JP6500631B2 - Liquid discharge device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid discharge apparatus provided with a nozzle cap that covers the nozzle surface of a liquid discharge head.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a liquid discharge apparatus has been used which discharges a liquid which is thickened by evaporation of water such as ink. For example, in a printing apparatus provided with an ink jet head, in order to suppress thickening of the ink in the nozzles, the nozzle face of the ink jet head is covered with a nozzle cap during standby or power off, and water is not evaporated from the ink nozzles Do. The nozzle cap is also used as a member for receiving the ink ejected by maintenance of the inkjet head or the like. The ink received by the nozzle cap is held by the ink absorbent disposed inside the nozzle cap.

  The nozzle cap is left open while discharging ink from the ink jet head. If this state continues for a long time, the water evaporates from the opening of the nozzle cap, and the ink in the nozzle cap thickens. Therefore, when the nozzle cap left open for a long time is covered on the nozzle surface of the ink jet head, a moisturizer such as glycerin or diethylene glycol contained in high concentration in the thickened ink absorbs the water in the nozzle of the ink jet head. I will. As a result, the increase in viscosity of the ink in the nozzle is rather promoted, and there is a problem that the clogging of the nozzle and the ejection failure of the ink droplet are induced.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a printing apparatus (check processing apparatus) including a shutter capable of closing an opening of a nozzle cap. The shutter can close the opening of the nozzle cap while discharging ink from the ink jet head, so that the inside of the nozzle cap can be maintained in an appropriate moisturized state. When the ink discharge is completed, the shutter is opened and the nozzle cap is moved to the ink jet head side to cover the nozzle surface again.

  In Patent Document 1, as a mechanism for opening and closing a shutter, a mechanism is used in which the rotation of a motor is transmitted to an intermittent gear and the rotation of the intermittent gear is transmitted to two sets of rack and pinion via a transmission gear train. Two sets of rack and pinions are provided at both ends of the back of the shutter. Two pinions are provided at both ends of the elongated shaft and synchronously rotate via the shaft. The shutter rotates in parallel in the opening and closing direction as the two pinions rotate synchronously.

JP 2012-153132 A

  In the shutter drive mechanism of Patent Document 1, the pinion rotates in a range in which the teeth of the intermittent gear mesh with the gear of the transmission gear train, and the shutter is moved between the closed position and the open position. However, in Patent Document 1, in order to move the shutter to the open position and the closed position with certainty, the range of the teeth of the intermittent gear is set slightly wider than the moving range of the shutter, and the shutter moves to the open position. The shutter abuts against a part of the surrounding frame a short time before the engagement between the teeth of the intermittent gear and the gear of the transmission gear train disengages.

  That is, the shutter drive mechanism of Patent Document 1 does not disengage the intermittent gear and the transmission gear train at the timing when the shutter stops at the open position, and two pinions for a while even after the shutter stops at the open position. The torque is transmitted to the shaft connecting the As a result, the shaft is twisted and bent in the rotational direction. Then, when the intermittent gear and the transmission gear train are disengaged from each other, the shaft rotates in a direction to eliminate the deflection. As a result, a force in the closing direction is applied to the shutter, and the shutter may pop out to the closed position side.

  In the state where the shutter is opened, movable parts such as a nozzle cap move to the inkjet head side in order to seal the nozzle surface of the inkjet head. Therefore, if the shutter pops out to the closed position side due to the above-mentioned deflection cancellation of the shaft or vibration or the like after opening the shutter, a movable part such as a nozzle cap collides with the shutter and a problem occurs. There is a fear.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention, in view of the above problems, to stabilize the operation of the shutter by suppressing the movement of the shutter due to reaction, vibration or the like when the meshing of the gears of the drive mechanism is disengaged.

  In order to solve the above problems, a liquid discharge apparatus according to the present invention includes a liquid discharge head, a nozzle cap covering a nozzle surface of the liquid discharge head, a closed position for closing an opening of the nozzle cap, and the opening And a frame for guiding the shutter moving between the closed position and the open position, the frame including a contact portion for contacting the shutter When the shutter moves in a direction from the open position toward the closed position as the closing direction, the contact portion contacts the shutter positioned at the open position to move the shutter in the closing direction. A liquid discharge device characterized by increasing a movement load of the second member to limit movement in the closing direction.

  According to the present invention, the movement load in the closing direction of the shutter is increased by the contact portion coming into contact with the shutter. Therefore, when the force in the closing direction acts on the shutter, or when vibration is applied, it is possible to restrict the shutter from moving toward the closing side. Therefore, the operation of the shutter can be stabilized, and there is little possibility that a failure will occur due to the contact between the shutter and the movable part.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that the contact portion includes a protrusion protruding toward the shutter. If the frame that guides the shutter is provided with a protrusion that protrudes toward the shutter, the movement load of the shutter increases when the shutter passes over the protrusion. Therefore, when a force in the closing direction acts on the shutter, there is little possibility that the shutter will move to the closing side, and the operation of the shutter can be stabilized.

