around the rollers 21 to 25 with the left end side wound around the winding shaft 20 and the right end side wound around the winding shaft 26. Then, along with the rotation drive of the transport motor 27, the take-up section from the feeding section 13 side slides on the support surface 17a which is the upper surface of the platen 17 as an example of the transport path for transporting the continuous paper S. It is conveyed toward the 15 side.

  In the printing unit 14, guide rails 28 (indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 1) extending in the left-right direction are provided on both the front and rear sides of the platen 17 so as to form a pair. The upper surface of the guide rail 28 is higher than the upper surface of the platen 17, and a rectangular carriage unit 29 is formed on the upper surface of both guide rails 28 along the both guide rails 28 based on the drive of a drive mechanism (not shown). It is supported in a state where it can reciprocate in the direction. A head unit 30 is supported on the lower surface side of the carriage unit 29.

  A certain range from the left end to the right end of the platen 17 is a recording area, and the continuous paper S is intermittently conveyed in units of the recording area. Then, nozzles (not shown) provided on the lower surface side of the head unit 30 with the reciprocation of the carriage unit 29 with respect to the continuous paper S that is stopped on the platen 17 by intermittent conveyance in units of recording areas. The recording process is performed on the continuous paper S by ejecting the ink.

  A heater unit 31 for heating the support surface 17a is incorporated below the support surface 17a of the platen 17. Then, heat is transferred to the continuous paper S through the support surface 17a heated by the heater unit 31, thereby promoting the drying of the ink adhering to the continuous paper S. A blower unit 32 is disposed above the platen 17 and the carriage unit 29.

  In the main body case 12, an openable / closable cover 33 is provided on an upper portion corresponding to the printing unit 14, and a blower unit 32 is provided on the cover 33. The cover 33 covers the platen 17 as an example of a transport path for transporting the continuous paper S in the closed state. The blower unit 32 will be described in detail later.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cover 33 is configured to open by a lifting operation that resists its own weight, and a handle 38 is attached to the front side in the closed state, and the rear end side. Is provided with a hinge portion 39 for connecting the cover 33 to the main body case 12 in a rotatable manner. That is, the cover 33 is rotatably connected to the printer body. The hinge portion 39 incorporates a spring (not shown) as operation assisting means for assisting the lifting operation by reducing the weight of the cover 33 by urging the cover 33 in the opening direction.

  Further, a locking portion 41 (see FIG. 3) is provided at the portion of the body case 12 that contacts the front end of the cover 33 in the closed state, while the front end of the cover 33 enters the locking portion 41. A locking piece (not shown) to be removed is provided. When the cover 33 is closed against the urging force of the spring, the cover 33 is held in the closed state by the locking piece being locked by the locking portion 41. ing.

  Next, the control configuration of the printer 11 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The printer 11 that has received a print command (print data) from the external device 60 controls each unit (conveyance unit 18, carriage unit 29, head unit 30, heater unit 31, blower unit 32) with the controller 110, and continuous paper. An image is recorded in S. In addition, the detector group 150 monitors the situation in the printer 11, and the controller 110 controls each unit based on the detection result.

  The controller 110 is a control unit for controlling the printer 11. The interface unit 111 is for transmitting and receiving data between the external device 60 and the printer 11. The CPU 112 is an arithmetic processing device for controlling the entire printer 11. The memory 113 is for securing an area for storing a program of the CPU 112, a work area, and the like. The CPU 112 controls each unit by a unit control circuit 114 according to a program stored in the memory 113.

<<< About Blower Unit 32 >>>
Next, the blower unit 32 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2, 3, 5, and 6.

  The blower unit 32 includes an axial fan 300 as an example of a blower, an intake port 310, and a filter 320.

  The axial fan 300 is for rotating the air to send (blow) air to the continuous paper S on the platen 17 to dry the ink landed on the continuous paper S. As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of the axial fans 300 are provided in the above-described cover 33 (more specifically, on the inner surface side of the cover 33) so as to be supported by the support frame 36.

  Each of the axial fans 300 is positioned above the platen 17 when the cover 33 is closed, and the support surface 17a of the platen 17 (in other words, the continuous paper S on the platen 17). On the other hand, when the cover 33 is opened, it is located at a position retracted from above the platen 17 (see FIG. 3). Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the axial fan 300 has an axial direction along the vertical direction so that when the cover 33 is closed, the air blowing direction with respect to the support surface 17a is perpendicular to the support surface 17a. In the state, it is attached to the cover 33. Therefore, the axial fan 300 can blow air to the support surface 17a of the platen 17 (in other words, the continuous paper S on the platen 17) with the cover 33 closed.

