JP6183092B2 - Image recording device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus in which a head unit that discharges liquid is supported by a movable carriage.

  Patent Document 1 describes an ink jet recording apparatus in which a line head for ejecting ink is supported by a movable carriage. Specifically, the carriage is composed of two side plates arranged in the left-right direction, the line head is disposed between the two side plates, and each side plate supports the line head.

JP2012-071472A

  Incidentally, in an image recording apparatus that supports a head unit that discharges a liquid such as ink by a movable carriage, it may be reasonable to move members other than the head unit along with the head unit. Therefore, it is conceivable to enhance the expandability of the carriage support function so that members other than the head unit can be supported. However, if the carriage bends because the members other than the head unit are supported by the carriage, the positional accuracy of the head unit is lowered, and there is a possibility that the image quality is deteriorated, for example.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a carriage that supports the head unit while suppressing the influence on the positional accuracy of the head unit.

  In order to achieve the above object, an image recording apparatus according to the present invention is disposed between a movable carriage having a first support frame and a second support frame, and between the first support frame and the second support frame. The first support frame is thicker than the second support frame, and the head unit is fixed to the first support frame among the first support frame and the second support frame. ing.

  In the present invention (image recording apparatus) configured as described above, the carriage has a first support frame and a second support frame. Moreover, since the thickness of the first support frame is thicker than the thickness of the second support frame, the first support frame has a relatively high rigidity. The head unit is fixed to the first support frame having high rigidity. Therefore, even if a member other than the head unit is supported by the first or second support frame, the positional accuracy of the head unit can be maintained by the high rigidity of the first support frame. As a result, it is possible to improve the expandability of the support function of the carriage that supports the head unit while suppressing the influence on the positional accuracy of the head unit.

  Further, a member different from the head unit may be provided, and the image recording apparatus may be configured such that the member is fixed to the second support frame. In such a configuration, a member different from the head unit is fixed to the second support frame. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the influence on the first support frame by supporting the member with the carriage. Therefore, the positional accuracy of the head unit supported by the first frame can be reliably maintained.

  Furthermore, the second support frame may constitute the image recording apparatus so as not to support the head unit. In such a configuration, the head unit is not supported by the second support frame. Therefore, even if the second support frame is bent by supporting the member, the influence of the deflection of the second support frame can be effectively eliminated from the positional accuracy of the head unit, and the positional accuracy of the head unit is ensured. Can be maintained.

  The first support frame includes a base part that supports the head unit and a protruding part that protrudes from the base part, and the other member protrudes from the first support frame. The image recording apparatus may be configured to be fixed to the unit. In such a configuration, the first support frame has a base portion and a protruding portion protruding from the base portion. And while a head unit is supported by a base part, a member different from a head unit is fixed to a projection part. In such a configuration, the effect of supporting the member appears mainly as a deflection of the protruding portion, and does not appear greatly in the base portion. Therefore, the positional accuracy of the head unit supported by the base portion can be reliably maintained.

  Further, the image recording apparatus may be configured such that the member is a liquid supply system that supplies liquid to the head unit. It is reasonable to move the liquid supply system with the head unit by supporting the liquid supply system by the carriage.

  Further, the image recording apparatus may be configured such that the member is a control board that transmits an electrical signal to the head unit. It is reasonable to move the control board with the head unit by supporting the control board with the carriage.

1 is a front view schematically illustrating a schematic configuration of a printer to which the invention can be applied. FIG. 2 is a side view schematically illustrating a schematic configuration of the printer illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating an internal configuration of the printer illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The perspective view which illustrated each member supported by the carriage and the carriage. The side view which illustrates the support mode of the head unit by a carriage. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a peripheral configuration of a front frame that constitutes a carriage. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a peripheral configuration of a rear frame that constitutes a carriage. The figure which illustrates the support aspect of UV irradiation device by a carriage. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an ink supply system and an ejection head of a head unit. FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing an electrical configuration for controlling the printer shown in FIG. 1.

  FIG. 1 is a front view schematically illustrating a schematic configuration of a printer to which the invention can be applied. In FIG. 1 and the following drawings, an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system corresponding to the left-right direction X, the front-rear direction Y, and the vertical direction Z of the printer 1 is displayed as necessary in order to clarify the arrangement relationship of each part of the apparatus. .

  As shown in FIG. 1, in the printer 1, one sheet S (web) whose both ends are wound around the feeding shaft 20 and the winding shaft 40 in a roll shape is stretched along the conveyance path Pc. The sheet S receives image recording while being conveyed in the conveyance direction Ds from the feeding shaft 20 toward the take-up shaft 40. The type of the sheet S is roughly classified into a paper type and a film type. Specific examples include high-quality paper, cast paper, art paper, coated paper, and the like for paper, and synthetic paper, PET (Polyethylene terephthalate), PP (polypropylene), and the like for film. Schematically, the printer 1 includes a feeding unit 2 (feeding region) that feeds the sheet S from the feeding shaft 20, a process unit 3 (process region) that records an image on the sheet S fed from the feeding unit 2, and a process. A winding unit 4 (winding region) that winds the sheet S on which an image is recorded in the unit 3 is wound around the winding shaft 40, and the functional units 2, 3, and 4 arranged in the X direction are accommodated in the housing 10. In the following description, of both surfaces of the sheet S, the surface on which an image is recorded is referred to as the front surface, and the opposite surface is referred to as the back surface.

  The feeding unit 2 includes a feeding shaft 20 around which the end of the sheet S is wound, and a driven roller 21 around which the sheet S drawn from the feeding shaft 20 is wound. The feeding shaft 20 supports the end of the sheet S by winding the end thereof with the surface of the sheet S facing outward. Then, when the feeding shaft 20 rotates clockwise on the paper surface of FIG. 1, the sheet S wound around the feeding shaft 20 is fed to the process unit 3 via the driven roller 21. Incidentally, the sheet S is wound around the feeding shaft 20 via a core tube (not shown) that can be attached to and detached from the feeding shaft 20. Therefore, when the sheet S of the feeding shaft 20 is used up, a new core tube around which the roll-shaped sheet S is wound can be mounted on the feeding shaft 20 and the sheet S of the feeding shaft 20 can be replaced. It has become.