  In the present invention, the projection is preferably a leaf spring. In this case, since the shutter deforms the plate spring and gets over, a moving load corresponding to the elastic force of the plate spring is applied to the shutter. Therefore, when a force in the closing direction acts on the shutter, there is little possibility that the shutter will move to the closing side, and the operation of the shutter can be stabilized.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that the shutter includes an opening formed at a portion facing the leaf spring in the state of being located at the open position. In this way, the leaf spring engages with the opening while the shutter is in the open position. Therefore, when the shutter moves to the closing side, the edge of the opening has to get over the plate spring, and the movement load of the shutter becomes large. Therefore, when a force in the closing direction acts on the shutter, there is little possibility that the shutter will move to the closing side, and the operation of the shutter can be stabilized.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that the frame includes a frame surface adjacent to the contact portion in the closing direction, and the contact portion has higher frictional resistance than the frame surface. In this way, when the force in the closing direction acts on the shutter, it is possible to restrict the shutter from moving to the closing side. Therefore, the operation of the shutter can be stabilized.

  In the present invention, there is provided a shutter drive mechanism for moving the shutter between the open position and the closed position, the shutter drive mechanism including: a transmission gear for transmitting a driving force to the shutter; and an intermittent engagement with the transmission gear And a motor for rotating the intermittent gear, and a moving load of the shutter by the contact portion is smaller than a force by which the shutter drive mechanism moves the shutter, and the intermittent gear and the transmission gear It is desirable that the force applied to the shutter be greater than that due to the disengagement of the In this way, the operation of the shutter can be stabilized, and the shutter can be reliably opened and closed.

1 is an external perspective view of a check processing device to which the present invention is applied. It is a top view of the check processing apparatus of FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the printing part of the check processing apparatus of FIG. It is the front view which looked at the nozzle cap mechanism and the shutter mechanism from the side of the check conveyance way. It is a rear side perspective view which looked at a nozzle cap mechanism and a shutter mechanism from the side opposite to a check conveyance way. It is the front side perspective view which looked at the state which removed the cover frame which covers a nozzle cap drive mechanism and a shutter drive mechanism from the side of the check conveyance path. It is explanatory drawing of the contact part provided in the shutter frame. It is explanatory drawing of the contact part of the modification 1. FIG. It is a back side perspective view of the shutter mechanism of the modification 2, and a nozzle cap mechanism.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a liquid discharge apparatus to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiment described below is an application of the present invention to a check processing apparatus provided with a printing unit that prints by discharging ink onto a check, but the present invention discharges a liquid such as ink to a medium other than a check The same is applicable to the liquid discharge device.

(overall structure)
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing a check processing apparatus to which the present invention is applied, and FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof. Hereinafter, in the present specification, the three directions of XYZ are directions orthogonal to one another, the X direction indicates the device width direction, the Y direction indicates the device front-rear direction, and the Z direction indicates the device vertical direction. Further, in three directions of XYZ, the direction of the arrow is a positive direction, the direction opposite to the arrow is a negative direction, the + X direction indicates one side in the device width direction X, and the −X direction indicates the other side. The + Y direction indicates the front of the device, the -Y direction indicates the rear of the device, the + Z direction indicates the upper side, and the -Z direction indicates the lower side.

  The check processing device 1 (liquid discharge device) includes a main body case 2 that covers an internal mechanism. A check transport path (medium transport path) 6 constituted by a vertical groove of a predetermined depth is opened on the upper surface of the rear portion of the main body case 2. The check transport path 6 extends in the Y direction toward the rear of the device (-Y direction), and then curves to turn in the X direction, and then curves again to a curved path toward the front of the device (+ Y direction) is there. The main body case 2 includes an open / close cover 3 constituting a side surface located on the + X direction side of the check transport path 6 and an open / close cover 4 constituting a side surface located on the −X direction side of the check transport path 6. The check 5, which is a recording medium, is conveyed along the check conveyance path 6 in a state where the longitudinal direction of the check 5 is oriented in the apparatus longitudinal direction Y and in the apparatus vertical direction Z.

  The check transport path 6 is connected to the check supply unit 8 via a check delivery path 7 provided at the upstream end thereof. The check supply unit 8 is a wide vertical groove. On the other hand, the downstream end of the check transport path 6 branches into a first branch path 9 and a second branch path 10. The first branch passage 9 is connected to a first check outlet 11 formed of a wide vertical groove, and the second branch passage 10 is connected to a second check outlet 12 formed of a wide vertical groove.