  In the present embodiment, five axial flow fans 300 are provided. The five axial fans 300 (first axial fan 300a, second axial fan 300b, third axial fan 300c, fourth axial fan 300d, and fifth axial fan 300e) are shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, they are arranged in a staggered pattern. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the axial fan 300 is not located in the first part 400 where the axial fan 300 (for example, the first axial fan 300a) is located and the adjacent second part 410. Conversely, the axial fan 300 (for example, the first axial fan 300a, for example) is adjacent to the second part 410 (for example, the part denoted by reference numeral 410a in FIG. 6) where the axial fan 300 is not located. The second axial fan 300b and the third axial fan 300c) are located.

  Further, as described above, the cover 33 provided with the axial fan 300 is rotatably connected to the printer body, but is close to the rotation shaft 40 (in other words, the hinge portion 39) of the cover 33. More axial fans 300 are arranged on the side. That is, in the blower unit 32 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, some of the plurality of axial fans 300 are along the rotation axis direction of the cover 33 (in the left-right direction in the present embodiment). A first fan row 302 as an example of a first blower row arranged in the direction, and a position farther from the rotating shaft 40 than the first fan row 302, and a part of the plurality of axial fans 300 is A second fan row 304 as an example of a second blower row arranged in a direction along the rotation axis direction of the cover 33 (in the present embodiment, the left-right direction), and belongs to the first fan row 302 The number of axial fans 300 (three in this embodiment, the first axial fan 300a, the fourth axial fan 300d, and the fifth axial fan 300e) belongs to the second fan row 304. 300 number (in this embodiment Information, the second axial flow fan 300b, has two) more than the third axial flow fan 300c.

  The intake port 310 is an intake port for taking in air from the outside of the printer 11 when the axial fan 300 blows air to the continuous paper S. As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of intake ports 310 are provided in the above-described cover 33 (more specifically, on the outer surface side of the cover 33).

  The intake port 310 is located at a position corresponding to the first portion 400 (first portion 400 where the axial fan 300 is located) in a staggered arrangement, in other words, when the cover 33 is closed, the first portion 400 (axial fan). 300), but not only here, but also in a position corresponding to the second portion 410 (second portion 410 where the axial fan 300 is not located) in a staggered arrangement. For example, the cover 33 is also provided at a position above the second portion 410 when the cover 33 is closed. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, five intake ports 310 are provided so as to be arranged in the left-right direction, and the first intake port 310a includes the first axial fan 300a and the first axial flow. At a position corresponding to the second portion 410 adjacent to the fan 300a in the front-rear direction, the second intake port 310b is connected to the second axial fan 300b and the second portion 410 adjacent to the second axial fan 300b in the front-rear direction. At a corresponding position, the third air inlet 310c is at a position corresponding to the third axial fan 300c and the second portion 410 adjacent to the third axial fan 300c in the front-rear direction. The fifth intake port 310e is located at a position corresponding to the four axial fan 300d and the second portion 410 adjacent to the fourth axial fan 300d in the front-rear direction. Position corresponding to the second portion 410 adjacent the e and the fifth axial flow fan 300e and the front-rear direction, are provided. Thus, the intake port 310 according to the present embodiment has an area corresponding to two axial fans (twice the axial fan).

  The filter 320 is for removing dust or the like in the air passing through the air inlet 310 so that the dust or the like does not adhere to the ink before drying. The filter 320 is exposed to the outside of the cover 33 and is connected to the intake port 310 (specifically, the first intake port 310a, the second intake port 310b, the third intake port 310c, the fourth intake port 310d, the fourth intake port 310d). Each of the five air inlets 310e is detachably provided.

  And in this Embodiment, this ventilation unit 32 operate | moves as follows. That is, the axial fan 300 of the blower unit 32 continuously (non-intermittently) regardless of whether or not the recording process is performed by ejecting ink while the printer 11 is operating. Rotate). As a result, air is introduced from the outside of the printer 11 through the air inlet 310 (and dust in the air is removed by a filter), and wind is sent to the continuous paper S on the platen 17. . During or after the recording process, the ink blown to the continuous paper S on the platen 17 and landed on the continuous paper S is appropriately dried. As shown in FIG. 5, the axial fan 300 is disposed above the carriage unit 29, while the head unit 30 is disposed below the carriage unit 29. For this reason, the ink ejected from the head unit 30 is directed to the continuous paper S without causing the flight bending and the like, while the carriage unit 29 is shielded from the wind.

