JP6705523B2 - Inkjet recording apparatus and inkjet recording method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an inkjet recording apparatus and an inkjet recording method for recording an image on a recording medium having high rigidity such as CD and DVD.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known an image recording apparatus that ejects ink based on an input signal to record an image on a recording medium. Such an image recording device is generally called an "inkjet printer". Image recording in an inkjet printer is realized by selectively ejecting ink from a plurality of nozzles provided in a recording head.

As a recording medium on which an image is recorded in an inkjet printer, a recording medium having high rigidity such as a CD and a DVD has been proposed in addition to recording paper. Generally, when an image is recorded on a recording medium having high rigidity such as a CD or a DVD, the recording medium is set on a dedicated tray. The tray is often inserted through an insertion port provided in the inkjet printer and conveyed in the inkjet printer. Further, depending on the inkjet printer, the recording medium having high rigidity itself may be inserted through the insertion port and conveyed in the inkjet printer. The tray and the recording medium are conveyed in a first direction in the conveying direction by a predetermined amount, and then in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction in the conveying direction. An image is recorded on the recording medium by the ejection. The tray on which the image is recorded on the recording medium and the recording medium on which the image is recorded are ejected from the insertion opening.

As an example of an inkjet printer capable of recording an image on a recording medium having high rigidity, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-163242 discloses that a conveyance driven roller is released from a conveyance driving roller and is inserted in a first direction of a conveyance direction from a tray insertion port. An inkjet recording device is disclosed in which a transport path for a tray on which a CD, a DVD, or the like is set is formed. Further, in Patent Document 2 (fourth embodiment, FIGS. 64 and 66), the tip of the tray on which a CD, a DVD, or the like, which is inserted in the first direction of the transport direction from the tray insertion port is set, is located at the rear of the apparatus. An inkjet recording apparatus that is conveyed in a first direction rather than a sheet feeding apparatus is disclosed.

JP, 2005-144931, A JP, 2004-42392, A

A recording medium having high rigidity and a tray on which the recording medium is set cannot be bent greatly like a sheet-shaped recording medium. Therefore, when the recording medium having high rigidity or the tray on which the recording medium is set is conveyed to the downstream side of the recording head in the first direction in the conveying direction, the recording medium is conveyed to the downstream side in the first direction in the conveying direction. The tray projects to the side. Therefore, as described above, in the ink jet recording apparatus described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-242242, the conveyance driven roller arranged on the downstream side of the recording head in the first conveyance direction is released from the conveyance drive roller. In this case, it is necessary to add a release mechanism that releases the transport driven roller from the transport drive roller. However, the addition of this mechanism increases the cost or size of the device.

Further, in the ink jet recording apparatus described in Patent Document 2 (fourth embodiment, FIGS. 64 and 66), the tip of the protruding tray may collide with the apparatus housing. In order to prevent the collision, it is necessary to provide the device with an opening or to enlarge the device. When the tray protrudes from the opening, the device must be installed away from the wall of the chamber in which the device is installed by the amount of the protrusion of the tray.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a recording medium having high rigidity or a tray in which the recording medium is mounted, in a first direction in which a recording medium is conveyed from nozzles. An object of the present invention is to provide an inkjet recording apparatus and an inkjet recording method that can reduce the amount of conveyance to the downstream side and can record an image on the entire area of the recording medium.

(1) In the inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention, a recording medium or a recording medium having a first distance L1 from a first position, which is the leading end in the first direction in the transport direction, to a second position, which is the trailing end on which an image is recorded. A first transport unit that transports a first tray on which a recording medium is loaded, and a third downstream-most downstream unit that is provided downstream of the first transport unit in the first direction in the transport direction and in the first direction in the transport direction. A plurality of nozzles are formed over a second distance L2 from the position to the fourth position on the most upstream side, and a recording unit that discharges ink droplets from the nozzles to record an image on a recording medium; It is provided at a position apart from the first distance L1 by a third distance L3 (L3<L1<L2+L3) that is smaller than the first distance L1 and is larger than the first distance L1 in the first direction of the transport direction. And a member. The fourth distance L4, which is the distance between the image recording position on the most downstream side in the first direction in the transport direction and the second position in the image recording range with respect to the recording medium, is the first distance L1 minus the third distance L3. When it is less than 5 distances L5, the sixth distance L6 (L6=L5-L4) is the distance obtained by subtracting the fourth distance from the fifth distance in the second direction opposite to the first direction in the transport direction from the third position. ) A control unit for controlling the recording unit so as to record an image on a recording medium by using nozzles separated from each other.

If the third distance L3 is larger than the first distance L1 (L3>L1), the recording medium or the first tray does not come into contact with the member even if an image is recorded on the recording medium by any nozzle. If the first distance L1 is larger than the sum of the third distance L3 and the second distance L2 (L1>L2+L3), the recording medium and the first tray are members regardless of which nozzle records an image on the recording medium. Contact cannot be prevented. In the present invention, since the first distance L1 is larger than the third distance L3 and smaller than the sum of the second distance L2 and the third distance L3 (L3<L1<L2+L3), the image is recorded on the recording medium by the specific nozzle. By recording, it is possible to prevent contact between the recording medium and the first tray and the member.

When an image is recorded in the vicinity of the rear end of the recording medium in the first direction in the conveying direction with an image recorded by a nozzle near the most downstream side in the first direction in the conveying direction, the recording medium or the first tray is conveyed in the first direction in the conveying direction. The distance to the leading edge in one direction becomes large, and the recording medium or the first tray collides with the member. However, in the present invention, the vicinity of the rear end of the recording medium in the first direction in the transport direction (the position within the fifth distance L5 from the second position to the first direction in the transport direction) is the maximum in the first direction in the transport direction. Since printing is performed using a nozzle that is not near the downstream side (a nozzle that is separated from the third position by a distance of 6 or more in the second direction, which is the opposite direction to the first direction in the transport direction) from the third position, the recording medium or the first tray has the first direction in the transport direction. The tip in one direction is not separated from the third position by the third distance L3 or more to the downstream side in the first direction in the transport direction.

(2) A second transport unit is provided on the downstream side of the recording unit in the first direction in the transport direction. The second transport unit is the member. The second transport unit includes a first roller that is driven and transmitted by a drive source to rotate, and a second roller that is arranged so as to be in contact with the first roller. The third distance L3 is from the third position to the first position in the transport direction and to the sandwiching position by the first roller and the second roller.

As described above, in the present invention, the leading end of the recording medium or the first tray in the first transport direction may be separated from the third position by the third distance L3 or more to the downstream side in the first transport direction. Absent. Therefore, in the above-described configuration, it is possible to prevent the recording medium and the first tray from colliding with the second transport section.

(3) The control unit controls the recording unit to use an arbitrary nozzle for the sheet-shaped recording medium conveyed in the second direction of the conveyance direction by the second conveying unit.

Unlike the thick recording medium, the sheet-shaped recording medium is pinched even when it comes into contact with the second transport unit, and thus is transported by the second transport unit in the second transport direction. Therefore, in the image recording on the sheet-shaped recording medium, there is no problem even if an arbitrary nozzle is used. An image can be recorded with high image quality by using an arbitrary nozzle.

(4) The member is a portion of the housing of the apparatus that intersects with a region in which the recording medium or the first tray extends in the first direction of the transport direction.

As described above, in the present invention, the leading ends of the recording medium and the first tray in the first transport direction may be separated from the third position by the third distance L3 or more to the downstream side in the first transport direction. Absent. Therefore, in the above configuration, it is possible to prevent the recording medium and the first tray from colliding with the casing of the inkjet recording apparatus. Further, it is possible to prevent the recording medium and the first tray from protruding from the casing of the inkjet recording apparatus to the downstream side in the first direction in the transport direction.

(5) The member is a protrusion that is most protruded on the downstream side in the first direction of the transport direction in the housing of the device, and the third distance L3 is the first direction of the protrusion from the third position. Is the distance to the tip of.

(6) Further, the protruding portion is the second tray capable of holding the sheet-shaped recording medium.

The ink jet recording apparatus is installed so that the most protruding portion on the back surface thereof does not come into contact with the wall of the room in which the apparatus is installed. The most protruding portion is, for example, the second tray. Further, as described above, in the present invention, the leading ends of the recording medium and the first tray in the first transport direction are separated from the third position by the third distance L3 or more to the downstream side in the first transport direction. Never. In the above-described configuration, the recording medium and the first tray do not protrude further than the most protruding portion on the back surface of the apparatus. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the recording medium and the first tray from colliding with the wall of the chamber in which the inkjet recording device is installed.

(7) A plurality of movable parts mounted on the device, the postures of which can be changed between a first posture in which the protrusion toward the downstream side in the first direction in the transport direction is small and a second posture in which the protrusion is large. Of these, the movable portion is the most protruding from the apparatus to the downstream side in the first direction in the transport direction when in the second posture. The third distance is a distance from the third position to a portion of the movable unit in the second posture that is most protruded from the device to the downstream side in the first direction in the transport direction.