  In the check 5, a magnetic ink string 5A is formed at the lower end portion of the surface 5a. Further, on the surface 5a, an amount of money, a person drawn out, a number, a sign, etc. are described with a predetermined pattern as a background. Further, on the back surface 5b of the check, a back surface image for preventing forgery, an endorsement section, and the like are provided. In this example, the check 5 is inserted into the check supply unit 8 so that the surface 5 a of the check 5 faces the outside of the curved check conveyance path 6.

  In the check conveyance path 6, a plurality of conveyance roller pairs (not shown) for conveying the check 5 along the check conveyance path 6 are arranged. As shown in FIG. 2, in the check conveyance path 6, the magnetic reading unit 21 for reading the magnetic ink character string 5A, the printing unit 22 for performing endorsement printing on the back surface 5b of the check 5, and image information of both sides of the check 5 An optical reading unit 23 is disposed to read the image. The magnetic reading unit 21 is a magnetic scanner such as MICR. The printing unit 22 includes an ink jet head 30 disposed on the inner peripheral side of the curved check conveyance path 6 and a nozzle cap mechanism 40 and a shutter mechanism 50 facing the ink jet head 30 with the check conveyance path 6 interposed therebetween, as described later. Equipped with The optical reading unit 23 is disposed such that an optical scanner 23 a for reading the front surface of the check 5 and an optical scanner 23 b for reading the back surface face each other across the check conveyance path 6.

  While the check 5 inserted into the check supply unit 8 is transported along the check transport path 6, the magnetic ink character string 5A printed on the front surface 5a is read by the magnetic reading unit 21 and the front image, The back side image and the endorsement field printed on the back side are read by the optical reading unit 23. In addition, the bank account number etc. is printed on the back of the check 5 by the printing unit 22. The check after the information reading and printing is performed is distributed to the first branch passage 9 and discharged to the first check discharge unit 11. Further, the check 5 in which the unreadable state and the reading abnormality occur is distributed to the second branch passage 10 and discharged to the second check discharge unit 12 without printing by the printing unit 22.

(Printing department)
FIG. 3 is an explanatory view schematically showing the printing unit 22 of the check processing apparatus 1. FIG. 3 (a) shows a state at the time of printing, FIG. 3 (c) shows a state not to print, FIG. The state during the transition from the printing state to the printing non-performing state is shown. As described above, the printing unit 22 includes the inkjet head 30, the nozzle cap mechanism 40, and the shutter mechanism 50. The inkjet head 30 is a line-type inkjet head which is long in the vertical direction Z of the apparatus, and is disposed in a state where the nozzle surface 31 faces the side of the check conveyance path 6. The nozzle surface 31 faces the printing surface of the check 5 conveyed on the check conveyance path 6.

  The nozzle cap mechanism 40 includes a nozzle cap 41 capable of sealing the nozzle surface 31 of the inkjet head 30, a nozzle cap drive mechanism 42 for advancing and retracting the nozzle cap 41 with respect to the nozzle surface 31, a nozzle cap 41 and a nozzle cap drive. A nozzle cap support frame 43 for supporting the mechanism 42 is provided. The nozzle cap 41 seals the nozzle surface 31 of the inkjet head 30 from the retracted position 41A (see FIGS. 3A and 3B) separated from the nozzle surface 31 of the inkjet head 30 by the nozzle cap drive mechanism 42. It reciprocates to the capping position 41B (refer FIG.3 (c)).

  The nozzle cap 41 is disposed with the opening 44 facing the nozzle surface 31. The nozzle cap 41 also functions as a member for receiving the ink ejected from the inkjet head 30 when performing flushing for ejecting the ink from the inkjet head 30 in order to eliminate or avoid the defective state of the ink nozzle. The ejected ink is held by the ink absorbing material in the nozzle cap 41.

  The shutter mechanism 50 includes a shutter 51 capable of closing the opening 44 of the nozzle cap 41, a shutter drive mechanism 52 for opening and closing the shutter 51, and a shutter frame 53 for guiding the shutter moving in the opening and closing direction. The shutter 51 is closed by closing the opening 44 of the nozzle cap 41 from the open position 51A (see FIGS. 3B and 3C) retracted from the front of the opening 44 of the nozzle cap 41 by the shutter drive mechanism 52. It reciprocates to position 51 B (see FIG. 3A).