  The process unit 3 appropriately performs processing by the process unit PU disposed along the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum 30 while supporting the sheet S fed out from the feeding unit 2 by the rotating drum 30, and forms the sheet S. The image is printed. In the process unit 3, a front driving roller 31 and a rear driving roller 32 are provided on both sides of the rotating drum 30, and the sheet S conveyed from the front driving roller 31 to the rear driving roller 32 is rotated by the rotating drum 30. To receive an image print.

  The front drive roller 31 has a plurality of minute protrusions formed by thermal spraying on the outer peripheral surface, and winds the sheet S fed from the feeding unit 2 from the back side. And the front drive roller 31 conveys the sheet | seat S fed out from the feeding part 2 to the downstream of a conveyance path | route by rotating clockwise on the paper surface of FIG. A nip roller 31n is provided for the front drive roller 31. The nip roller 31 n is in contact with the surface of the sheet S while being urged toward the front drive roller 31, and sandwiches the sheet S between the front drive roller 31. Thereby, the frictional force between the front drive roller 31 and the sheet S is ensured, and the sheet S can be reliably conveyed by the front drive roller 31.

  The rotating drum 30 is a cylindrical drum having a center line parallel to the Y direction, and the sheet S is wound around the outer peripheral surface thereof. Further, the rotating drum 30 has a rotating shaft 300 extending in the axial direction through the cylindrical center line. The rotation shaft 300 is rotatably supported by a support mechanism (not shown), and the rotation drum 30 rotates about the rotation shaft 300.

  The sheet S conveyed from the front driving roller 31 to the rear driving roller 32 is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum 30 from the back surface side. Then, the rotating drum 30 supports the sheet S from the back side while receiving the frictional force with the sheet S and rotating in accordance with the conveyance direction Ds of the sheet S. Incidentally, the process section 3 is provided with driven rollers 33 and 34 for folding the sheet S on both sides of the winding section around the rotating drum 30. Among these, the driven roller 33 wraps the surface of the sheet S between the front drive roller 31 and the rotating drum 30 and folds the sheet S. On the other hand, the driven roller 34 wraps the surface of the sheet S between the rotating drum 30 and the rear drive roller 32 and folds the sheet S. In this way, by folding the sheet S on the upstream and downstream sides in the transport direction Ds with respect to the rotating drum 30, a long winding portion of the sheet S around the rotating drum 30 can be secured.

  The rear driving roller 32 has a plurality of minute protrusions formed by thermal spraying on the outer peripheral surface, and winds the sheet S conveyed from the rotating drum 30 via the driven roller 34 from the back surface side. Then, the rear drive roller 32 conveys the sheet S to the winding unit 4 by rotating clockwise on the paper surface of FIG. A nip roller 32n is provided for the rear drive roller 32. The nip roller 32 n is in contact with the surface of the sheet S while being urged toward the rear drive roller 32, and sandwiches the sheet S between the rear drive roller 32. Accordingly, a frictional force between the rear drive roller 32 and the sheet S is ensured, and the sheet S can be reliably conveyed by the rear drive roller 32.

  Thus, the sheet S conveyed from the front drive roller 31 to the rear drive roller 32 is supported on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum 30. In the process unit 3, a process unit PU is provided for printing a color image on the surface of the sheet S supported by the rotating drum 30. This process unit PU has a configuration in which head units 36 a to 36 f and UV irradiators 37 a to 37 e are supported by a carriage 51.

  The six head units 36a to 36f arranged in order in the transport direction Ds correspond to white, yellow, cyan, magenta, black, and clear (transparent), and eject ink of the corresponding color from the nozzles by an inkjet method. In each of the head units 36a to 36f, a plurality of nozzles are arranged across the width of the sheet S in the Y direction, and ink is ejected from each nozzle. These six head units 36 a to 36 f are arranged radially from the rotating shaft 300 of the rotating drum 30 and are arranged along the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum 30. The head units 36a to 36f are positioned with respect to the rotating drum 30 by the carriage 51 and face the rotating drum 30 with a slight clearance (paper gap). Accordingly, each of the head units 36a to 36f is opposed to the surface of the sheet S wound around the rotating drum 30 with a predetermined paper gap. When the paper gap is thus defined by the carriage 51, each head unit 36a to 36f ejects ink, so that the ink lands at a desired position on the surface of the sheet S, and a color image is formed on the surface of the sheet S. The

  Incidentally, the head unit 36 a that discharges white ink is used to form a white background on the sheet S when an image is printed on the transparent sheet S. Specifically, the head unit 36a forms a background by discharging white ink so as to fill the entire area of the image formation target area. Then, the head units 36b to 36e that discharge yellow, cyan, magenta, and black inks form a color image on the white background. Further, the head unit 36f discharges clear ink on the color image, and covers the color image with the clear ink. As a result, a texture such as gloss or matte is given to the color image.

  As the ink used in the head units 36a to 36f, UV (ultraviolet) ink (photo-curable ink) that is cured by irradiating ultraviolet rays (light) is used. In order to cure the ink and fix it on the sheet S, UV irradiators 37a to 37e are provided. Note that this ink curing is performed using both main curing and temporary curing. Here, the main curing is a treatment in which the ink is cured to such an extent that the wetting and spreading of the ink is stopped by irradiating the ink with ultraviolet rays having a relatively strong irradiation intensity, and the temporary curing is an ultraviolet ray having a relatively weak irradiation intensity applied to the ink. This is a process of curing the ink to such an extent that the method of wetting and spreading the ink is sufficiently slow compared to the case where the ultraviolet rays are not irradiated.

  Specifically, a UV irradiator 37a for main curing is disposed between the white head unit 36a and the cyan head unit 36b. Therefore, the white background formed by the head unit 36a is fully cured by receiving the ultraviolet rays from the UV irradiator 37a before the ink from the head units 36b to 36e is overlaid. Temporary curing UV irradiators 37b to 37d are arranged between the yellow, cyan, magenta and black head units 36b to 36e. Therefore, the ink ejected by each of the head units 36b to 36d is temporarily cured by receiving the ultraviolet rays from the UV irradiators 37b to 37d before the ink from the head units 36c to 36e on the downstream side in the transport direction Ds is overlaid. . As a result, the occurrence of color mixing such as mixing of the ink ejected from each of the head units 36b to 36e is suppressed. A UV irradiator 37e for main curing is disposed between the black head unit 36e and the clear head unit 36f. Accordingly, the color images formed by the head units 36b to 36e are cured by receiving ultraviolet rays from the UV irradiator 37e before the ink from the head unit 36f is overlaid.