=== Effectiveness of Printer 11 According to the Present Embodiment ===
As described above, the printer 11 according to the present embodiment includes the platen 17 as an example of a conveyance path for conveying the continuous paper S, the cover 33 that can be opened and closed to cover the platen 17 in the closed state, and the cover 33. A plurality of axial fans 300 that can be blown to the continuous paper S on the platen 17 in a state where the cover 33 is closed, and the plurality of axial fans 300 are arranged in a staggered manner. Yes. This makes it possible to improve the handleability of the cover 33 while realizing appropriate air blowing by the axial fan 300.

  The above will be described while comparing the printer 11 according to the present embodiment and the printer 11 according to the comparative example. In the printer 11 according to the comparative example, the axial fan 300 is provided not only in the first portion 400 but also in the second portion 410 (that is, in FIG. 6, the five second portions 410 are also provided with axial fans. 300 and a total of ten axial fans 300).

  In the printer 11 according to the comparative example, many (as many as ten) axial fans 300 are provided on the cover 33, so that the wind can be uniformly fed onto the continuous paper S by the axial fan 300. However, due to the fact that many axial fans 300 are provided in the cover 33, the handleability of the cover 33 (for example, the cover 33 is heavy and has difficulty in opening and closing the cover 33) has been deteriorated.

  On the other hand, in the printer 11 according to the present embodiment, the number of the axial fans 300 is reduced compared with the printer 11 according to the comparative example in order to improve the handleability of the cover 33. I devised the direction. That is, even if the number of axial fans 300 is reduced, the number of axial fans 300 is reduced so that a plurality of axial fans 300 are arranged in a staggered manner so that the wind is uniformly distributed on the continuous paper S. did.

  As described above, in the printer 11 according to the present embodiment, the plurality of axial fans 300 are arranged in a staggered manner, so that the wind is uniformly distributed on the continuous paper S, and the Air blowing will be realized. In addition to this, the second portion 410 having the staggered arrangement in which the axial fan 300 is not positioned is formed, and the handling property of the cover 33 is improved. In addition, there is an effect that the noise caused by the axial fan 300 is reduced.

  In the printer 11 according to the present embodiment, the staggered arrangement of the first portion 400 where the axial fan 300 is located and the second portion 410 where the axial fan 300 adjacent to the first portion 400 is not located. The intake port 310 is provided at a position corresponding to both portions. Specifically, the present embodiment is broken by breaking the perfect one-to-one correspondence between the axial fan 300 and the intake port 310 (where the axial flow fan 300 is located and where there is no intake port 310). The intake port 310 according to the above has an area corresponding to two axial fans (twice the axial fan). And, by such a device, a lot of air is sucked from the intake port 310, and it becomes possible to obtain a sufficient wind speed (when compared with the above-described comparative example, this device is almost the same as the comparative example. Equivalent wind speed can be obtained). Therefore, more appropriate air blowing by the axial fan 300 is realized.

  In addition, the printer 11 according to the present embodiment includes a first fan row 302 in which some of the plurality of axial fans 300 are arranged in a direction along the rotation axis direction of the cover 33, and the first fan row 302 rotates more than the first fan row 302. A second fan row 304 that is located far from the moving shaft and in which a part of the plurality of axial fans 300 is arranged in a direction along the rotation axis direction of the cover 33, and belongs to the first fan row 302 The number of axial fans 300 is greater than the number of axial fans 300 belonging to the second fan row 304. Specifically, the number of axial fans 300 belonging to the first fan row 302 and the number of axial fans 300 belonging to the second fan row 304 are two and three, respectively (inverse W type in FIG. 6). Instead, the number of axial fans 300 belonging to the first fan row 302 and the number of axial fans 300 belonging to the second fan row 304 are three and two, respectively (W type in FIG. 6). did. For this reason, the center of gravity of the cover 33 can be positioned closer to the rotation axis, and the handleability of the cover 33 can be further improved (for example, the cover 33 can be prevented from closing momentarily). Possible).

=== Other Embodiments ===
The above embodiments are mainly described for the recording apparatus, but also include disclosure of the recording method and the like. The above-described embodiments are for facilitating understanding of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. The present invention can be changed and improved without departing from the gist thereof, and it is needless to say that the present invention includes equivalents thereof. In particular, the embodiments described below are also included in the present invention.