  When printing on the check 5 conveyed on the check conveyance path 6, the control unit of the check processing device 1 puts the printing unit 22 in the state shown in FIG. That is, the nozzle cap drive mechanism 42 is driven to retract the nozzle cap 41 to the retracted position 41A, and the shutter drive mechanism 52 is driven to move the shutter 51 to the closed position 51B. The shutter 51 moved to the closed position 51 </ b> B covers the opening 44 of the nozzle cap 41 and functions as a guide for guiding the check 5. In this state, the check 5 is transported along the check transport path 6 and ink droplets are discharged from the nozzles formed on the nozzle surface 31 of the ink jet head 30 onto the check 5 to perform printing.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, when the opening 51 of the nozzle cap 41 is covered with the shutter 51, the edge of the opening 44 of the nozzle cap 41 abuts on the back surface of the shutter 51. Thus, the inside of the nozzle cap 41 is shielded from the external space by the shutter 51. After the nozzle cap 41 is retracted to the retracted position 41A, the shutter 51 is moved to the closed position 51B, and then the nozzle cap drive mechanism 42 is driven again to move the nozzle cap 41 forward. The edge of the opening 44 of the nozzle cap 41 may abut on the back surface.

  In the state shown in FIG. 3A, the shutter 51 closes the opening 44 of the nozzle cap 41, and functions as a cap cover for maintaining the interior of the nozzle cap 41 in a moisturized state. As described above, when the nozzle cap 41 does not cap the nozzle surface 31 and the opening portion 44 of the nozzle cap 41 is sealed by the shutter 51, the inside of the nozzle cap 41 is not exposed to the outside air for a long time. Therefore, there is little possibility that the water may be evaporated from the inside of the nozzle cap 41.

  The control unit of the check processing apparatus 1 waits for the next check 5 to be transported after printing of the check 5 is finished, and when a predetermined time elapses in a pause state, or when the power is turned off, the operation of the check processing apparatus 1 When the printer stops, the printing unit 22 is put into the capping state shown in FIG. In this case, first, as shown in FIG. 3B, the shutter drive mechanism 52 is driven to move the shutter 51 from the closed position 51B to the open position 51A. Subsequently, the nozzle cap drive mechanism 42 is driven to advance the nozzle cap 41 toward the nozzle surface 31 and move it to the capping position 41 B shown in FIG. 3C. Thus, the nozzle surface 31 of the ink jet head 30 is sealed by the nozzle cap 41.

  As described above, since the inside of the nozzle cap 41 is sealed by the shutter 51 and is not exposed to the outside air while printing is being performed, moisture is not released from the inside of the nozzle cap 41. It has not evaporated. Therefore, when the nozzle surface 31 is capped again by the nozzle cap 41, the nozzle surface 31 is kept moist and there is little possibility that the viscosity of the ink in the nozzle will increase.

(Nozzle cap drive mechanism and shutter drive mechanism)
FIG. 4 is a front view of the nozzle cap mechanism 40 and the shutter mechanism 50 as viewed from the side of the check conveyance path 6. FIG. 4 (a) shows the shutter 51 in the closed position 51B. FIG. 4 (b) shows the shutter 51. Shows the state where the open position 51A. 5 is a rear perspective view of the nozzle cap mechanism 40 and the shutter mechanism 50 as viewed from the side opposite to the check conveyance path 6. FIG. 6 is a cover frame that covers the nozzle cap drive mechanism 42 and the shutter drive mechanism 52. It is the front side perspective view which looked at the state which removed 47 from the side of the check conveyance path 6. FIG. The three directions of XYZ shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 show directions in a state where the nozzle cap mechanism 40 and the shutter mechanism 50 are incorporated in the check processing device 1. Further, in the present specification, the opening / closing direction of the shutter 51 is indicated by a symbol D, the movement direction when the shutter 51 is closed is the closing direction D1, and the movement direction when the shutter 51 retracts from the position where the nozzle cap 41 is sealed is The opening direction is D2.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the nozzle cap mechanism 40 and the shutter mechanism 50 are disposed adjacent to each other in the apparatus width direction X. The nozzle cap mechanism 40 and the shutter mechanism 50 have the shutter frame 53 fixed to the nozzle cap support frame 43, and constitute a shuttered nozzle cap unit integrated as a whole. As shown in FIG. 5, the nozzle cap support frame 43 has a long shape in the apparatus vertical direction Z, and the grooved frame 45 accommodating the nozzle cap 41 and the upper end of the grooved frame 45 up to the shutter mechanism 50 side A projecting flat plate-like frame 46 is provided. The nozzle cap drive mechanism 42 and a part of the shutter drive mechanism 52 are mounted on a flat frame 46 and covered by a cover frame 47. At the lower end of the grooved frame 45, a wiper 49 is provided which wipes off ink and the like attached to the nozzle surface 31.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the nozzle cap drive mechanism 42 includes a motor 61 and a cylindrical cam 62 for converting the output rotation of the motor 61 into linear reciprocating motion from the retracted position 41A of the nozzle cap 41 to the capping position 41B. . The shutter drive mechanism 52 includes an intermittent gear 63 b and a rack and pinion 64 which convert the rotation of the cylindrical cam 62 into linear reciprocating motion from the closed position 51 B of the shutter 51 to the open position 51 A. The nozzle cap drive mechanism 42 and the shutter drive mechanism 52 rotate the intermittent gear 63 b and the cylindrical cam 62 using the single motor 61 as a drive source, and operate the nozzle cap 41 and the shutter 51 in predetermined synchronization.