  In the process unit 3, a UV irradiator 38 for main curing is provided on the downstream side in the transport direction Ds with respect to the head unit 36f. Therefore, the clear ink ejected by being superimposed on the color image by the head unit 36f receives the ultraviolet rays from the UV irradiator 38 and is fully cured. The UV irradiator 38 is not mounted on the carriage 51.

  The sheet S on which the color image is formed by the process unit 3 is conveyed to the winding unit 4 by the rear drive roller 32. The winding unit 4 has a driven roller 41 that winds the sheet S from the back surface side between the winding shaft 40 and the rear drive roller 32 in addition to the winding shaft 40 around which the end of the sheet S is wound. The winding shaft 40 winds and supports the end of the sheet S with the surface of the sheet S facing outward. That is, when the winding shaft 40 rotates clockwise on the paper surface of FIG. 1, the sheet S conveyed from the rear drive roller 32 is wound around the winding shaft 40 via the driven roller 41. Incidentally, the sheet S is wound around the winding shaft 40 via a core tube (not shown) that can be attached to and detached from the winding shaft 40. Therefore, when the sheet S wound around the winding shaft 40 becomes full, it is possible to remove the sheet S together with the core tube.

  As described above, the six head units 36a to 36f and the five UV irradiators 37a to 37e are mounted on the carriage 51 to constitute the process unit PU. A guide rail 52 extending in the Y direction is arranged opposite to both ends of the carriage 51 in the X direction (conveying direction Ds), and the carriage 51 is bridged from the X direction to the two rails 52. ing. Therefore, the carriage 51 is movable in the Y direction on the guide rail 52 with the head units 36a to 36f, the UV irradiators 37a to 37e, and the ink supply system 7. Specifically, as will be described next with reference to FIG. 2, the process unit PU appropriately moves between the printing position Ta, the automatic maintenance position Tb, and the manual maintenance position Tc arranged in the Y direction.

  FIG. 2 is a side view schematically illustrating the schematic configuration of the printer illustrated in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the carriage 51 includes two support frames 511 and 512 arranged in the Y direction and a base frame 513 that connects the lower ends of the support frames 511 and 512. As can be seen from FIG. 1, the support frames 511 and 512 are flat plates having a substantially arc shape. Base frames 513, which are flat plates having a rectangular shape, are provided at both ends in the X direction of the support frames 511 and 512 to connect the ends of the support frames 511 and 512, respectively. Further, the thickness W 1 of the front (+ Y side) support frame 511 is thicker than the thickness W 2 of the rear (−Y side) support frame 512, and the support frame 511 has higher rigidity than the support frame 512.

  The head units 36 a to 36 f and the UV irradiators 37 a to 37 e described above are disposed between the two support frames 511 and 512 and supported by the carriage 51. In FIG. 2, the head units 36a to 36f and the UV irradiators 37a to 37e supported by the carriage 51 are not shown, and the print position Ta and the automatic maintenance position where the carriage 51 is selectively positioned are omitted. Of Tb and the manual maintenance position Tc, the carriage 51 when it is located at the printing position Ta is indicated by a solid line, and the carriage 51 when it is located at the automatic maintenance position Tb or the manual maintenance position Tc is indicated by a broken line. .

  In the housing member 10 of the printer 1, the printing area Ra, the automatic maintenance area Rb, and the manual maintenance area Rc are arranged in the Y direction. In the printing region Ra, the functional units shown in FIG. 1 such as the feeding unit 2, the process unit 3, and the winding unit 4 are accommodated, and printing on the sheet S is performed. In each of the printing area Ra, the automatic maintenance area Rb, and the manual maintenance area Rc, a printing position Ta, an automatic maintenance position Tb, and a manual maintenance position Tc are provided. Then, by moving the carriage 51 along the two left and right guide rails 52 extending across the positions Ta, Tb, and Tc arranged in the Y direction, the carriage 51 is selected to each position Ta, Tb, and Tc. It can be positioned in a single position.

  When the carriage 51 is positioned at the printing position Ta, the head units 36a to 36f and the UV irradiators 37a to 37e held by the carriage 51 face the conveyance path Pc of the sheet S. Therefore, it is possible to print an image on the sheet S conveyed along the conveyance path Pc by ejecting ink from the head units 36a to 36f and irradiating ultraviolet rays from the UV irradiators 37a to 37e. When the carriage 51 is positioned at the automatic maintenance position Tb or the manual maintenance position Tc, the head units 36a to 36f and the UV irradiators 37a to 37e held by the carriage 51 are moved in the Y direction from the conveyance path Pc of the sheet S. evacuate. Therefore, desired maintenance can be performed while preventing interference with the sheet S on the transport path Pc.

  A maintenance unit MU is disposed below the automatic maintenance position Tb. When the carriage 51 is positioned at the automatic maintenance position Tb, the head units 36a to 36f and the UV irradiators 37a to 37e are located above the maintenance unit MU. Opposite from. The maintenance unit MU has a semi-cylindrical shape with the circumferential portion facing upward, and the rotation drum from the Y direction in a state where the arc coincides with the rotation drum 30 or is located slightly inside when viewed from the Y direction. Adjacent to 30. The maintenance unit MU performs various maintenance such as capping, cleaning, and wiping on the head units 36a to 36f held by the carriage 51 located at the maintenance position Tb.

  Capping is an operation of covering the surface (nozzle formation surface) where the nozzles are opened in the head units 36a to 36f with a cap provided in the maintenance unit MU. By this capping, it is possible to suppress an increase in ink viscosity in the nozzles of the head units 36a to 36f. The cleaning is an operation in which the maintenance unit MU forcibly discharges ink from the nozzles by generating a negative pressure in the cap in a state where the head units 36a to 36f are capped. By this cleaning, ink having increased viscosity, bubbles in the ink, and the like can be removed from the nozzle. Wiping is an operation of wiping the nozzle formation surfaces of the head units 36a to 36f with a wiper provided in the maintenance unit MU. By this wiping, the ink can be wiped off from the nozzle formation surface NS of the head units 36a to 36f.