  In the above embodiment, the recording apparatus is embodied as an ink jet printer. However, a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects or ejects liquid other than ink may be employed, and a small amount of liquid droplets are ejected. The present invention can be applied to various liquid ejecting apparatuses including a liquid ejecting head to be used. In addition, a droplet means the state of the liquid discharged from the said liquid ejecting apparatus, and shall also include what pulls a tail in granular shape, tear shape, and thread shape. The liquid here may be any material that can be ejected by the liquid ejecting apparatus. For example, it may be in the state when the substance is in a liquid phase, such as a liquid state with high or low viscosity, sol, gel water, other inorganic solvents, organic solvents, solutions, liquid resins, liquid metals (metal melts ) And a liquid as one state of a substance, as well as a material in which particles of a functional material made of a solid such as a pigment or metal particles are dissolved, dispersed or mixed in a solvent. Further, representative examples of the liquid include ink and liquid crystal as described in the above embodiment. Here, the ink includes general water-based inks and oil-based inks, and various liquid compositions such as gel inks and hot melt inks. As a specific example of the liquid ejecting apparatus, for example, a liquid containing a material such as an electrode material or a color material used for manufacturing a liquid crystal display, an EL (electroluminescence) display, a surface emitting display, a color filter, or the like in a dispersed or dissolved state. It may be a liquid ejecting apparatus for ejecting, a liquid ejecting apparatus for ejecting a bio-organic material used for biochip manufacturing, a liquid ejecting apparatus for ejecting a liquid as a sample used as a precision pipette, a textile printing apparatus, a microdispenser, or the like. In addition, transparent resin liquids such as UV curable resin to form liquid injection devices that pinpoint lubricant oil onto precision machines such as watches and cameras, and micro hemispherical lenses (optical lenses) used in optical communication elements. A liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects a liquid onto the substrate or a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects an etching solution such as an acid or an alkali to etch the substrate may be employed. The present invention can be applied to any one of these injection devices.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the axial-flow fan 300 was mentioned as an example and demonstrated as an air blower, it is not limited to this and another fan may be sufficient. Moreover, it is not limited to a fan, For example, a blower may be sufficient.

  In the above embodiment, the continuous paper S has been described as an example of the recording medium. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a long plastic film or cloth.

  In the above embodiment, there are only two fan rows of the first fan row 302 and the second fan row 304 in total, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, there may be three or more fan rows. Two of them may satisfy the requirements regarding the number of fans related to the first fan row 302 and the second fan row 304 described above.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Printer, 12 Main body case, 13 Feeding part, 14 Printing part, 15 Winding part, 16 Base, 17 Platen, 17a Support surface, 18 Conveyance unit, 20 Winding axis, 21 Roller, 22 Roller, 23 Roller, 24 Roller , 25 roller, 26 take-up shaft, 27 transport motor, 28 guide rail, 29 carriage unit, 30 head unit, 31 heater unit, 32 blower unit, 33 cover, 36 support frame, 38 handle, 39 hinge part, 40 times Moving shaft, 41 Locking section, 60 External device, 110 controller, 111 interface section, 112 CPU, 113 memory, 114 unit control circuit, 150 detector group, 300 axial fan, 300a first axial fan, 300b second Axial fan, 300c Third axial fan, 300d Fourth axial fan, 300e Fifth axial fan, 302 First fan row, 304 Second fan row, 310 Inlet port, 310a First inlet port, 310b Second Inlet, 310c Third inlet, 310d Fourth inlet, 310e Fifth inlet, 320 Filter, 400 First part, 410 Second part, 410a Second part, S Continuous paper

Claims (4)

A transport path for transporting the recording medium;
An openable and closable cover that covers the transport path in a closed state;
A plurality of blowers provided on the cover and capable of blowing air to the recording medium on the transport path in a state where the cover is closed;
In a recording apparatus having
The recording apparatus, wherein the plurality of blowers are arranged in a staggered manner. The recording apparatus according to claim 1,
In the staggered arrangement, the position corresponding to both the first part where the blower is located and the second part where the blower adjacent to the first part is not located,
A recording apparatus comprising an air inlet. The recording apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
The cover is rotatably connected to the recording apparatus main body,
A part of the plurality of blowers is arranged in a direction along the rotation axis direction of the cover, and the first blower row is located farther from the rotation shaft than the first blower row. A second blower row partially aligned in the direction along the rotational axis direction,
The recording apparatus, wherein the number of fans belonging to the first fan row is larger than the number of fans belonging to the second fan row. A recording method for recording an image on a recording medium on a conveyance path,
A cover that can be opened and closed to cover the transport path in the closed state; and a plurality of blowers that are provided on the cover and that can blow air to the recording medium on the transport path when the cover is closed, A recording method, wherein the image is recorded using a recording device in which a plurality of blowers are arranged in a staggered manner.

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