  That is, the nozzle cap drive mechanism 42 and the shutter drive mechanism 52 close the shutter 51 while the nozzle cap 41 is positioned at the capping position 41B and while the nozzle cap 41 moves from the capping position 41B to the retracted position 41A. Hold on 51B. Further, when the nozzle cap 41 returns to the retracted position 41A, the shutter 51 is moved from the open position 51A to the closed position 51B. While the shutter 51 is positioned at the closed position 51 B, the nozzle cap 41 is in contact with the back of the shutter 51 to close the opening 44 of the nozzle cap 41.

  More specifically, the nozzle cap drive mechanism 42 includes a reduction gear train 65 that decelerates the output rotation of the motor 61 and transmits it to the cylindrical cam 62. The cylindrical cam 62 has a cylindrical portion 67 having a cam groove 66 formed on the outer peripheral surface, a large diameter intermittent gear 63a coaxially integrally formed with one end of the cylindrical portion 67, and the other end of the cylindrical portion 67. A small-diameter intermittent gear 63b integrally formed coaxially is provided. The intermittent gears 63a and 63b are provided with a tooth portion 68 in which external teeth are formed over a predetermined angular range, and a toothless portion 69 in which external teeth are not formed over a predetermined angular range.

  A vertical pin (not shown) as a cam follower extending from the side of the nozzle cap 41 is slidably inserted into the cam groove 66 of the cylindrical cam 62. The vertical pin is integrally formed with the nozzle cap 41. As the cylindrical cam 62 rotates, the vertical pin moves along the cam groove 66 in the direction of the central axis of the cylindrical cam 62. Along with this, the nozzle cap 41 to which the vertical pin is attached also moves in the same direction. The cam groove 66 is formed to move the nozzle cap 41 between the retracted position 41A and the capping position 41B.

  On the other hand, the shutter drive mechanism 52 includes a transmission gear train 70 which meshes with the small diameter intermittent gear 63 b of the cylindrical cam 62. The drive bevel gear 72 is coaxially attached to the final gear of the transmission gear train 70, and the drive bevel gear 72 meshes with the driven bevel gear 73. The driven bevel gear 73 is attached to the upper end of a shaft 74 (see FIG. 5) extending in the apparatus vertical direction Z along the rear surface of the shutter 51. A pinion 64 a is coaxially attached to the upper end side and the lower end side of the shaft body 74. The pair of pinions 64 a meshes with a pair of racks 64 b formed on the rear surface of the shutter 51.

  When the cylindrical cam 62 rotates and the nozzle cap 41 moves, the pinion 64a rotates in synchronization with this, and the rack 64b meshing with the pinion 64a linearly reciprocates in the opening / closing direction D. As a result, the shutter 51 on which the rack 64b is formed moves between the closed position 51B and the open position 51A.

(Stabilization of shutter operation)
As shown in FIG. 4A, the edge on the nozzle cap 41 side of the shutter 51 is a protrusion provided on the upper end of the grooved frame 45 of the nozzle cap support frame 43 when the shutter 51 is positioned at the closed position 51B. It abuts against the portion 48 in the closing direction D1. That is, the closing operation of the shutter 51 is stopped by the contact between the shutter 51 and the projection 48.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the shutter frame 53 extends in parallel with the shaft 74 on the back side of the shutter 51 and is fixed to the side surface of the grooved frame 45 at a right angle from the upper end of the vertical frame 54. A guide frame 55 (frame) which is bent and extends in the opening / closing direction D of the shutter 51 is provided. The guide frame 55 rotatably supports a portion near the upper end of the shaft 74. The lower end of the shaft body 74 is rotatably supported by a support frame 56 which is cut and raised from the vertical frame 54 and protrudes on the same side as the guide frame 55. The driven side bevel gear 73 which rotates integrally with the shaft 74 is provided at an end of the shaft 74 which protrudes upward (in the + Z direction) of the guide frame 55.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, at the side edge of the upper side (+ Z direction side) of the shutter 51, a side plate portion 57 extending parallel to the guide frame 55 is formed. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5, at the side edge of the lower side (−Z direction side) of the shutter 51, a guide groove 58a extending in the opening / closing direction D of the shutter 51 is formed. A guide protrusion 58b protruding from the vertical frame 54 is inserted into the guide groove 58a. When the shutter 51 moves in the opening / closing direction D, the side plate portion 57 slides along the guide frame 55 at the upper end edge of the shutter 51, and the guide projection 58b slides along the guide groove 58a at the lower end edge of the shutter 51. The guide frame 55 is provided with a contact portion 80 which contacts the side plate portion 57 in a state where the shutter 51 is positioned at the open position 51A.