  The lower part of the manual maintenance position Tc is open, and in the state where the carriage 51 is positioned at the manual maintenance position Tc, a manual work space is secured below the head units 36a to 36f and the UV irradiators 37a to 37e. . Therefore, the operator can perform manual maintenance such as wiping off ink on the head units 36a to 36f and the UV irradiators 37a to 37e held by the carriage 51 positioned at the manual maintenance position Tc. Can be done with.

  The above is the outline of the device configuration of the printer 1. Subsequently, a specific example of a driving mechanism for moving the carriage 51 and a support mode of each member by the carriage 51 will be described in detail. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the internal configuration of the printer illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the carriage and each member supported by the carriage. FIG. 3 illustrates a state where the carriage 51 is positioned at the printing position Ta. 3 omits the UV irradiators 37b to 37d and the UV irradiator 38, and FIG. 4 illustrates a state in which the UV irradiators 37a to 37e are removed from the carriage 51.

  As described above, the carriage 51 has a schematic configuration in which two support frames 511 and 512 having a substantially arc shape are opposed to each other in the Y direction. As shown in FIG. 4, the support frame 511 includes a base portion 511a having an arc shape and two projecting portions 511b projecting left and right from the base portion 511a. The support frame 512 includes a base portion 512a having an arc shape and two projecting portions 512b projecting left and right from the base portion 511a. As described above with reference to FIG. 2, the thickness W 1 of the support frame 511 is thicker than the thickness of the support frame 512, and the support frame 511 has higher rigidity than the support frame 512. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the carriage 51 includes a plurality of connecting plates 514 disposed between the two support frames 511 and 512, and the two support frames 511 and 512 include these connecting plates 514. Are connected to each other. The carriage 51 is stretched over two guide rails 52 provided at both ends in the X direction (conveying direction Ds), and is guided by the guide rails 52 so as to be movable in the Y direction. The carriage 51 is driven in the Y direction along the guide rail 52 by the carriage driving mechanism 6 shown in FIG.

  Specifically, the carriage drive mechanism 6 includes a conveyor 61 that includes a drive pulley 611, a driven pulley 612, and a belt 613 spanned between the pulleys 611 and 612. Each of the pulleys 611 and 612 is a toothed pulley having a tooth row in which a plurality of teeth are arranged at a predetermined pitch, and the belt 613 is a toothed belt having a tooth row in which a plurality of teeth are arranged at a predetermined pitch. The belt 613 is wound around the pulleys 611 and 612 with the teeth of the pulleys 611 and 612 and the teeth of the belt 613 meshing with each other. Therefore, when the driving pulley 611 is rotated, the belt 613 is rotated following the driving pulley 611, and the driven pulley 612 is rotated following the rotation of the belt 613. At this time, since the driving pulley 611 and the driven pulley 612 are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction Y, a portion of the belt 613 stretched between the pulleys 611 and 612 moves along the front-rear direction Y. Further, both end portions of the belt 613 are fixed to the base frame 513 of the carriage 51. Therefore, when the belt 613 rotates following the driving pulley 611, the carriage 51 moves in the Y direction along with the belt 613. In the carriage driving mechanism 6, such a conveyor 61 is arranged so as to be adjacent to the left side (+ X side) in the X direction of each guide rail 52, and the belt 613 of each conveyor 61 is connected to the adjacent guide rail 52. It is comprised so that it can move to the front-back direction Y along.

  The carriage drive mechanism 6 has a link shaft 63 extending in the Y direction. The link pulley 63 connects the drive pulley 611 of the conveyor 61 provided at the left end and the drive pulley 611 of the conveyor 61 provided at the right end. Connect with each other. Therefore, power is transmitted via the link shaft 63 between the drive pulley 611 at the left end and the drive pulley 611 at the right end, and the two drive pulleys 611 rotate in synchronization. Furthermore, the carriage drive mechanism 6 has a motor M6 that drives the drive pulley 611 at the left end to rotate the drive pulley. Therefore, by rotating the motor M6, each belt 613 wound around each of the two drive pulleys 611 can be rotated synchronously. More specifically, the diameters of the two drive pulleys 611 are equal to each other, and the tooth arrangement pitches in the tooth rows of the two drive pulleys 611 are also equal to each other. Further, the tooth pitches in the tooth rows of the two belts 613 are also equal to each other. Accordingly, when the motor M6 is rotated, the tooth rows provided on the two drive pulleys 611 move at the same speed, and the two belts 613 are also directed in the same direction (front-rear direction Y) at the same speed. Moving. Thus, when the two belts 613 provided at the left and right ends are rotated synchronously, the carriage 51 receives the driving force transmitted from each belt 613 and follows the guide rails 52 at the left and right ends. Move in the Y direction. Incidentally, the motor M6 rotates in accordance with a command input by the operator via the operation unit 140 (FIG. 7) to position the carriage 51.

  Each member such as the head units 36a to 36f is supported on the carriage 51 thus configured to be movable. The specific example of the support mode of each member by the carriage 51 is as follows. In the following description, of the two support frames 511 and 512 constituting the carriage 51, the support frame 511 is appropriately referred to as a front frame 511 and the support frame 512 is appropriately referred to as a rear frame 512.

  First, the support mode of the head units 36a to 36f will be described. Since the support mode is common to the head units 36a to 36f, the head units 36a to 36f are denoted by the common reference numeral 36, and one head unit 36 will be described. FIG. 5 is a side view illustrating a support mode of the head unit by the carriage. FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the peripheral configuration of the front frame constituting the carriage. FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating the peripheral configuration of the rear frame constituting the carriage.