(8) Further, the recording medium recording apparatus further comprises a second conveying section provided on the downstream side of the recording section in the first direction in the conveying direction, and the movable section is rotatably supported by the apparatus and has a second posture. It is a cover member that sometimes exposes the second transport unit.

(9) In addition, the movable portion has a third posture capable of changing its posture between a first posture that stands up along the housing of the device and a second posture that tilts from the device to the downstream side in the first direction in the transport direction. It's a tray.

(10) Further, the movable section is an image reading section that is rotatably supported by the apparatus, covers the document in the first posture, and reads an image recorded on the document.

The inkjet recording device may be equipped with a movable part whose posture can be changed. In that case, the ink jet recording apparatus is installed so as to not come into contact with the wall of the room in which the apparatus is installed, regardless of the posture of the movable section. The movable portion is, for example, the cover member, the third tray, and the image reading portion. Further, as described above, in the present invention, the leading ends of the recording medium and the first tray in the first transport direction are separated from the third position by the third distance L3 or more to the downstream side in the first transport direction. Never. In the above configuration, the recording medium and the first tray do not further project from the rear surface of the apparatus to the most downstream end of the movable portion in the first direction in the transport direction. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the recording medium and the first tray from colliding with the wall of the chamber in which the inkjet recording device is installed.

(11) The inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention further includes a detection unit that is provided on the downstream side in the first direction in the transport direction from the third position and that detects the recording medium. The detection unit detects the recording medium within the third distance L3 from the first position in the second direction of the transport direction.

When the vicinity of the rear end in the first direction of the recording medium in the transport direction is detected by the detection unit, the distance from the third position to the first end of the recording medium and the first tray in the first transport direction increases. .. As a result, the recording medium and the first tray collide with the member. However, in the present invention, only the vicinity of the front end of the recording medium in the first direction in the transport direction (within the third distance L3 from the first position in the second direction in the transport direction) is detected by the detection unit. Therefore, when the recording medium is detected by the detection unit, it is possible to prevent the recording medium and the first tray from colliding with the member.

(12) In the present invention, a recording medium or a recording medium having a first distance L1 from the first position, which is the front end in the first direction in the transport direction, to the second position, which is the rear end where an image is recorded, is mounted. A first transport unit for transporting the first tray, and a third position on the most downstream side in the first direction in the transport direction, which is provided downstream of the first transport unit in the first direction in the transport direction. A plurality of nozzles are formed over a second distance L2 up to the fourth position, and a recording unit that discharges ink droplets from the nozzles to record an image on a recording medium; And a member provided at a position separated by a third distance L3 (L1-L2<L3<L1) smaller than the first distance and larger than the first distance in total. An inkjet recording method applied to an inkjet recording device, based on a detection result by a detection unit that detects a recording medium, or an instruction executed to an operation unit for instructing an operation of the device, The first step of determining whether or not the recording medium is a sheet, and the first direction of the transport direction from the third position on the condition that the recording medium is not a sheet by the first step And a sixth distance L6 (L6=L5) which is a distance obtained by subtracting the fourth distance from the fifth distance (L5=L1−L3), which is the distance obtained by subtracting the third distance from the first distance, in the second direction opposite to the above. -L4) A second step of recording an image on a recording medium using only nozzles separated by more than the above distance, can be regarded as an inkjet recording method.

In the present invention, the vicinity of the rear end of the recording medium in the first direction in the transport direction (the position within the fifth distance L5 from the second position to the first direction in the transport direction) is set to the most downstream side in the first direction in the transport direction. Since printing is performed by nozzles that are not in the vicinity (nozzles that are separated from the third position by the sixth distance L6 or more in the second direction opposite to the first direction in the transport direction), the first direction in the transport direction of the recording medium and the first tray. Does not separate from the third position by the third distance L3 or more toward the downstream side in the first direction in the transport direction. That is, the thick recording medium and the first tray are not separated from the nozzles more than necessary on the downstream side in the first direction of the recording medium transport direction.

Further, in the present invention, an image is recorded by a specific nozzle in the vicinity of the rear end in the first direction of the recording medium in the transport direction, and an image is recorded by an arbitrary nozzle except in the vicinity of the rear end. Therefore, image recording can be performed on the entire area of the recording medium.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a multifunction machine 1 which is an example of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the printer unit 2. FIG. 3 is a partial plan view showing the internal structure of the printer unit 2. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the mechanism of the image recording unit 24. FIG. 5 is a partial plan view of the printer unit 2, which schematically shows the positional relationship among the image recording unit 24, the media tray 71, and the conveying roller pair 54. FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the printer unit 2, which schematically shows the positional relationship among the image recording unit 24, the media tray 71, and the pair of transport rollers 54. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control unit 130. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a recording process procedure performed by the control unit 130. FIG. 9 is a plan view schematically showing the relative positions of the nozzles 301 and the recording medium in each pass during the recording process, and FIG. 9A shows a case where the recording medium is conveyed by a constant amount. , (B) show the case where the recording medium is conveyed in two types. FIG. 10 is a table showing the fourth distance L4, the sixth distance L6, the usable nozzles 301, and the nozzles 301 actually used in the first pass for each image recording position. FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the multifunction machine 1 schematically showing the positional relationship between the image recording unit 24, the media tray 71, and the members. In FIG. 11A, the members are wall surfaces 53 forming the back surface of the multifunction machine 1. One case is shown, (B) shows the case where the member is the outer guide surface 29, and (C) shows the case where the member is the manual feed tray 56 fixed to the wall surface 53. ing. FIG. 12 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the multifunction machine 1 schematically showing the positional relationship between the image recording unit 24, the media tray 71 and the members. FIG. 12A shows the case where the member is the scanner housing 8. 3B, the case where the member is the rotatable manual feed tray 56 is shown. FIG. 13 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the multifunction machine 1 schematically showing the positional relationship between the image recording unit 24, the media tray 71, and the members when the member is the scanner unit 3.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings as appropriate. The embodiment described below is merely an example of the present invention, and it goes without saying that the embodiment of the present invention can be appropriately changed without changing the gist of the present invention.

[Composite Machine 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the outer appearance of a composite machine 1 as an example of an inkjet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the direction indicated by the arrow 13 is the width direction (horizontal direction) of the multifunction machine 1, the direction indicated by the arrow 14 is the height direction (vertical direction) of the multifunction machine 1, and the arrow 12 indicates The direction shown is the depth direction (front-back direction) of the multi function device 1.

The multi-function device 1 integrally includes a printer unit 2 arranged at a lower portion, a scanner unit 3 arranged at an upper portion of the printer unit 2 (corresponding to an image reading unit which is an example of a movable portion of the invention), and the like. It is equipped with a multi-function device (MFD). The scanner unit 3 is provided with a document cover 7 as a top plate of the multifunction machine 1 on the upper part thereof. The multifunction device 1 has a printer function, a scanner function, a copy function, a facsimile function, and the like. Note that the scanner function, the facsimile function, and the like are arbitrary functions in realizing the present invention, and for example, the image recording apparatus according to the present invention may be implemented as a printer having only a printer function.

An operation panel 9 (an example of an operation unit of the present invention) for operating the printer unit 2 and the scanner unit 3 is provided on the front side of the upper surface of the multifunction device 1 and on the front side of the scanner unit 3. ing. The operation panel 9 is composed of various operation buttons and a liquid crystal display unit 11, and the multifunction machine 1 controls the operation of the multifunction machine 1 based on the input from the operation panel 9 (the control unit of the present invention. (See FIG. 7).

The scanner unit 3 is configured as a so-called flatbed scanner. A document cover 7 is provided on the upper portion of the scanner unit 3 so as to be openable and closable. Below the document cover 7, a scanner housing 8 (see FIGS. 12 and 13) having a platen glass 6 (see FIG. 13) on its upper surface and an image sensor (not shown) below the platen glass 6 is provided. It is provided. The original is placed on the platen glass 6, and the image of the original is read by the image sensor with the original cover 7 covering the platen glass 6.

[Printer Unit 2] Hereinafter, the configuration of the printer unit 2 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. As shown in FIG. 1, the printer unit 2 has a casing 5 (an example of the casing of the present invention) having an opening 4 formed on the front surface. The components of the printer unit 2 are arranged in the casing 5.

The paper feed tray 20 and the paper discharge tray 21 (see FIG. 2) are attached to the multifunction machine 1 through the openings 4. In FIG. 1, the paper feed tray 20 and the paper discharge tray 21 are omitted. The paper tray 20 accommodates recording paper of a desired size such as A4 size and B5 size. As shown in FIG. 2, when the paper feed tray 20 is attached to the multifunction machine 1, the recording paper accommodated in the paper feed tray 20 has the longitudinal direction of the recording paper as the depth direction 12 of the multifunction machine 1. Is set to be. The paper discharge tray 21 is supported by the paper feed tray 20 and arranged above the paper feed tray 20. The paper feed tray 20 and the paper discharge tray 21 are mounted in the multifunction machine 1 in two upper and lower stages.