  The opening operation of the shutter 51 is stopped when the shutter 51 abuts on the contact portion (not shown) provided on the shutter frame 53 in the opening direction D2. Here, the shaft body 74 with the pinion 64a for moving the shutter 51 in the opening and closing direction D is transmitted in rotation via the driven bevel gear 73 formed at the upper end thereof. Then, the driven bevel gear 73 rotates in an angle range in which the tooth portion 68 of the intermittent gear 63 b and the transmission gear train 70 mesh with each other. The angular range in which the toothed portion 68 of the intermittent gear 63b is formed is set wider than the angular range in which the shutter 51 is moved between the closed position 51B and the open position 51A.

  Therefore, when the shutter 51 moves to the open position 51A, the contact portion (the shutter 51 is provided on the shutter frame 53 before the engagement of the tooth portion 68 of the intermittent gear 63b and the transmission gear train 70 is released) (Not shown), and the shutter 51 stops at the open position 51A. Since the intermittent gear 63b continues to rotate for a while even after the shutter 51 is stopped, the driven bevel gear 73 further rotates in a state where the pair of pinions 64a can not rotate. As a result, the shaft 74 twists to cause deflection. When the meshing between the tooth portion 68 of the intermittent gear 63b and the transmission gear train 70 is released, the deflection of the shaft 74 is eliminated at a stretch. By the release from the state of deflection of the shaft body 74, a force in the closing direction D1 is applied to the shutter 51 via the pair of pinions 64a.

  FIG. 7 is an explanatory view of the contact portion 80 provided on the shutter frame 53, FIG. 7 (a) is a perspective view of the nozzle cap mechanism 40 and the shutter mechanism 50, and FIG. 7 (b) is a partially enlarged view showing the contact portion 80. FIG. 7C is a partial cross-sectional view (sectional view taken along the line B-B in FIG. 7B) showing the contact portion 80. As shown in FIG. The shutter frame 53 includes a contact portion 80 provided at the tip of the opening direction D2 of the guide frame 55. The contact portion 80 is a portion that contacts the side plate portion 57 of the shutter 51 at the open position 51A to increase the moving load of the shutter 51 in the closing direction D1.

  The contact portion 80 has a notch 81 provided at the end of the guide frame 55 in the opening direction D2, a projection 82 projecting from the guide frame 55 on the closing direction D1 side of the notch 81, and a plate spring member 83. Equipped with The plate spring member 83 has an engaging portion 84 engaged with the convex portion 82, and a plate spring portion 85 extending from the engaging portion 84 in the opening direction D2 and projecting toward the side plate portion 57 (protrusion portion / Plate spring). The upper surface of the guide frame 55 is a sliding surface 55a (see FIGS. 4A and 7B) with which the side plate portion 57 of the shutter 51 contacts. The plate spring member 83 is mounted such that the engaging portion 84 is engaged with the convex portion 82 formed on the surface opposite to the sliding surface 55 a and the plate spring portion 85 is disposed in the notch 81 Be The plate spring portion 85 is bent in a shape that is convex toward the side plate portion 57. The bending portion includes a first inclined plate 85a extending from the bending position to the side of the opening direction D2, and a second inclined plate 85b extending from the bending position to the side of the closing direction D1.

  The shutter 51 includes an opening 59 formed in the side plate 57. The opening 59 extends in the opening and closing direction D, and overlaps the notch 81 of the guide frame 55 in a state where the shutter 51 is positioned at the open position 51A. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7B, in the state where the shutter 51 is positioned at the open position 51A, the plate spring 85 projects from the notch 81 to the inside of the opening 59, and The spring portion 85 engages. In the plate spring portion 85, the first inclined plate 85a is pressed against the edge of the opening 59.

  When the shutter 51 moves from the open position 51A to the closing direction D1, the side plate portion 57 of the shutter 51 moves while pressing the plate spring portion 85 of the contact portion 80 in a predetermined moving range from the open position 51A. More specifically, the shutter 51 is moved while pressing the first inclined plate 85 a of the plate spring portion 85 with the edge of the opening 59 to press down the plate spring portion 85. That is, the contact portion 80 increases the moving load of the shutter 51 by bringing the plate spring portion 85 into contact with the side plate portion 57. When the shutter 51 moves to a position where the side plate portion 57 completely passes over the plate spring portion 85, the moving load of the shutter 51 causes the plate spring portion 85 to contact the side plate portion 57 in the moving range from that position to the closed position 51B. It is lower than it was.