  Of the front frame 511 and the rear frame 512 constituting the carriage 51, the front frame 511 supports the head unit 36, and the rear frame 512 does not support the head unit 36. Specifically, the head unit 36 is detachably attached to the unit holder 53, and the unit holder 53 is supported by a holder support mechanism 55 attached to the front frame 511. The unit holder 53 has an opening in the lower surface, and the mounted head unit 36 faces the rotating drum 30 and the maintenance unit MU through this opening. The holder support mechanism 55 includes a guide mechanism 56 and a holder drive mechanism 57. The guide mechanism 56 is a so-called linear guide composed of a guide rail 561 and two sliders 562 and 563 that move along the guide rail 561. The guide rail 561 is attached to the front side (+ Y side) side wall 531 of the unit holder 53, and the two sliders 562 and 563 are attached to the rear side (−Y side) of the base portion 511a of the front frame 511. . The side wall 531 of the unit holder 53 is supported by a holder driving mechanism 57 attached to the base portion 511a of the front frame 511. In this way, the head unit 36 is supported on the base portion 511a of the front frame 511 via the unit holder 53 and the holder support mechanism 55.

  Incidentally, as shown in FIG. 6, the holder drive mechanism 57 includes a holder drive motor 571, a power transmission unit 572, a cam 573, and a connection plate 574. The rotation shaft of the drive motor 571 is connected to the power transmission unit 572, and the rotational movement of the rotation shaft is transferred to the output shaft 572a of the power transmission unit 572 via a worm gear mechanism provided inside the power transmission unit 572. The output shaft 572a that is transmitted and extends rearward (−Y side) rotates. A cam 573 is fixed to the distal end of the output shaft 572a, and rotates eccentrically according to the operation of the holder drive motor 571. A connecting plate 574 is disposed so as to connect the cam 573 and the unit holder 53. One end of the connection plate 574 is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the cam 573, and the other end of the connection plate 574 is fixed to the side wall 531 of the unit holder 53. In such a configuration, when the holder driving motor 571 is operated to rotate the cam 573, the connecting plate 574 moves, and the unit holder 53 and the head unit 36 also move. Therefore, the head unit 36 can be supported at a desired position by appropriately adjusting the rotation position of the holder drive motor 571. Incidentally, the holder drive motor 571 (FIG. 4), the power transmission unit 572, and the cam 573 are shared between the two adjacent head units 36b and 36c and between the two adjacent head units 36d and 36e. ing.

  Between the rear side (−Y side) of the unit holder 53 and the rear frame 512, a shake limiting mechanism 58 that limits the swing of the unit holder 53 in the lateral direction (X direction in FIGS. 5 to 7) is attached. It has been. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the shake limiting mechanism 58 includes a movable plate 581 and a fixed plate 582. The movable plate 581 is disposed so as to face the lower front corner portion (lower right portion in FIG. 7) of the unit holder 53. Long holes 581 a to 581 c extending in the Y direction are provided at the center of the movable plate 581. Bolts 581d to 581f are inserted into the long holes 581a to 581c, respectively, and screwed into female screw holes (not shown) provided in advance in the front lower corner portion. When the bolts 581d to 581f are loosened, the movable plate 581 can move in the Y direction. In this state, the movable plate 581 can be aligned with the carriage 6. Further, when the bolts 581d to 581f are firmly screwed into the female screw holes after the alignment is completed, the movable plate 581 is fixed to the side surface of the carriage 6.

  A slit 581g is provided from the rear (−Y side) central end surface of the movable plate 581 to a position in the vicinity of the long hole 581c, whereby the rear (−Y side) central end of the movable plate 581 serves as a leaf spring portion 581h. Function. Note that the portion of the rear (−Y) side end of the movable plate 581 that continues from the leaf spring portion 581h to the lower side remains rigid and functions as the rigid portion 581j.

  The fixed plate 582 has a substantially L-shape in which the lower end portion of the metal plate extending in the up-down direction Z is bent by about 90 ° to the front side (+ Y side). A slit portion 582b having a width slightly wider than the thickness of the movable plate 581 is formed, and can be fitted to the leaf spring portion 581h and the rigid portion 581j of the movable plate 581. The rear end 582c of the fixing plate 582 is fixed to the front (+ Y side) side surface of the rear frame 512a by a bolt (not shown).

  Then, the leaf spring portion 581h or the rigid portion 581j is fitted into the slit portion 582b of the fixed plate 582. Incidentally, as described above, the head unit 36 is supported at a desired position by appropriately adjusting the rotation position of the holder drive motor 571. As a result, in the example shown in FIG. 7, the fitting state of the movable plate 581 and the fixed plate 582 is such that the head unit 36 is raised as shown in “(a) First state” and “(b) No. As shown in “2 states”, the head unit 36 is lowered. Thus, the shake of the unit holder 53 is restricted by the shake limiting mechanism 58 attached to the rear frame 512. As described above, the rear frame 512 is merely used to limit the swing of the unit holder 53 and does not have a function of supporting the unit holder 53.

  Next, the support mode of the UV irradiators 37a to 37e will be described. In addition, since the said support aspect is common in UV irradiator 37a-37e, here, these UV irradiators 37a-37e are attached | subjected with the same code | symbol 37, and one UV irradiator 37 is demonstrated. FIG. 8 is a view illustrating a support mode of the UV irradiator by the carriage, FIG. 8 (a) is a side view of the support mode, and FIG. 8 (b) is the vicinity of the front frame 511 and the rear frame 512. FIG.

  The UV irradiator 57 is disposed between the front frame 511 and the rear frame 512 and is supported by both the front frame 511 and the rear frame 512. Specifically, on both sides of the UV irradiator 37 in the Y direction, an irradiator support mechanism 59 is disposed between the front frame 511 and the rear frame 512. The irradiator support mechanism 58 includes an attachment rail 591 and a slide pin 593 that fits in a slide groove 592 formed linearly on the attachment rail 591. Mounting rails 591 are fixed to the base portions 511a and 512a of the front frame 511 and the rear frame 512, and four slide pins 593 arranged in a straight line are fixed to the side wall of the UV irradiator 37. One end of the slide groove 592 is open, and the four slide pins 593 are sequentially inserted from the opening 592a of the slide groove 592 and the leading slide pin 593 is abutted against the wall of the other end of the slide groove 592. Thus, the UV irradiator 37 is supported by the base portions 511 a and 512 a of the front frame 511 and the rear frame 512 via the slide pins 593 and the mounting rails 591.