In addition to the recording paper, the multifunction machine 1 has a function of recording an image on a board surface of a recording medium (an example of a recording medium of the present invention) such as a CD-ROM or a DVD-ROM. This function will be described later.

A separation slope plate 22 is disposed on the back side of the paper feed tray 20 mounted on the multifunction machine 1. The separation slope plate 22 separates the recording paper fed from the paper feed tray 20 and guides it upward.

A transport path 23 is formed above the separation inclined plate 22. The conveyance path 23 is bent from the upper side of the separation sloping plate 22 to the front side of the multifunction machine 1, extends from the rear side (rear side) of the multifunction machine 1 to the front side (front side), and further, the driving roller 47 ( The nip position by the pair of transport rollers 54 (an example of the second transport unit of the present invention) including the pinch roller 48 (an example of the second roller of the present invention) and the image recording unit 24 A discharge tray passing through the lower side (an example of the recording unit of the present invention) and a nipping position by a discharge roller pair 55 (an example of the first transport unit of the present invention) including a drive roller 49 and a spur roller 50. It leads to 21. The recording paper fed from the paper feed tray 20 is guided by the conveyance path 23 so as to make a U-turn from the lower side to the upper side, and reaches the image recording section 24. The recording paper is ejected to the paper ejection tray 21 after the image recording is performed by the image recording unit 24. The conveyance path 23 is formed by an outer guide surface 29 and an inner guide surface 28 that are opposed to each other at a predetermined interval, except for a portion where the image recording unit 24 and the like are arranged.

Hereinafter, the recording medium such as recording paper is conveyed from the nipping position by the conveying roller pair 54 to the paper ejection tray 21 through the lower side of the image recording unit 24 and the nipping position by the discharging roller pair 55 in the conveying direction. The description will be given with the second direction 16 (corresponding to the second direction of the present invention) in the direction (the direction in which the recording medium moves by the driving of the first transport unit). On the other hand, the second direction and the opposite direction will be described as the first direction 15 (corresponding to the first direction of the present invention) of the transport direction. That is, the image recording unit 24 is provided downstream of the discharge roller pair 55 in the first direction 15, and the transport roller pair 54 is provided downstream of the image recording unit 24 in the first direction 15. In the present embodiment, the transport direction is parallel to the direction indicated by arrow 12 (front-back direction).

A paper feed roller 25 is provided above the paper feed tray 20. The paper feed roller 25 is pivotally supported by an end portion of a paper feed arm 26 that moves up and down so as to be able to come into contact with and separate from the paper feed tray 20. The paper feed roller 25 is rotated by the drive force of the paper feed motor 76 (see FIG. 7) being transmitted by the drive transmission mechanism 27 formed by meshing a plurality of gears. The paper feed roller 25 separates the recording papers stacked on the paper feed tray 20 one by one and supplies them to the transport path 23. More specifically, the paper feed roller 25 is pressed against the recording paper on the paper feed tray 20, and in that state, the paper feed roller 25 rotates so that a space between the roller surface of the paper feed roller 25 and the recording paper is changed. The recording sheet at the uppermost position is sent to the separating inclined plate 22 by the frictional force. The front end of the recording sheet comes into contact with the separation inclined plate 22 and is guided upward, and is fed to the transport path 23.

[Image Recording Unit 24] The image recording unit 24 is equipped with a recording head 30 and includes a carriage 31 that reciprocates in the main scanning direction (direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 2). The recording head 30 is exposed to the lower side of the carriage 31, and from the ink tank 32 (see FIG. 3) through the ink tube 33 (see FIG. 3), cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black. Each color ink of (Bk) is supplied.

As shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of nozzles 301 (an example of the nozzle of the present invention) are formed on the lower surface of the recording head 30. The nozzles 301 corresponding to the respective color inks are arranged in a line along the transport direction, and the respective rows of the nozzles 301 corresponding to the respective color inks are arranged in the reciprocating direction of the carriage 31 (left and right direction 13). The number of nozzles 301 of each color and the pitch in the transport direction are appropriately set according to the resolution of the recorded image. Further, the number of rows of the nozzles 301 can be increased or decreased according to the number of types of color ink. Hereinafter, the position on the most downstream side in the first direction 15 in which the nozzles 301 of each color are formed is referred to as a third position P3 (corresponding to the third position of the present invention), and the position on the most upstream side in the first direction 15 is referred to as the third position. 4 position P4 (equivalent to the 4th position of this invention) is demonstrated. Further, the distance from the third position to the fourth position will be described as the second distance L2 (corresponding to the second distance of the present invention).

The recording head 30 ejects each ink as a minute ink droplet from a nozzle 301 provided on the lower surface thereof. As the carriage 31 reciprocates in the main scanning direction, the recording head 30 scans the recording paper, and an image is recorded on the recording paper conveyed on the platen 34.

As described above, the image recording unit 24 is provided on the downstream side of the discharge roller pair 55 in the first direction 15, and extends from the third position P3 on the most downstream side of the first direction 15 to the fourth position P4 on the most upstream side. A plurality of nozzles 301 are formed over the two distances L2, and ink droplets are ejected from the nozzles 301 to record an image on a recording medium such as recording paper.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a pair of guide rails 35 and 36 are arranged above the conveying path 23 where the image recording unit 24 is arranged. The guide rails 35 and 36 are provided in the width direction (the left-right direction 13) of the transport path 23 so as to be separated in the transport direction of the recording paper. The carriage 31 is provided so as to straddle the guide rails 35 and 36 and is slidable on the guide rails 35 and 36 in the left-right direction 13.

The guide rail 35 arranged on the upstream side in the direction in which the recording sheet is conveyed (the second direction 16) is a flat plate whose length in the left-right direction 13 is longer than the scanning width of the carriage 31. The upper surface of the guide rail 35 slidably carries the upstream end of the carriage 31 in the second direction 16.

The guide rail 36 disposed on the downstream side of the second direction 16 is a flat plate having a length in the left-right direction 13 that is substantially the same as that of the guide rail 35. The upper surface of the guide rail 36 slidably carries the downstream end of the carriage 31 in the second direction 16. An end portion 37 of the guide rail 36 on the upstream side in the second direction 16 is bent upward at a substantially right angle. The carriage 31 is provided with an engagement member (not shown) that engages with the end portion 37 of the guide rail 36 so as to sandwich the end portion 37. Accordingly, the carriage 31 is slidably carried on the guide rails 35 and 36, and can reciprocate in the left-right direction 13 with the end portion 37 of the guide rail 36 as a reference.

A belt drive mechanism 38 is arranged on the upper surface of the guide rail 36. In the belt drive mechanism 38, an endless annular timing belt 41 having teeth inside is stretched between a drive pulley 39 and a driven pulley 40, which are provided near both ends of the conveyance path 23 in the width direction 13, respectively. It will be. A carriage (CR) drive motor 311 (see FIG. 7) is connected to the shaft of the drive pulley 39, and a drive force is input from the CR drive motor 311. The rotation of the drive pulley 39 causes the timing belt 41 to make a circumferential movement. The timing belt 41 may be an endless belt, or may be one in which both ends of an endless belt are fixed to the carriage 31.

The carriage 31 is fixed to the timing belt 41. The circumferential movement of the timing belt 41 causes the carriage 31 to reciprocate on the guide rails 35 and 36 with the end portion 37 as a reference. The recording head 30 is mounted on the carriage 31. Therefore, the recording head 30 can reciprocate together with the carriage 31 with the width direction 13 of the transport path 23 as the main scanning direction. On the guide rail 36, an encoder strip 42 of a linear encoder is arranged along the end portion 37. The linear encoder detects the encoder strip 42 by a photo interrupter (not shown). The reciprocating movement of the carriage 31 is controlled based on the detection signal of the linear encoder.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, a platen 34 is arranged below the transport path 23 so as to face the recording head 30. The platen 34 is arranged over the central portion of the reciprocating range of the carriage 31 through which the recording paper passes. The width of the platen 34 is sufficiently larger than the maximum width of the recording paper that can be conveyed, and both ends of the recording paper always pass over the platen 34.

As shown in FIG. 3, a purge mechanism 43 and a waste ink tray 44 are provided outside the image recording range of the recording head 30, that is, in the range where the recording paper on both sides of the platen 34 does not pass. The purging mechanism 43 sucks and removes air bubbles and foreign matters together with ink from the nozzles of the recording head 30. The purging mechanism 43 includes a cap 45 that covers the nozzle surface of the recording head 30. When performing suction removal of bubbles or the like of the recording head 30, the carriage 31 is moved so that the recording head 30 is located on the cap 45. In this state, the cap 45 moves upward and comes into close contact with the lower surface of the recording head 30 so as to seal the nozzle 301. Then, ink is sucked from the nozzles 301 of the recording head 30 by a pump (not shown) connected to the cap 45.