  The moving load of the shutter 51 by the contact portion 80 is a force applied to the shutter 51 due to a reaction that disengages the gear of the transmission gear train 70 and the intermittent gear 63b, that is, the above-mentioned release of the shaft 74 from the deflection state. It is larger than the force in the closing direction D1 applied to the shutter 51. Therefore, the contact portion 80 can restrict the shutter 51 from jumping out in the closing direction D1 from the open position 51A due to the shaft 74 being released from the flexed state. Further, the movement load of the shutter 51 is smaller than the force of the shutter drive mechanism 52 moving the shutter 51 in the closing direction D1 by the rotation of the motor 61. Therefore, the opening / closing operation of the shutter 51 by the shutter drive mechanism 52 is not hindered by the contact between the shutter 51 and the contact portion 80.

(Action effect)
As described above, in the check processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, when the shutter 51 is open, the contact portion 80 is in contact with the shutter 51, so the moving load of the shutter 51 is increased. Therefore, it is possible to restrict the shutter 51 from moving in the closing direction D1 when a force that pops out to the closing side acts on the shutter 51 or vibration is applied. Therefore, the operation of the shutter 51 can be stabilized, and there is little possibility that a problem will occur due to the contact between the shutter 51 and a movable part (nozzle cap 41, wiper 49, etc.). Further, it is not necessary to secure a large gap between the shutter 51 and the movable part in order to avoid contact between the shutter 51 and the movable part, which is advantageous for downsizing of the device.

  Specifically, in the present embodiment, the contact portion 80 is provided with a leaf spring portion 85 bent in a shape projecting toward the shutter 51. The plate spring portion 85 engages with an opening 59 formed in the side plate portion 57 of the shutter 51. When the side plate portion 57 of the shutter 51 rides over the plate spring portion 85, the edge of the opening 59 presses the first inclined plate 85 a of the plate spring portion 85 to bend the plate spring portion 85. Thereby, the moving load of the shutter 51 is increased. Such a contact portion 80 can stabilize the operation of the shutter 51 while having a low cost and a simple configuration. In particular, the leaf spring portion 85 can be reliably brought into contact with the shutter 51, and rattling of the shutter 51 can be suppressed.

  Further, the moving load of the shutter 51 can be set to an appropriate moving load by setting the elastic force of the plate spring portion 85 to an appropriate size. Therefore, it is possible to reliably perform the opening / closing operation of the shutter 51 by the shutter driving mechanism 52 while suppressing the popping out of the shutter 51 due to the reaction or the vibration when the meshing of the gears of the driving mechanism is released. it can.

(Modification 1)
Although the said form was made to increase the movement load of the shutter 51 by the leaf | plate spring part 85 of the contact part 80, you may employ | adopt the structure which increases the movement load of the shutter 51 using another member. FIG. 8 is an explanatory view of the contact portion 180 of the first modification, and is a front perspective view of the shutter mechanism 150 including the nozzle cap mechanism 40 and the contact portion 180 of the modification as viewed from the check conveyance path 6 side. In FIG. 8, the cover frame 47 is not shown, and the outline of the shutter 51 is indicated by an alternate long and short dash line to show a member positioned behind the shutter 51. Hereinafter, the same configuration as that of the embodiment described above will be denoted by the same reference numeral, and different portions will be described with different reference numerals.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the contact portion 180 of Modification 1 includes a sheet-like friction member 181 attached to the sliding surface 55 a of the guide frame 55. The friction members 181 are attached to both sides of the notch 81 of the guide frame 55 one by one. Further, the sliding surface 55a has a region (frame surface 182) where the friction member 181 is not attached. The frame surface 182 is a portion adjacent to the contact portion 180 in the closing direction D1. The frame surface 182 is a portion having a smaller frictional resistance than the friction member 181 when contacting the side plate portion 57 of the shutter 51.

  In the first modification, in the state where the shutter 51 is positioned at the open position 51A, the friction member 181 of the contact portion 180 contacts the side plate portion 57 of the shutter 51, so the movement load of the shutter 51 is large. Therefore, as in the above embodiment, when the shutter 51 receives a force to pop to the closing side or vibration is applied, the shutter 51 is unlikely to move in the closing direction D1. Thus, the operation of the shutter 51 can be stabilized. Further, by attaching the sheet-like friction member 181, the gap between the side plate portion 57 and the sliding surface 55a can be minimized, and the contact portion 180 (friction member 181) is reliably brought into contact with the shutter 51. As well as being able to do this, it is also possible to suppress rattling of the shutter 51.

  As another example of the portion that increases the movement load of the shutter 51, a protrusion other than a plate spring such as a protrusion that protrudes toward the side plate portion 57 is formed on the sliding surface 55a of the guide frame 55 The moving load of the shutter 51 may be increased when crossing over a part.