  In addition to the head units 36a to 36f and the UV irradiators 37a to 37e, the ink supply system 7 and storage boxes 91 and 92 are attached to the carriage 51 (FIGS. 3 and 4). Here, the ink supply system 7 is a member that supplies ink to the head units 36a to 36f, and the storage boxes 91 and 92 are control boards that transmit electrical signals to the head units 36a to 36f and the UV irradiators 37a to 37e. It is a member which accommodates (it mentions later using FIG. 10).

  3 and FIG. 4, the housing 70 of the ink supply system 7 is attached to both ends of the rear frame 512 in the X direction. Specifically, protrusions 512b are provided at both ends in the X direction of the rear frame 512, and the ink supply system 7 is hinged (not shown) from the rear side (-Y side) to the protrusions 512b. ) Is attached through. In this way, each ink supply system 7 is supported by the protruding portion 512b of the rear frame 512. Note that the left (+ X side) ink supply system 7 is responsible for supplying ink to the head units 36a to 36c, and the right (−X side) ink supply system 7 is for supplying ink to the head units 36d to 36e. Responsible for supply.

  The storage box 91 is supported by both the front frame 511 and the rear frame 512 on the left side (+ X side) of the carriage 51. Specifically, a mounting plate 515 extending to the left side (+ X side) is fixed to each of the left protruding portion 511b of the front frame 511 and the left protruding portion 512b of the rear frame 512. The storage box 91 is spanned from these mounting plates 515 in the Y direction and is fixed to each mounting plate 515. Thus, the storage box 91 is supported by the protrusions 511b and 512b of both the front frame 511 and the rear frame 512. On the other hand, the accommodation box 92 is supported by both the front frame 511 and the rear frame 512 on the right side (−X side) of the carriage 51. Specifically, the storage box 92 is disposed between the right protruding portion 511 b of the front frame 511 and the right protruding portion 512 b of the rear frame 512. The front side (+ Y side) side wall of the storage box 92 is fixed to the right protruding portion 511b, and the rear side (−Y side) side wall of the storage box 92 is fixed to the right protruding portion 512b. Thus, the storage box 92 is supported by the protruding portions 511b and 512b of both the front frame 511 and the rear frame 512. The accommodation box 91 is in charge of transmitting electrical signals to the head units 36a to 36c and the UV irradiators 37a to 37c, and the accommodation box 92 is electrical signals to the head units 36d to 36f and the UV irradiators 37d and 37e. Responsible for sending

  Subsequently, after describing the ink supply system 7 with reference to FIG. 9, the control boards accommodated in the accommodation boxes 91 and 92 will be described through the description of the electrical configuration of the printer 1 with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a block diagram schematically illustrating the ink supply system and the ejection head of the head unit. The ink supply system 7 includes an ink flow control mechanism 71 for each color. Since the configuration of the ink flow control mechanism 71 is the same for each color, only one ink flow control mechanism 71 is schematically illustrated in FIG. Has been. Further, since the configuration of the ejection head 360 provided at the tip of each of the head units 36a to 36f is the same for each color, only one ejection head 360 is schematically illustrated in the drawing.

  The discharge head 360 includes a nozzle N that opens to the nozzle formation surface NS, a reservoir RS that temporarily stores ink, and a cavity CV that allows the nozzle N and the reservoir RS to communicate with each other, and from the reservoir RS via the cavity CV. Ink is supplied to the nozzle N. The cavity CV applies pressure to the ink, so that the ink is ejected from the nozzle N.

  On the other hand, the ink flow control mechanism 71 built in the ink supply system 7 circulates ink between the tank 710 (sub tank) for storing ink and the ejection head 360. Specifically, the ink flow control mechanism 71 includes, in addition to the tank 710, a supply channel 711 (supply pipe) that connects the reservoir RS and the tank 710, a circulation pump 712 provided in the supply channel 711, and a reservoir. A recovery flow path 713 (recovery pipe) that connects the RS and the tank 710 is provided. Thus, a circulation path 71C through which ink flows in this order is formed in the tank 710, the supply flow path 711, the reservoir RS, the recovery flow path 713, and the tank 710, and the circulation pump 712 rotates in the forward direction so that the ink flows. It circulates through the circulation path 71C. That is, by rotating the circulation pump 712 forward, ink can be supplied from the tank 710 to the reservoir RS via the supply channel 711 (outward path), and from the reservoir RS to the tank 710 via the recovery channel 713 (return path). Ink can be collected.

  In the supply flow path 711, the supply flow path 711 is constituted by a flexible pipe 711 a until it reaches the head unit 36 from the housing 70 of the ink supply system 7. The recovery flow path 713 includes a flexible pipe 713 a from the head unit 36 to the housing 70 of the ink supply system 7.

  Further, the ink flow control mechanism 71 has a valve 714 that opens and closes the supply flow path 711. The valve 714 is provided on the way from the circulation pump 712 to the reservoir RS along the circulation path 71C. Accordingly, ink can be supplied from the tank 710 to the reservoir RS by opening the valve 714, and ink supply from the tank 710 to the reservoir RS can be stopped by closing the valve 714.

  Further, the ink flow control mechanism 71 has an ink supply path 715 (ink supply pipe) for supplying ink to the tank 710 and a pressure adjustment flow path 716 (pressure adjustment pipe) for adjusting the pressure in the tank 710. The ink supply channel 715 is connected to an ink cartridge or an ink pack, and supplies ink to the tank 710 from these. Incidentally, the ink supplied to the tank 710 has a viscosity of 15 [mPa · s] at 28 ° C. to 40 ° C., for example. The pressure adjusting channel 716 is connected to a pump, and adjusts the pressure in the tank 710 by rotating the pump. Thereby, the pressure of the tank 710 can be adjusted to each of negative pressure, atmospheric pressure, and positive pressure.

  FIG. 10 is a block diagram schematically showing an electrical configuration for controlling the printer shown in FIG. The operation of the printer 1 described above is controlled by the host computer 10 shown in FIG. In the host computer 10, a host control unit 100 that supervises control operations is configured by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory. The host computer 10 is provided with a driver 120, and the driver 120 reads the program 124 from the medium 122. Various media such as a CD (Compact Disk), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), and a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory can be used as the medium 122. Then, the host control unit 100 controls each unit of the host computer 10 and controls the operation of the printer 1 based on the program 124 read from the medium 122.