The waste ink tray 44 is arranged outside the image recording range of the carriage 31 and on the opposite side of the purge mechanism 43. The waste ink tray 44 receives an idle discharge of ink from the recording head 30. This idle discharge is called flushing.

As shown in FIG. 3, the ink tank 32 is housed in an ink tank housing portion 46 provided on the right front side inside the casing 5 of the printer unit 2. In detail, the ink tank 32 is provided with four ink tanks 32C, 32M, 32Y, and 32K that store cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (Bk) color inks. Become. Ink is supplied from the ink tank 32 to the carriage 31 through an ink tube 33 provided for each color.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, a conveyance roller pair 54 is provided on the upstream side of the image recording unit 24 in the second direction 16. The conveying roller pair 54 is a unit in which a driving roller 47 and a pinch roller 48 provided below the driving roller 47 so as to contact the driving roller 47 are integrally formed. By driving the drive roller 47 in the normal direction, the recording sheet fed from the sheet feed tray 20 is nipped by the drive roller 47 and the pinch roller 48, and is conveyed onto the platen 34 on the downstream side in the second direction 16. To be done.

A pair of discharge rollers 55 having a driving roller 49 and a spur roller 50 provided above the driving roller 49 is provided downstream of the image recording unit 24 in the second direction 16. The recorded recording sheet is nipped by the drive roller 49 and the spur roller 50, and is driven in the forward direction of the drive roller 49 to be conveyed in the direction (second direction 16) to be discharged to the paper discharge tray 21. Further, by driving the drive roller 49 in the reverse direction, the media tray 71 (an example of the first tray of the present invention) described later is conveyed in the first direction 15. Since the spur roller 50 is in pressure contact with the already-recorded recording paper, the roller surface is formed in a spur-like concavo-convex shape so as not to deteriorate the image recorded on the recording paper.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the drive roller 47 is rotationally driven by the drive force transmitted from the conveyance motor 59 (an example of the drive source of the present invention) connected to one end of the drive roller 47 in the axial direction. To be done. The drive roller 49 is rotationally driven by being drive-transmitted from the drive roller 47 via the intermediate gear 57 and the belt 58. Further, the drive roller 47 and the drive roller 49 are controlled by a drive circuit incorporated in the ASIC 135 (see FIG. 7) mounted on the control board 52 (see FIG. 3) so that the rotation direction thereof is forward or reverse. You can switch to either. The switching of the rotation direction is performed by switching control of the carry motor 59, or by switching a gear or the like that transmits the rotational force of the carry motor 59 to the rotating shaft of each roller.

As described above, the transport roller pair 54 includes the drive roller 47 that is driven and transmitted by the transport motor 59 to rotate, and the spur roller 50 that is arranged so as to contact the drive roller 47. The drive roller 49 is rotated by being transmitted by the conveyance motor 59, and the spur roller 50 is arranged so as to be in contact with the drive roller 49.

Further, the drive roller 47 and the drive roller 49 are intermittently driven with a predetermined line feed width by the drive control of the carry motor 59. The rotations of the drive roller 47 and the drive roller 49 are synchronized. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a rotary encoder (not shown) detects the encoder disk 51 provided on the drive roller 47 with the photo interrupter 60, and based on the detection signal of the rotary encoder, the drive roller 47. Also, the drive of the drive roller 49 is controlled.

As shown in FIG. 2, the recording sheet is conveyed by the drive roller 47 and the drive roller 49 in the second direction 16 intermittently on the platen 34 with a predetermined line feed width. The recording head 30 is scanned for each line feed, and image recording is performed from the leading end side of the recording paper. After the recording head 30 records an image on a predetermined area of the recording sheet, the driving roller 49 is continuously driven to rotate. As a result, the recording paper nipped by the drive roller 49 and the spur roller 50 is ejected to the paper ejection tray 21.

[Media Tray 71] As described above, the multifunction device 1 has a function of recording an image on the surface of a recording medium such as a CD-ROM or a DVD-ROM. In the present embodiment, when an image is recorded on the surface of the recording medium, the recording medium is placed on the media tray 71, and the media tray 71 is inserted from the opening 4 of the multifunction machine 1 in the first direction 15. .. The multifunction device 1 may be configured such that the recording medium is not placed on the media tray 71 and the recording medium itself is inserted from the opening 4 of the multifunction device 1.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the media tray 71 is made of a highly rigid substance such as resin, and has a thickness of several millimeters (for example, 2 mm to 3 mm) in the vertical direction 14. In the media tray 71, the length in the transport direction (depth direction 12) and the width direction 13 is longer than the thickness (height direction 14), and the length in the transport direction (depth direction 12) is the length in the width direction 13. Longer than that. That is, the media tray 71 is a thin rectangular parallelepiped. On the upper surface of the media tray 71, a media placing portion 78, which is a circular recess and on which a recording medium is placed, is provided.

In the following description, the tip of the media tray 71 in the first direction 15 will be referred to as the first position P1 (corresponding to the first position of the present invention). When the recording medium is placed on the media tray 71 in the first direction 15, the front end of the recording medium in the first direction 15 is set to the first position P1. Further, a rear end of the image recording range in which the image is recorded on the recording medium placed on the media tray 71 in the first direction 15 is set to a second position P2 (corresponding to a second position of the present invention). Further, the distance between the first position P1 and the second position P2 is referred to as a first distance L1 (corresponding to the first distance of the present invention). When recording an image with a margin left at the rear end of the recording medium in the first direction 15, the rear end of the first direction 15 in the image recording range excluding the margin is the second position P2.

As shown in FIG. 2, the media tray 71 on which the recording medium is placed on the medium placing portion 78 is in the direction 77 (first direction 15) indicated by the arrow in FIG. 2, that is, the opening on the front side of the multifunction machine 1. When it is inserted from 4 toward the straight portion 231 of the transport path 23, the insertion of the media tray 71 is detected by a sensor (not shown), and the drive roller 49 is driven in the reverse direction. As a result, the media tray 71 is conveyed to the predetermined position in the first direction 15.

The predetermined position is a position where the tip of the media tray 71 in the first direction 15 does not contact a member (corresponding to a member of the present invention) described below (for example, from the position where the tip contacts the member to the second direction 16). A position of a preset distance), and a position where the rear end of the first direction 15 of the image recording range of the recording medium placed on the media tray 71 faces any of the nozzles 301 formed in the recording head 30. Is.

The member is smaller than the first distance L1 in the first direction 15 from the third position P3 among the various constituent elements arranged in the multifunction device 1, and the sum of the second distance L2 and the first distance is smaller than the first distance. It is provided at a position separated by a large third distance L3 (corresponding to the third distance of the present invention). Here, the third distance L3 is defined as the distance along the transport direction of the media tray 71. That is, the relationship among the first distance L1, the second distance L2, and the third distance L3 is L3<L1<L2+L3. In this embodiment, the member is the transport roller pair 54. That is, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the third distance L3 is from the third position P3 to the nipping position by the drive roller 47 and the pinch roller 48.

When the media tray 71 is conveyed to a predetermined position, the driving of the driving roller 49 is temporarily stopped and then switched to the normal rotation driving. As a result, the media tray 71 is conveyed in the second direction 16, and the recording medium placed on the media tray 71 passes over the platen 34 while being conveyed in the second direction 16. As will be described later, ink droplets are ejected from the predetermined nozzles of the recording head 30 onto the recording medium conveyed onto the platen 34 in accordance with the position where the image is recorded on the recording medium. As a result, an image is recorded on the surface of the recording medium, and the media tray 71 is finally ejected from the paper ejection tray 21.

[Media Sensor 110] As shown in FIG. 2, the media sensor 110 for detecting the recording medium inserted from the opening 4 of the multifunction machine 1 and conveyed in the first direction 15 in the conveying path 23 (detection of the present invention) (An example of a section) is provided in the multifunction machine 1. The media sensor 110 is provided near the most downstream side in the first direction 15 on the lower surface side of the carriage 34. The media sensor 110 includes a light emitting unit (not shown) such as a light emitting diode and a light receiving unit (not shown) such as an optical sensor. The light emitting unit of the media sensor 110 emits light downward, and the light reflected by the media tray 71, the recording medium, or the platen 34 is received by the light receiving unit.

The detection of the position of the recording medium (circular CD or DVD) by the media sensor 110 will be described below.

The media sensor 110 is slid together with the carriage 31. When the carriage 31 is slid while the recording medium is supported on the platen 34, the media sensor 110 moves from the upper surface of the platen 34, the upper surface of the media tray 71, or the upper surface of the recording medium during the sliding process. Receives reflected light.