(Modification 2)
In the above embodiments, the movement load of the shutter 51 is increased to stabilize the operation of the shutter 51. However, in order to avoid the projection of the shutter 51 due to the release from the bending state of the shaft 74, contact Instead of providing the portion 80 or the contact portion 180, a configuration may be adopted in which a member for suppressing the deflection of the shaft 74 is provided.

  FIG. 9 is a rear perspective view of the shutter mechanism 250 and the nozzle cap mechanism 40 of the second modification. The shutter mechanism 250 of the modified example 2 includes three deformation preventing members 280 fixed to the vertical frame 54 of the shutter frame 53. The deformation preventing member 280 is a plate spring, and one end thereof is fixed to the vertical frame 54 and the other end is pressed to the shaft 74. The deformation preventing member 280 is pressed against the shaft 74 in the direction opposite to the direction in which the shaft 74 bends. The three deformation preventing members 280 are arranged apart in the device vertical direction Z between the pair of pinions 64a. When such a deformation preventing member 280 is provided, the bending deformation of the shaft 74 is suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the force in the closing direction D1 applied to the shutter 51 due to the release from the bending deformation of the shaft body 74. Thus, the shutter 51 is less likely to move in the closing direction D1, and the operation of the shutter 51 can be stabilized.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 check processing device (liquid discharge device) 2 main body case 3 4 open / close cover 5 check 5 a front surface 5 b back surface 5 A magnetic ink character string 6 check conveyance path 7 Check delivery passage, 8: check supply unit, 9: first branch passage, 10: second branch passage, 11: first check output unit, 12: second check output unit, 21: magnetic reading unit, 22: printing unit , 23: optical reading unit, 23a, 23b: optical scanner, 30: ink jet head, 31: nozzle surface, 40: nozzle cap mechanism, 41: nozzle cap, 41A: receding position, 41B: capping position, 42: nozzle cap Drive mechanism, 43: nozzle cap support frame, 44: opening, 45: grooved frame, 46: flat frame, 47: cover frame, 48: projection, 49: wiper 50: shutter mechanism 51: shutter 51A: open position 51B: closed position 52: shutter drive mechanism 53: shutter frame 54: vertical frame 55: guide frame (frame) 55a: sliding surface 56: support frame, 57: side plate portion, 58a: guide groove, 58b: guide projection, 59: opening portion, 61: motor, 62: cylindrical cam, 63a: intermittent gear, 63b: intermittent gear, 64: rack and pinion, 64a: pinion, 64b: rack, 65: reduction gear train, 66: cam groove, 67: cylindrical portion, 68: tooth portion, 69: toothless portion, 70: transmission gear train, 72: drive bevel gear, 73 ... Driven side bevel gear, 74: shaft body, 80: contact portion, 81: notch portion, 82: convex portion, 83: leaf spring member, 84: engagement portion, 85: leaf spring portion (protruding portion / leaf spring) , 85a ... 1 Slanted plate, 85b: Second inclined plate, 150: Shutter mechanism, 180: Contact portion, 181: Friction member, 182: Frame surface, 250: Shutter mechanism, 280: Deformation preventing member, D: Opening and closing direction, D1: Closed Direction, D2 ... opening direction, X ... device width direction, Y ... device longitudinal direction, Z ... device vertical direction

Claims (7)

A liquid discharge head,
A nozzle cap covering a nozzle surface of the liquid discharge head;
A closed position closing the opening of the nozzle cap, and a shutter movable to an open position not closing the opening;
A frame for guiding the shutter moving between the closed position and the open position;
The frame includes a contact portion in contact with the shutter,
When the shutter moves from the open position toward the closed position in the closing direction,
The liquid is characterized in that the contact portion increases the moving load in the closing direction of the shutter by contacting the shutter located at the open position, thereby restricting the movement in the closing direction. Discharge device. The moving load when the shutter moves from the open position to a predetermined position between the open position and the closed position is greater than the moving load when moving from the predetermined position to the closed position. The liquid discharge device according to claim 1, characterized in that The contact portion, a liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises a protrusion protruding toward the shutter. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the protrusion is a plate spring. 5. The liquid discharge device according to claim 4 , wherein the shutter includes an opening formed at a portion facing the leaf spring in the state of being located at the open position. The frame includes a frame surface adjacent to the contact portion in the closing direction,
The contact portion, a liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that high frictional resistance than the frame surface. A shutter drive mechanism for moving the shutter between the open position and the closed position;
The shutter drive mechanism includes a transmission gear that transmits a driving force to the shutter, an intermittent gear that meshes with the transmission gear, and a motor that rotates the intermittent gear.
The moving load of the shutter by the contact portion is smaller than the force of the shutter drive mechanism moving the shutter, and is applied to the shutter due to the disengagement between the intermittent gear and the transmission gear. The liquid discharge device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , characterized in that the force is larger than the force.

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