  Further, the host computer 10 is provided with a monitor 130 constituted by a liquid crystal display or the like and an operation unit 140 constituted by a keyboard, a mouse or the like as an interface with an operator. In addition to the image to be printed, a menu screen is displayed on the monitor 130. Accordingly, the operator operates the operation unit 140 while confirming the monitor 130, thereby opening the print setting screen from the menu screen and setting various print conditions such as the type of print medium, the size of the print medium, and the print quality. Can be set. The specific configuration of the interface with the worker can be variously modified. For example, a touch panel display may be used as the monitor 130, and the operation unit 140 may be configured with the touch panel of the monitor 130.

  On the other hand, the printer 1 is provided with a printer control unit 200 that controls each unit of the printer 1 in accordance with a command from the host computer 10. The respective units of the head unit, the UV irradiator, and the sheet conveyance system are controlled by the printer control unit 200. Details of the control of the printer control unit 200 for each part of the apparatus are as follows.

  The printer control unit 200 includes head control boards 210 </ b> A and 210 </ b> B that control ink ejection timings of the head units 36 a to 36 f mounted on the carriage 51 according to the conveyance of the sheet S. Specifically, the control of the ink discharge timing is executed based on an output (detection value) of a drum encoder E30 that is attached to the rotation shaft of the rotation drum 30 and detects the rotation position of the rotation drum 30. . In other words, since the rotating drum 30 is driven and rotated as the sheet S is conveyed, the conveying position of the sheet S can be grasped by referring to the output of the drum encoder E30 that detects the rotating position of the rotating drum 30. Can do. Therefore, the head control boards 210A and 210B generate a pts (print timing signal) signal from the output of the drum encoder E30, and control the ink ejection timings of the head units 36a to 36f based on the pts signal. The ink ejected by the head units 363a to 36f is landed on the target position of the conveyed sheet S to form a color image. Further, the head control boards 210A and 210B control the holder drive motor 571 for the head units 36a to 36f to adjust the positions of the head units 36a to 36f.

  Incidentally, the head control board 210A is housed in the housing box 91 (FIG. 4) in charge of controlling the three head units 36a to 36c and the holder driving motor 571 for the head units 36a to 36c. The head control board 210B is accommodated in the accommodation box 92 (FIG. 4) in charge of controlling the three head units 36d to 36f and the holder driving motor 571 for the head units 36d to 36f.

  In addition, the printer control unit 200 includes irradiator control boards 220A and 220B that control the timing of turning on and off the UV irradiators 37a to 37e mounted on the carriage 51 and the amount of irradiation light. At this time, the irradiator control board 220A is in charge of controlling the three UV irradiators 37a to 37c and is accommodated in the accommodation box 91 (FIG. 4), and the irradiator control board 220B is provided with the two UV irradiators 37d. , 37e, and is accommodated in the accommodation box 92 (FIG. 4).

  Further, the printer control unit 200 includes a general-purpose control board 230 that controls functional units that are not mounted on the carriage 51 such as the UV irradiator 38 and various motors. That is, the general-purpose control board 230 controls the timing of turning on / off the UV irradiator 38 and the amount of irradiation light. Further, the conveyance of the sheet S detailed with reference to FIG. 1 is also controlled by the general-purpose control board 230. That is, motors are connected to the feeding shaft 20, the front drive roller 31, the rear drive roller 32, and the take-up shaft 40 among members constituting the sheet conveyance system. The general-purpose control board 230 controls the conveyance of the sheet S by controlling the speed and torque of each motor while rotating these motors. Details of the conveyance control of the sheet S are as follows.

  The general-purpose control board 230 rotates the feeding motor M <b> 20 that drives the feeding shaft 20 and supplies the sheet S from the feeding shaft 20 to the front drive roller 31. At this time, the general-purpose control board 230 adjusts the tension (feeding tension) of the sheet S from the feeding shaft 20 to the front drive roller 31 by controlling the torque of the feeding motor M20. In other words, a tension sensor S21 for detecting the feeding tension is attached to the driven roller 21 disposed between the feeding shaft 20 and the front drive roller 31. The tension sensor S21 can be constituted by, for example, a load cell that detects a force received from the sheet S. The general-purpose control board 230 adjusts the feeding tension of the sheet S by feedback controlling the torque of the feeding motor M20 based on the detection result of the tension sensor S21.

  The general-purpose control board 230 rotates a front drive motor M31 that drives the front drive roller 31 and a rear drive motor M32 that drives the rear drive roller 32. As a result, the sheet S fed from the feeding unit 2 passes through the process unit 3. At this time, speed control is executed for the front drive motor M31, while torque control is executed for the rear drive motor M32. That is, the general-purpose control board 230 adjusts the rotational speed of the front drive motor M31 to be constant based on the encoder output of the front drive motor M31. As a result, the sheet S is conveyed at a constant speed by the front drive roller 31.

  On the other hand, the general-purpose control board 230 adjusts the tension (process tension) of the sheet S from the front drive roller 31 to the rear drive roller 32 by controlling the torque of the rear drive motor M32. That is, a tension sensor S34 for detecting process tension is attached to the driven roller 34 disposed between the rotating drum 30 and the rear drive roller 32. The tension sensor S34 can be constituted by a load cell that detects a force received from the sheet S, for example. The general-purpose control board 230 adjusts the process tension of the sheet S by feedback controlling the torque of the rear drive motor M32 based on the detection result of the tension sensor S34.

  Further, the general-purpose control board 230 rotates the winding motor M40 that drives the winding shaft 40 to wind the sheet S conveyed by the rear driving roller 32 around the winding shaft 40. At this time, the general-purpose control board 230 adjusts the tension (winding tension) of the sheet S from the rear drive roller 32 to the winding shaft 40 by controlling the torque of the winding motor M40. That is, a tension sensor S41 for detecting the winding tension is attached to the driven roller 41 disposed between the rear drive roller 32 and the winding shaft 40. The tension sensor S41 can be constituted by a load cell that detects a force received from the sheet S, for example. The general-purpose control board 230 adjusts the winding tension of the sheet S by feedback controlling the torque of the winding motor M40 based on the detection result of the tension sensor S41.