By setting the upper surfaces of the platen 34 and the media tray 71 to a color having a low reflectance, such as black, the detection value of the light receiving portion due to the reflected light from the recording medium and the light receiving portion due to the reflected light from the platen 34 or the media tray 71. Is different from the detected value of. The detection value of the light receiving unit is sent to the control unit 130. As a result, the control unit 130 obtains data on the positions of both ends of the recording medium.

Next, after the media tray 71 is slightly conveyed in the first direction 15, the same processing as described above is executed, and the control unit 130 obtains data on the positions of both ends of the recording medium. As a result, the control unit 130 has obtained the data of the four end portions of the recording medium. The center and diameter of a circle can be calculated if at least three points on the circumference are clear. Therefore, the control unit 130 can obtain the current center position of the circular recording medium based on the data of the four end portions.

When detecting the recording medium, the media sensor 110 detects a region within the third distance L3 from the first position P1 in the second direction 16. For example, the media sensor 110 may be the leading end or the vicinity of the leading end of the recording medium conveyed in the first direction 15, or the leading end or the leading end of the media tray 71 when determining the position of the media tray 71 as described below. Detect the vicinity of.

By setting the platen 34 and the media tray 71 to have different colors, the detection value of the light receiving unit due to the reflected light from the platen 34 and the detection value of the light receiving unit due to the reflected light from the media tray 71 become different values. Thereby, the control unit 130 can obtain data on the position of the media tray 71.

[Control Unit 130] The schematic configuration of the control unit 130 will be described below with reference to FIG. 7. The present invention is realized by the control unit 130 performing recording control according to a flowchart described below.

The control unit 130 controls the overall operation of the multifunction device 1. The control unit 130 is configured as a microcomputer mainly including a CPU 131, a ROM 132, a RAM 133, an EEPROM 134, and an ASIC 135. These are connected by the internal bus 137.

The ROM 132 stores a program for the CPU 131 to control various operations of the multifunction machine 10. The RAM 133 is used as a storage area for temporarily recording data, signals, etc. used when the CPU 131 executes the program, or as a work area for data processing. The EEPROM 134 stores settings and flags that should be retained even after the power is turned off.

A media sensor 110, a paper feed motor 76, a CR drive motor 311 and a carry motor 59 are connected to the ASIC 135. A drive circuit for controlling the motor is incorporated in the ASIC 135 for each motor. When a drive signal for rotating each motor is input from the CPU 131 to a drive circuit corresponding to a predetermined motor, a drive current corresponding to the drive signal is output from the drive circuit to the corresponding motor, whereby the corresponding motor Rotates forward or reverse at a predetermined rotation speed.

The media sensor 110 outputs an analog electric signal (voltage signal or current signal) according to the intensity of light received by the light receiving unit. The output signal is input to the control unit 130, and the control unit 130 determines whether the electrical level (voltage value or current value) is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value. For example, when the input signal is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold, it is determined to be a HIGH level signal (a signal due to reflected light from the recording medium), and when it is less than the predetermined threshold, a LOW level signal (from the platen 34 or the media tray 71). Of the reflected light).

[Recording Process] In the printer unit 2 configured as described above, the fourth distance L4 (the distance between the second position P2 and the most downstream image recording position in the first direction 15 in the image recording range on the recording medium). When the (corresponding to the fourth distance of the present invention) is less than the fifth distance L5 (corresponding to the fifth distance of the present invention) obtained by subtracting the third distance L3 from the first distance L1, the second direction from the third position P3 16 is recorded so as to record an image on a recording medium using a nozzle 301 which is separated by a sixth distance L6 (corresponding to the sixth distance of the present invention) which is a distance obtained by subtracting the fourth distance L4 from the fifth distance L5. A recording process (an example of the inkjet recording method of the present invention) for controlling the unit 24 is performed by the control unit 130. Hereinafter, the processing procedure of the recording processing will be described based on the flowchart of FIG.

When an image recording instruction is input to the multifunction device 1, it is determined whether the image recording instruction is for a recording medium or a recording sheet (S10, an example of the first step of the present invention). For example, when the image recording instruction is input by operating the operation panel 9 after the media tray 71 on which the recording medium is placed is inserted from the opening 4 in the first direction 15, the image recording instruction is It is determined that the image is recorded on the recording medium. Alternatively, even if the operation panel 9 specifies that the image recording is performed on the recording medium instead of the recording sheet, the image recording instruction is determined to be the image recording on the recording medium. It should be noted that when the inserted recording medium or the media tray 71 is detected by the media sensor 110, the image recording instruction may be determined to be image recording on the recording medium.

When it is determined in step S10 that the image recording instruction is not for the recording medium but for the recording sheet (S10: No), the first image recording process for performing image recording using an arbitrary nozzle is executed. (S20). In step S20, the paper feed roller 25 is rotated, the recording paper on the paper feed tray 20 is fed toward the transport path 23, and is transported to the lower side of the recording unit 24 via the transport roller pair 54. That is, the recording sheet is conveyed in the second direction 16. Then, the recording unit 24 records the image on the recording sheet. At this time, an image can be recorded on the recording sheet by any of the plurality of nozzles 301 provided regardless of the image recording position of the recording sheet. That is, the control unit 130 does not particularly limit the nozzles used for the recording paper, which is an example of the sheet-shaped recording medium that is conveyed in the second direction 16 by the pair of conveying rollers 54, and does not limit the image quality or the printing speed. The recording unit 24 is controlled so that printing is performed using the combination of the used nozzle and the carry amount that provides the best balance of An example of image recording on the recording sheet will be described in detail below with reference to FIG.

In addition, in the description of FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B described later, a unit of one scan for performing image recording while the carriage 31 ejects ink droplets from the nozzles 301 is referred to as a pass (P). For example, in FIG. 9, the first pass is referred to as 1P and the second pass is referred to as 2P.

Recording paper and recording media are shown on the right side of each of FIGS. 9A and 9B. At the time of image recording, the recording paper and the recording medium are conveyed in the second direction 16, that is, from the upper side to the lower side of the paper surface of FIG. Line numbers 1 to 40 are attached to the right side of the recording paper and the recording medium. For convenience of explanation, it is assumed that the length of the recording sheet in the conveyance direction is a length corresponding to 40 lines. A pass number is attached to each line of the recording sheet. This indicates that the line is image-recorded on the path of the number given to the line.

Further, for convenience of explanation, in FIG. 9, only one color is recorded on the recording sheet and the recording medium, and the number of nozzles 301 provided in the recording unit 24 is nine. Each nozzle is described as N1 to N9. The position of the nozzle N1 on the most downstream side in the second direction 16 is the fourth position P4, and the position of the nozzle N9 on the most upstream side in the second direction 16 is the third position P3. On the left side of each of FIGS. 9A and 9B, the relative position of the nozzle 301 with respect to the recording sheet in each pass is shown. For example, in FIG. 9A, in the first pass, the nozzle N7 is located above the first line of the recording paper, the nozzle N8 is located above the fifth line of the recording paper, and the nozzle N9 is located above the recording paper. It is located on the upper side of the 9th row. The pitch of each nozzle is assumed to be a length corresponding to four rows. That is, the image is recorded on the recording paper and the recording medium by the recording unit 24, so that an image having a resolution of ¼ of the pitch unit is generated.

At the start of image recording, the position of the nozzle 301 with respect to the recording paper is the position of the first pass (1P) in FIG. 9A. In this state, the CR drive motor 311 is driven, and ink droplets are selectively ejected from the nozzles 301 based on the print data. In the first pass, ink droplets are ejected from the nozzles N7 to N9 to the first, fifth, and ninth lines of the recording paper.

When the image recording for the first pass is completed, the CR drive motor 311 is stopped, the carry motor 59 is driven, and the drive roller 47 is rotated by a predetermined amount. As a result, the recording sheet is conveyed in the second direction 16 by a conveyance amount corresponding to 9 lines, and then stopped. Whether or not the rotation amount of the drive roller 47 has reached the transport amount is determined based on the pulse signal of the rotary encoder.

When the recording paper is stopped, the CR drive motor 311 is driven again, and ink droplets are selectively ejected from the nozzles 301 based on the print data. In the second pass, ink droplets are ejected from the nozzles N5 to N9 to the second, sixth, tenth, fourteenth, and eighteenth rows of the recording paper. The same applies to the third and subsequent passes. As described above, the ejection of the ink droplets from the nozzles 301 and the conveyance of the recording paper in the second direction 16 by the driving roller 47 are alternately performed, so that the recording paper moves from the front end to the rear end in the second direction 16. Images are sequentially recorded.

When it is determined in step S10 that the image recording instruction is directed to the recording medium (S10: Yes), if the recording medium is inserted in step S10, the process proceeds to step S30 as it is, and only some of the nozzles are removed. A second image recording process for recording an image by using the image is executed (an example of the second step of the present invention). When the recording medium is not inserted in step S10, the medium tray 71 on which the recording medium is placed is inserted from the opening 4, and the recording medium is conveyed to the lower side of the recording unit 24 via the pair of discharge rollers 55. After that, the process proceeds to step S30.

In step S30, the recording unit 24 records the image on the recording medium. At this time, depending on the image recording position on the recording medium, the image is recorded only by some of the nine nozzles 301. That is, the control unit 130 causes the recording medium placed on the media tray 71 that is transported in the second direction 16 by the transport roller pair 54 to use some nozzles depending on the image recording position. Control 24. An example of image recording on the recording medium will be described in detail below with reference to FIG.

In the description of FIG. 9B, the first distance L1, the second distance L2, and the third distance L3 are represented by the number of lines of the recording medium, and the first distance L1 is 85 and the second distance L2. Is 40 and the third distance L3 is 55.

The media tray 71 is detected by the media sensor 110 in the process of being inserted from the opening 4 and conveyed in the first direction 15 toward the lower side of the recording unit 24. The current image recording position on the recording medium placed on the media tray 71 is, for example, the time from when the tip of the media tray 71 (first position P1) is detected by the media sensor 110 to when the media tray 71 is stopped. , And the transport speed of the media tray 71 by the discharge roller pair 55. That is, based on the detection result of the media sensor 110, the first image recording position for the recording medium placed on the media tray 71 is calculated.

Specifically, it is recognized that the position of the nozzle 301 with respect to the recording medium is the position of the first pass (1P) in FIG. 9B. It is also recognized that in the first pass (1P), the image recording range on the recording medium is from the first line to the 33rd line of the recording medium. Then, it is calculated that the first image recording position is the 1st, 5th, 9th, 13th, 17th, 21st, 25th, 29th, and 33rd rows of the recording medium. Each of these calculated image recording positions corresponds to the most downstream image recording position in the first direction 15 in the image recording range for the recording medium.

Next, the CR drive motor 311 is driven to selectively eject ink droplets from the nozzles 301 based on the print data. At this time, an image is recorded on the recording medium using only the nozzles 301 separated from the third position P3 in the second direction 16 by the sixth distance L6 or more. The sixth distance L6 is a distance obtained by subtracting the fourth distance L4 from the fifth distance L5 (30). That is, the sixth distance L6 is 30 when the first image recording position is the first line and is 26 when the first image recording position is the fourth line. The sixth distances for other image recording positions are shown in FIG.

As described above, in the first pass in the present example, as shown in FIG. 10, when the first image recording position is the first line, the usable nozzles 301 start from the third position (40th line). It is any of nozzles N1, N2, and N3 that are nozzles 301 separated by a sixth distance (30) or more in the second direction 16. In this example, when the image recording position is the first line, the nozzle N1 is used. The nozzles 301 that can be used for image recording at other image recording positions and the nozzles 301 that are actually used are as shown in FIG.

Ink droplets are selectively ejected at each image recording position by the usable nozzles 301 described above. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9B, in the first pass, ink droplets are printed from the nozzle N1 to the first line of the recording medium, from the nozzle N2 to the fifth line of the recording medium, and from the nozzle N3. 9th line of medium, 13th line of recording medium from nozzle N4, 17th line of recording medium from nozzle N5, 21st line of recording medium from nozzle N6, 25th line of recording medium from nozzle N7, recording from nozzle N8 It is ejected from the 29th line of the medium and from the nozzle N9 to the 33rd line of the recording medium.

When the image recording for the first pass is completed, the CR drive motor 311 is stopped, the carry motor 59 is driven, and the drive roller 47 is rotated by a predetermined amount. As a result, the recording medium is transported in the second direction 16 by the transport amount corresponding to one line, and then stopped. Whether or not the rotation amount of the drive roller 47 has reached the transport amount is determined based on the pulse signal of the rotary encoder.

When the recording medium stops, the CR drive motor 311 is driven again, and ink droplets are selectively ejected from the nozzles 301 based on the print data. As shown in FIG. 9B, in the second pass, the ink droplets are from the nozzle N1 to the second line of the recording medium, from the nozzle N2 to the sixth line of the recording medium, and from the nozzle N3 to the tenth line of the recording medium. , Nozzle N4 to the 14th line of the recording medium, nozzle N5 to the 18th line of the recording medium, nozzle N6 to the 22nd line of the recording medium, nozzle N7 to the 26th line of the recording medium, nozzle N8 to the 30th line of the recording medium. , And is ejected from the nozzle N9 to the 34th line of the recording medium. Similar processing is executed in the third pass and the fourth pass. However, during the transition from the 4th pass to the 5th pass, the recording medium is conveyed in the second direction 16 by an amount corresponding to 33 rows. That is, in FIG. 9B, the conveyance of the recording medium is alternately repeated three times corresponding to one line and one time corresponding to 33 lines. As described above, the ink droplets are ejected from the nozzles 301 and the recording medium is conveyed in the second direction 16 by the driving roller 47 alternately, so that images are sequentially recorded from the front end to the rear end of the recording medium. To be done.

[Effects of the Embodiment] If the third distance L3 is larger than the first distance L1 (L3>L1), the media tray 71 does not contact the conveying roller pair 54 even if an image is recorded on the recording medium by the arbitrary nozzle 301. .. If the first distance L1 is larger than the sum of the third distance L3 and the second distance L2 (L1>L2+L3), the media tray 71 contacts the pair of transport rollers 54 regardless of which nozzle 301 records an image on the recording medium. It cannot be prevented. In the present invention, since the first distance L1 is larger than the third distance L3 and smaller than the sum of the second distance L2 and the third distance L3 (L3<L1<L2+L3), the image is recorded on the recording medium by the specific nozzle 301. By recording, it is possible to prevent contact between the media tray 71 and the transport roller pair 54.

When an image is recorded in the vicinity of the rear end of the first direction 15 of the recording medium by the nozzle 301 in the vicinity of the most downstream side of the first direction 15, the distance from the third position P3 to the front end of the media tray 71 in the first direction 15 becomes large. As a result, the media tray 71 collides with the pair of transport rollers 54.

For example, in the flowchart of FIG. 8 described above, when the image recording in steps S50 to S70 is performed based on FIG. 9A instead of FIG. 9B, the media tray 71 collides with the conveyance roller pair 54. I will end up. The details will be described below. In FIG. 9A, in the first pass (1P), the distance between the second position P2 (position of the first row) and the third position P3 (position of the nozzle N9) is nine rows. Here, in the flowchart of FIG. 8, the first distance is 85. Therefore, the length of the media tray 71 protruding from the third position in the first direction 15 is a value obtained by subtracting the above-mentioned 9 lines from the first distance (85), that is, 76. Here, in the flowchart of FIG. 8, the third distance is 55. Since the protruding length (76) of the media tray 71 is larger than the third distance (55), the media tray 71 collides with the pair of transport rollers 54.

However, in this embodiment, the vicinity of the rear end of the recording medium in the first direction 15 (the position within the fifth distance L5 from the second position P2 to the first direction 15) is not near the most downstream side of the first direction 15. Since printing is performed at 301 (nozzle that is separated from the third position P3 in the second direction 16 by the sixth distance L6 or more), the leading end of the media tray 71 in the first direction 15 is the third distance L3 or more from the third position P3, There is no separation to the downstream side in the one direction 15.

For example, as described in the flowchart of FIG. 8 described above, when the image recording in steps S50 to S70 is performed based on FIG. 9B, the media tray 71 does not collide with the pair of transport rollers 54. The details will be described below. In FIG. 9B, in the first pass (1P), the distance between the second position P2 (position of the first row) and the third position P3 (position of the nozzle N9) is 33 rows. Here, in the flowchart of FIG. 8, the first distance is 85. Therefore, the length by which the media tray 71 projects from the third position in the first direction 15 is a value obtained by subtracting the above 33 lines from the first distance (85), that is, 52. Here, in the flowchart of FIG. 8, the third distance is 55. Since the protruding length (52) of the media tray 71 is smaller than the third distance (55), the media tray 71 does not collide with the pair of transport rollers 54.

Further, in the present embodiment, the image is recorded by the specific nozzle 301 in the vicinity of the rear end of the recording medium 15 in the first direction 15, and the image is recorded by the arbitrary nozzle 301 except in the vicinity of the rear end. Therefore, image recording can be performed on the entire area of the recording medium.

Further, in the present embodiment, unlike a thick recording medium, the recording sheet is nipped even when it comes into contact with the transport roller pair 54 and the discharge roller pair 55, so that the transport roller pair 54 and the discharge roller pair 55 make the second recording sheet. It is conveyed in the direction 16. Therefore, in the image recording on the recording paper, there is no problem even if the arbitrary nozzle 301 is used. By using the arbitrary nozzle 301, it is possible to record an image with high image quality.