  The general-purpose control board 230 is also in charge of controlling the carriage motor M6 that drives the carriage 51 in the Y direction. Specifically, the general-purpose control board 230 controls the carriage motor M6 in accordance with an instruction from the operator input via the operation unit 140, so that the carriage 51 is moved to the print position Ta, the automatic maintenance position Tb, and the manual operation. Positioning is selectively performed at the maintenance position Tc.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the carriage 51 has the front frame 511 and the rear frame 512. Further, since the thickness W1 of the front frame 511 is thicker than the thickness W2 of the rear frame 512, the front frame 511 has a relatively high rigidity. The head units 36a to 36f are supported by a highly rigid front frame 511. Therefore, even if members other than the head units 36a to 36f are supported by the front frame 511 or the rear frame 512, the positional accuracy of the head units 36a to 36f can be maintained by the high rigidity of the front frame 511. As a result, it is possible to enhance the expandability of the support function of the carriage 51 that supports the head units 36a to 36f while suppressing the influence on the positional accuracy of the head units 36a to 36f.

  In the present embodiment, the ink supply system 7 is supported by the rear frame 512. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the influence generated on the front frame 511 by supporting the ink supply system 7 with the carriage 51. Therefore, the positional accuracy of the head units 36a to 36e supported by the front frame 511 can be reliably maintained.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the rear frame 512 does not support the head units 36a to 36e. Therefore, even if the rear frame 512 is bent due to the support of the ink supply system 7, the influence of the deflection of the rear frame 512 can be effectively eliminated from the positional accuracy of the head units 36a to 36f. The positional accuracy of the units 36a to 36f can be reliably maintained.

  Incidentally, as described above, the accommodation boxes 91 and 92 are supported by the front frame 511. Therefore, it is conceivable that the support frames 91 and 92 are supported, the front frame 511 is bent, and the positional accuracy of the head units 36a to 36f is affected. In contrast, in the present embodiment, the front frame 511 includes a base portion 511a and a protruding portion 511b protruding from the base portion 511a. The head units 36a to 36f are supported by the base portion 511a, while the storage boxes 91 and 92 are supported by the protruding portions 511b. In such a configuration, the effect of supporting the storage boxes 91 and 92 mainly appears as a deflection of the protruding portion 511b and does not appear greatly in the base portion 511a. Therefore, the positional accuracy of the head units 36a to 36f supported by the base portion 511a can be reliably maintained.

  In this embodiment, the ink supply system 7 that supplies ink to the head units 36 a to 36 f is supported by the carriage 51. Therefore, the ink supply system 7 can move with the head units 36a to 36f that are the ink supply destinations, and is rational. Control boards 210A, 210B, 220A, and 220B that transmit electrical signals to the head units 36a to 36f are supported by the carriage 51. Therefore, the control boards 210A, 210B, 220A, and 220B can move with the head units 36a to 36f that are the transmission destinations of the electrical signals, and are rational.

  Thus, in this embodiment, the printer 1 corresponds to an example of the “image recording apparatus” of the present invention, the head units 36 to 36 f correspond to an example of the “head unit” of the present invention, and the carriage 51 corresponds to the present invention. The front frame 511 corresponds to an example of the “first support frame” of the present invention, and the rear frame 512 corresponds to an example of the “second support frame” of the present invention. The supply system 7 corresponds to an example of “another member” or “liquid supply system” of the present invention, and the control boards 210A, 210B, 220A, and 220B are examples of the “another member” or “control board” of the present invention. The base portion 511a corresponds to an example of the “base portion” of the present invention, the protrusion portion 511b corresponds to an example of the “projection portion” of the present invention, and the ink corresponds to an example of the “liquid” of the present invention.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made to the above-described one without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the rear frame 512 does not support the head units 36a to 36f. However, the rear frame 512 may support the head units 36a to 36f.

  Further, the portions where the ink supply system 7 and the storage boxes 91 and 92 are supported by the carriage 51 are not limited to the above-described protruding portions 511b and 512b, and these may be configured to be supported by the base portions 511a and 512a. Further, members other than the ink supply system 7 and the storage boxes 91 and 92 may be supported by the carriage 51.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to the printer 1 that supports the sheet S with the cylindrical support portion (the rotating drum 30) is illustrated. However, the specific configuration for supporting the sheet S is not limited to this. Therefore, you may comprise so that the sheet | seat S may be supported by the plane which the support part which has flat plate shape has.

  In addition, the number of head units 36a to 36f, the arrangement, the color to be ejected, and the like can be appropriately changed. The number, arrangement, ultraviolet intensity, and the like of the UV lamps 37a to 37e and 38 can be appropriately changed. Furthermore, the conveyance mode of the sheet S can be changed as appropriate, and the sheet S may be conveyed in a mode other than the roll-to-roll mode as described above.

  In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to the printer 1 including the head units 36a to 36f that discharge UV ink. However, the present invention may be applied to a printer including a head unit that discharges ink other than UV ink, for example, water-based ink such as resin ink. Alternatively, the present invention may be applied to a printer that performs printing using something other than ink.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Printer, 30 ... Rotary drum, 36a-36f ... Head unit, 51 ... Carriage, 511 ... Front side frame, 512 ... Rear side frame, 511a ... Base part, 511b ... Projection part, 7 ... Ink supply system, 91 ... Storage box, 92 ... Storage box, S ... Sheet

Claims (6)

A movable carriage having a first support frame and a second support frame;
A head unit that is disposed between the first support frame and the second support frame and that discharges liquid;
The thickness of the first support frame is greater than the thickness of the second support frame,
The image recording apparatus, wherein the head unit is fixed to the first support frame among the first support frame and the second support frame. A member different from the head unit;
The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the member is fixed to the second support frame.   The image recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second support frame does not support the head unit. A member different from the head unit;
The first support frame includes a base portion that supports the head unit, and a protruding portion that protrudes from the base portion,
The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the another member is fixed to the protruding portion of the first support frame.   The image recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the member is a liquid supply system that supplies a liquid to the head unit.   The image recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the member is a control board that transmits an electric signal to the head unit.

Images