Further, when the vicinity of the rear end of the recording medium in the first direction 15 is detected by the media sensor 110, the distance from the third position P3 to the front end of the media tray 71 in the first direction 15 increases. As a result, the media tray 71 collides with the pair of transport rollers 54. However, in the present embodiment, only the vicinity of the tip of the recording medium in the first direction 15 (within the third distance L3 from the first position P1 to the second direction 16) is detected by the media sensor 110. Therefore, when the recording medium is detected by the medium sensor 110, it is possible to prevent the collision between the medium tray 71 and the conveyance roller pair 54.

[Modification 1 of Example] In the above-described embodiment, the case where the member is the transport roller pair 54 has been described, but the member may be the housing of the multifunction machine 1. For example, as shown in FIG. 11A, even if the member is a portion of the casing 5 of the multi-function peripheral 1 that intersects with the region where the recording medium or the media tray 71 is extended in the first direction 15 in the transport direction. Good. For example, the portion is the wall surface 53 that constitutes the back surface of the multifunction machine 1. In this case, the third distance L3 is the distance from the third position P3 to the wall surface 53.

As described above, in the present invention, the tip of the media tray 71 in the first direction 15 is not separated from the third position P3 by the third distance L3 or more toward the downstream side in the first direction 15. Therefore, in the above-described configuration, it is possible to prevent the media tray 71 from colliding with the wall surface 53 of the multifunction machine 1, as shown in FIG. Further, it is possible to prevent the media tray 71 from protruding from the wall surface 53 of the multifunction device 1 to the downstream side in the first direction 15 and protruding to the outside of the multifunction device 1.

[Modification 2 of Example] When a protrusion (corresponding to the protrusion of the present invention) protruding from the back surface of the multifunction device 1 toward the downstream side in the first direction 15 is provided in the multifunction device 1, the third distance L3. May be the distance from the third position P3 to the tip of the protruding portion of the casing 5 of the multifunction machine 1 that protrudes most downstream from the multifunction machine 1 in the first direction 15. For example, as shown in FIG. 11B, the outer guide surface 29 constitutes a part of the back wall surface 53 of the casing 5 of the multifunction machine 1, and the outer guide surface 29 is located rearward of the wall surface 53. In this case, the outer guide surface 29 serves as the protrusion. In this case, the member may be the outer guide surface 29, and the third distance L3 is the distance from the third position P3 to the most rearward protruding portion of the outer guide surface 29.

In FIG. 11B, the tip of the media tray 71 in the first direction 15 can reach the vicinity of the portion of the outer guide surface 29 that most protrudes rearward. In this case, the portion near the tip of the media tray 71 in the first direction 15 reaches behind the wall surface 53 of the rear surface of the multifunction machine 1. Therefore, in FIG. 11B, an opening 562 for penetrating the media tray 71 is formed.

[Modification 3 of Embodiment] The protrusion described in Modification 2 may be a manual feed tray 56 (an example of the second tray of the present invention) capable of holding a recording sheet. For example, as shown in FIG. 11C, the manual feed tray 56 is tilted obliquely upward and rearward from the wall surface 53. A second transport path 233 is formed between the leading end (front end portion) of the manual feed tray 56 and a confluence point 232 with the curved portion of the transport path 23 for transporting the recording sheet U-turn. There is. The recording sheet is carried by the user of the multi-function peripheral 1 while being carried by the manual feed tray 56, and is inserted from the opening 561 formed in the back wall surface 53 of the multi-function peripheral 1 toward the confluence point 232 existing in the front. The recording sheet is conveyed to the lower side of the recording unit 24 by the conveying roller pair 54 and the like via the second conveying path 233. In the case of the above configuration, the third distance L3 is the distance from the third position P3 to the portion of the manual feed tray 56 that most protrudes rearward.

Note that in FIG. 11C, the tip of the media tray 71 in the first direction 15 can reach the vicinity of the most rearward protruding portion of the manual feed tray 56. In this case, the portion near the tip of the media tray 71 in the first direction 15 reaches behind the wall surface 53 of the rear surface of the multifunction machine 1. Therefore, in FIG. 11C, an opening 562 for allowing the media tray 71 to penetrate is formed in the wall surface 53, which is different from the opening 561.

The multifunction device 1 is installed so that the most protruding portion on the back surface does not come into contact with the wall of the room in which the multifunction device 1 is installed. The most protruding portion is, for example, the outer guide surface 29 described in Modification 2 or the manual feed tray 56 described in Modification 3. When both the outer guide surface 29 and the manual feed tray 56 are provided in the multifunction machine 1, the most protruding portion is the manual feed tray 56 in FIGS. 11B and 11C. Further, as described above, in the present embodiment, the tip of the media tray 71 in the first direction 15 is not separated from the third position P3 by the third distance L3 or more toward the downstream side in the first direction 15. Therefore, the media tray 71 does not further project beyond the most projecting portion on the back surface of the multifunction machine 1. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the media tray 71 from colliding with the wall of the room in which the multifunction machine 1 is installed.

[Modification 4 of Embodiment] The member is mounted on the multi-function peripheral 1 and has a first posture in which the protrusion from the multi-function peripheral 1 toward the downstream side in the first direction 15, that is, the rear side is small (corresponding to the first posture of the present invention). ) And a plurality of movable parts (corresponding to the movable parts of the present invention) whose postures can be changed to a second position with a large protrusion (corresponding to the second position of the present invention). It may be a movable part that projects most to the downstream side in the first direction 15. In this case, the third distance L3 is a distance from the third position P3 to a portion of the movable part in the second posture that is most protruded downstream from the multifunction peripheral 1 in the first direction 15.

For example, the movable part may be the scanner housing 8 of the scanner part 3 (an example of the cover member of the present invention). As shown in FIG. 12A, the scanner housing 8 is rotatably supported by a support mechanism such as a hinge 81 on the rear side of the multifunction machine 1 so as to be opened and closed with respect to the upper surface of the casing 5. There is. As a result, the scanner housing 8 has a closed posture (an example of the first posture of the present invention, the posture shown in FIG. 1) that covers the upper surface of the casing 5 and an open posture that opens upward from the upper surface of the casing 5 (the present invention. It becomes possible to rotate between an example of the second posture and the posture shown in FIG. 12(A). In the modified example 4, the upper surface of the casing 5 is open. Therefore, when the scanner housing 8 is opened upward to expose the upper surface of the casing 5 as shown in FIG. 12A, the user accesses the inside of the transport roller pair 54 from the upper surface of the casing 5. It becomes possible. Then, the user can perform maintenance of components in the printer unit 2, jam processing, and the like. In Modification 4, as in Modification 3, the wall surface 53 has an opening 562 for allowing the media tray 71 to pass therethrough. In the case of the above configuration, the third distance L3 is the distance from the third position P3 to the most rearward protruding portion of the scanner housing 8.

[Fifth Modification of the Embodiment] As another example of the movable part described in the fourth modification, the movable part is one in which the manual feed tray 56 of the third modification is rotatably arranged (of the third tray of the present invention. Example). For example, as shown in FIG. 12B, a supporting mechanism such as a hinge 563 is provided on the rear side of the multifunction machine 1 and at the lower end portion of the manual feed tray 56 so as to be opened and closed with respect to the back wall surface 53 of the multifunction machine 1. It is rotatably supported. As a result, the manual feed tray 56 is changed in posture to a second posture (an example of the second posture of the present invention) shown by a solid line and a first posture (an example of the first posture of the present invention) shown by a broken line. .. The manual feed tray 56 stands up along the wall surface 53 when it is in the first posture. Further, when the manual feed tray 56 is in the second posture, it is further tilted obliquely upward from the wall surface 53 to the rear side. Recording sheets of various sizes can be placed on the manual feed tray 56 in the second posture. In Modification 5, as in Modification 3, the second transport path 233 and the opening 561 (not shown in FIG. 12B) are formed, and the manual feed tray 56 is in the second posture. Then, the recording paper is inserted by the user of the multi-function peripheral 1. Further, similarly to the modified example 3, an opening 562 for penetrating the media tray 71 is formed. In the case of the above configuration, the third distance L3 is the distance from the third position P3 to the most rearwardly projecting portion of the manual feed tray 56 in the second posture.

[Modification 6 of Embodiment] As another example of the movable unit described in Modification 4, the movable unit may be the scanner unit 3. As shown in FIG. 13, the document cover 7 can be rotated by a support mechanism such as a hinge 82 at the back of the multifunction machine 1 so as to open and close with respect to the platen glass 6 provided on the upper surface of the scanner housing 8. Supported by. As a result, the document cover 7 has a closed posture (an example of the first posture of the present invention, the posture shown in FIG. 1) that covers the platen glass 6 and the document placed on the platen glass 6 and is located above the scanner housing 8. The posture can be changed between the open posture (the second posture of the present invention, the posture shown in FIG. 13) opened to the bottom. As described above, the scanner unit 3 is rotatably supported by the multifunction machine 1, covers the document placed on the platen glass in the closed posture, and reads the image recorded on the document. In the modified example 6, as in the modified example 3, the wall surface 53 may have an opening for allowing the media tray 71 to pass therethrough. In the case of the above configuration, the third distance L3 is the distance from the third position P3 to the most rearward protruding portion of the scanner unit 3 in the second posture. The document cover 7 may be integrated with an ADF unit for continuously reading a plurality of documents.

The multifunction device 1 may be equipped with a movable part whose posture can be changed. In that case, the multifunction device 1 is installed so as to not contact the wall of the room where the multifunction device 1 is installed, regardless of the posture of the movable part. The movable portion is, for example, the scanner housing 8 described in Modification 4, the rotatable third tray 56 described in Modification 5, and the scanner unit 3 described in Modification 6. A plurality of these movable parts may be mounted on the multifunction machine 1. Further, as described above, in the present invention, the tip of the media tray 71 in the first direction 15 is not separated from the third position P3 by the third distance L3 or more toward the downstream side in the first direction 15. Therefore, in the configurations described in the modified examples 4 to 6, the media tray 71 does not further project from the rear surface of the multifunction machine 1 to the downstream side in the first direction 15 to the most distal end of the movable portion. .. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the media tray 71 from colliding with the wall of the room in which the multifunction machine 1 is installed.

1... Multifunction machine 2... Printer section 3... Scanner section 5... Casing 24... Image recording section 47... Drive roller 48... Pinch roller 54... Conveying roller pair 55・・・ Ejection roller pair 56 ・・・ Manual feed tray 71 ・・・ Media tray 110 ・・・ Media sensor 130 ・・・ Control unit

Claims (16)

A first roller pair that conveys a medium tray holding a circular recording medium in a first conveyance direction and a second conveyance direction opposite to the first conveyance direction;
A plurality of nozzles including a first nozzle located on the most downstream side in the first carrying direction and a second nozzle located on the most upstream side in the first carrying direction are formed side by side in the first carrying direction, A head located downstream of the first roller pair in the first transport direction;
A carriage on which the head is mounted and which moves in a scanning direction orthogonal to the first transport direction;
And a control unit,
The control unit is
Before ejecting ink from the plurality of nozzles toward the recording medium held in the media tray, the most upstream end of the recording medium held in the media tray in the first transport direction is The media tray is positioned at a predetermined position by the first roller pair so as to be located between the first nozzle and the second nozzle in the first transport direction, and then,
A transport operation for transporting the media tray in the second transport direction by a predetermined amount, and moving the carriage in the scanning direction from at least a part of the plurality of heads toward the recording medium held in the media tray. The ejection operation of ejecting ink is repeatedly performed,
Of the recording media held on the media tray, the upstream area is located upstream of the first nozzle in the first transport direction when the media tray is located at the predetermined position. By the time the area moves to the downstream side in the second transport direction with respect to the second nozzle, the carriage moves in the scanning direction, and some nozzles of the plurality of nozzles face the upstream area. Inkjet recording device that ejects ink by using The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second nozzle is not included in the part of the nozzles. The media tray has a circular recess for holding the recording medium,
The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the media tray is positioned at the predetermined position, the center of the recess is located downstream of the first nozzle in the first transport direction. While the ink from the head toward the recording medium held in the media tray is ejected, the media tray holds without rotating the recording medium, according to any one of claims 1 to 3 Inkjet recording device. Further comprising a second roller pair provided on the downstream side of the head in the first transport direction,
The distance between the first nozzle and the nip point of the second roller pair in the first transport direction is smaller than the distance between the second nozzle and the nip point of the first roller pair in the first transport direction. An ink jet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1-4. The first roller pair includes a drive roller and a spur roller,
The drive roller and the spur roller, when transporting the media tray, sandwich the media tray, ink jet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1-5. Further comprising a guide rail extending in the scanning direction and guiding the carriage,
The length of the guide rail in the scanning direction is longer than the length of the scanning direction of the media tray as it is transported to the first pair of rollers, an ink jet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6 .. The control unit is
While the medium tray is being conveyed in the second conveying direction from the predetermined position until the end of the recording medium held in the medium tray on the most upstream side passes through the second nozzle, toward the recording medium held in increasing the number of the nozzles for ejecting ink, an ink jet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1-7. While the media tray is transported in the second transport direction from the predetermined position until the end of the recording medium held in the media tray on the most upstream side passes the second nozzle, the number of the nozzle that faces the recording medium held in the media tray out of the nozzle is increased, the ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 8. The plurality of nozzles includes a plurality of nozzles adjacent to each other in the first transport direction, has a nozzle group including the second nozzle,
The part of the nozzle consists of a nozzle located downstream of the nozzle groups in the first conveying direction, the inkjet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1-9. The control unit is
When the media tray is located at the predetermined position, a portion of the part of the recording medium held in the media tray, which is located downstream of the first nozzle in the first transport direction, is held toward the downstream area of the recording medium. selectively ejecting ink from the plurality of nozzles without limiting the nozzle, the ink jet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1-10. Further comprising a second roller pair provided on the downstream side of the head in the first transport direction,
The control unit is
A sheet different from the recording medium is conveyed to the second roller pair, and the sheet conveyed by the second roller pair is directed toward the sheet conveyed by the second roller pair based on the print data without being limited to the part of the nozzles. selectively discharging ink from a plurality of nozzles, the ink jet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11. Further comprising a housing in which the first roller pair, the head and the carriage are arranged,
The housing has a paper exit,
The distance between the nip point of the discharge outlet and the first roller pair in the first transport direction is less than the distance between the discharge outlet and the head in the first conveying direction, of claim 1 to 12 The inkjet recording device according to any one of claims. A housing in which the first roller pair, the head, and the carriage are arranged,
And a paper discharge tray,
It said housing has an opening above the media tray and the paper discharge tray is inserted, the ink jet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12. A first roller pair configured to convey a media tray holding a circular recording medium in a first conveyance direction and a second conveyance direction opposite to the first conveyance direction;
A plurality of nozzles including a first nozzle located on the most downstream side in the first carrying direction and a second nozzle located on the most upstream side in the first carrying direction are formed side by side in the first carrying direction, A head located downstream of the first roller pair in the first transport direction;
A carriage on which the head is mounted and which moves in a scanning direction orthogonal to the first transport direction;
A recording method for recording an image on a recording medium by an inkjet recording device comprising:
Before ejecting ink from the plurality of nozzles toward the recording medium held in the media tray, the most upstream side end of the recording medium held in the media tray in the first transport direction is The media tray is positioned at a predetermined position by the first roller pair so as to be located between the first nozzle and the second nozzle in the first transport direction, and then,
A transport operation for transporting the media tray in the second transport direction by a predetermined amount, and moving the carriage in the scanning direction from at least a part of the plurality of heads toward the recording medium held in the media tray. The ejection operation of ejecting ink is repeatedly performed,
Of the recording media held on the media tray, the upstream area is located upstream of the first nozzle in the first transport direction when the media tray is located at the predetermined position. By the time the area moves to the downstream side in the second transport direction with respect to the second nozzle, the carriage moves in the scanning direction, and some nozzles of the plurality of nozzles face the upstream area. A recording method that ejects ink .
A first roller pair that conveys a media tray having a mounting portion on which a circular recording medium is placed, in a first transport direction and a second transport direction opposite to the first transport direction;
A plurality of nozzles including a first nozzle located on the most downstream side in the first carrying direction and a second nozzle located on the most upstream side in the first carrying direction are formed side by side in the first carrying direction, A head located downstream of the first roller pair in the first transport direction;
A carriage on which the head is mounted and which moves in a scanning direction orthogonal to the first transport direction;
And a control unit,
The control unit is
Before the ink is ejected from the plurality of nozzles toward the upper placement portion of the media tray, the most upstream end of the upper placement portion of the media tray in the first transport direction is set to the first transport direction. In, the media tray is positioned at a predetermined position by the first roller pair so as to be positioned between the first nozzle and the second nozzle, and then,
A transport operation of transporting the media tray in the second transport direction by a predetermined amount, and ink is transported from at least a part of the plurality of heads toward the above-mentioned mounting portion of the media tray while moving the carriage in the scanning direction. Repeat the discharge operation to discharge,
Among the above-mentioned placing portions of the media tray, when the media tray is located at the predetermined position, the upstream area is located in the upstream area located upstream of the first nozzle in the first transport direction. By moving the carriage in the scanning direction until moving to the downstream side in the second transport direction with respect to the second nozzle, ink is ejected from some nozzles of the plurality of nozzles toward the upstream region. An inkjet recording device for ejecting ink.

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