JP6760357B2 - Recording device, suction mechanism, and control method of suction part in recording device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a recording device that records on a medium.

Conventionally, a recording device that records by forming an image on a medium that is attracted to and supported by a mounting portion is widely known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-51160

By the way, in the above-mentioned recording apparatus, there is a problem that wrinkles are likely to occur in the medium because the suction force acts on the entire area of the medium in a state where the medium is placed on the mounting portion.
The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a recording device capable of suppressing wrinkles in a medium placed on a mounting portion.

The recording device that solves the above-mentioned problems is a recording device including a recording unit that records on a medium, and has a mounting unit on which the medium can be placed and a plurality of suction mechanisms capable of adsorbing the medium. The suction portion includes a suction portion, and the suction portion extends from a first end portion to a second end portion in a direction along the surface to be attracted of the medium in a state where the plurality of suction mechanisms are arranged above the above-described placement portion. The medium is placed on the above-mentioned placing portion by releasing the suction force in the order of.

According to the above configuration, the suction operation is sequentially released from one end side to the other end side of the medium to be sucked by the suction portion. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the medium from wrinkling when the medium is placed on the mounting surface of the mounting portion away from the suction portion.

In the recording device, it is preferable that the first end portion adsorbs the medium portion of the medium in which recording by the recording unit is started.
According to the above configuration, the suction operation is released in order from the medium portion where recording is started for the medium sucked by the suction portion. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the recording start position of the medium from being displaced when the medium is placed on the mounting surface of the mounting portion away from the suction portion.

In the recording device, the suction mechanism has a suction hole and a negative pressure generating portion that generates a negative pressure in the suction hole, and among the suction holes in the plurality of suction holes, the suction surface of the medium It is preferable that the negative pressure generating portion releases the negative pressure generated in each suction hole in the order from the suction hole on one end side to the suction hole on the other end side in the along direction.

According to the above configuration, the suction portion releases the negative pressure in the order from the suction hole on one end side to the suction hole on the other end side in the direction along the suction surface of the medium in the plurality of suction mechanisms. Therefore, it is possible to realize a configuration in which the suction operation is sequentially released from one end side to the other end side of the medium sucked by the suction portion.

In the recording device, the suction portion is located on one end side of a straight line connecting the suction holes of the combination of the suction holes in the plurality of suction mechanisms having the longest distance in the direction along the suction surface of the medium. It is preferable that the negative pressure generating portion releases the negative pressure generated in the suction hole in the order from the suction hole located to the suction hole located on the other end side.

According to the above configuration, the suction portion is moved from the suction hole located on one end side of the straight line connecting the suction holes of the combination having the longest distance along the suction surface of the medium in the plurality of suction mechanisms to the other end side. The negative pressure is released in the order of the suction holes located. Therefore, it is possible to realize a configuration in which the suction operation is sequentially released from one end side to the other end side of the medium sucked by the suction portion.

In the recording device, the suction unit individually controls a plurality of on-off valves provided for each of the suction holes at an intermediate position of the air flow path exhausted from the suction holes and the opening / closing operation of the plurality of on-off valves. It is preferable to have a valve control unit.

According to the above configuration, the suction hole receives the negative pressure generated in the suction hole by the negative pressure generating part by individually controlling the opening / closing operation of the on-off valve provided for each suction hole by the valve control part. It is possible to realize a configuration that releases each time.

The perspective view of one Embodiment of a printer. The schematic diagram of the transport arm mechanism in the printer of the same embodiment. The bottom view of the support part of the transport arm mechanism in the printer of the same embodiment. The operation diagram when the transport arm mechanism in the printer of the same embodiment mounts the medium on the mounting surface of the base, and (a) is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the medium is adsorbed on the transport arm mechanism. , (B) is a schematic view showing a state in which the release of adsorption of the transport arm mechanism to the medium is started from the state shown in FIG. 4 (a), and (c) is a state shown in FIG. 4 (b) with respect to the medium. The schematic diagram which shows the state which the release of the suction of the transfer arm mechanism progressed.

Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the recording device is embodied in an inkjet printer will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, the printer includes a base 12 as an example of a mounting portion including a support stand 11 having a frame structure placed on a floor surface. The upper surface of the base 12 is a rectangular mounting surface 13 on which the medium P is mounted, and a plurality of suction holes 14 are opened in the mounting surface 13. Further, a negative pressure chamber 15 communicating with the suction hole 14 is provided below the mounting surface 13 of the base 12, and a vacuum pump 16 is connected to the negative pressure chamber 15 via an exhaust tube 17. ing. When the vacuum pump 16 is driven, the negative pressure chamber 15 becomes a depressurized atmosphere, so that the medium P placed on the mounting surface 13 of the base 12 is sucked through the suction holes 14. Force acts.

Guide grooves 20 (only one side is shown in FIG. 1) are formed on both side surfaces of the base 12 along the length direction X of the medium P. A lower end of a gate-shaped liquid injection unit 21 extending in one direction is fitted in the guide groove 20 so as to be reciprocally movable along the length direction X of the medium P. Then, the liquid injection unit 21 reciprocates in the length direction X of the medium P while being guided by the guide groove 20.

The liquid injection unit 21 has a main shaft 24 and a sub shaft 25 along the longitudinal direction thereof. A carriage 26 is slidably supported on these shafts 24 and 25 along the longitudinal direction thereof.

A drive pulley 27 and a driven pulley 28 are rotatably supported at positions corresponding to both ends of both shafts 24 and 25 in the liquid injection unit 21. The output shaft of the carriage motor 29, which is a drive source for reciprocating the carriage 26, is connected to the drive pulley 27, and an endless portion is partially connected to the carriage 26 between the pair of pulleys 27 and 28. The shape of the timing belt 30 is hung. Therefore, the carriage 26 moves along the longitudinal direction of both shafts 24 and 25 via the endless timing belt 30 by the driving force of the carriage motor 29 while being guided by both shafts 24 and 25.

An ink cartridge 31 containing UV curable ink (hereinafter referred to as "UV ink") is disposed on one end side (right end side in FIG. 1) of the liquid injection unit 21 in the longitudinal direction. The UV ink in the ink cartridge 31 can be supplied through the ink supply tube 33 toward the recording head 32 as an example of the recording unit supported on the lower surface of the carriage 26. Then, the recording head 32 prints by injecting the UV ink supplied from the ink cartridge 31 onto the medium P mounted on the mounting surface 13 of the base 12.

Further, a pair of irradiators 35 are supported on both side surfaces of the carriage 26. These irradiators 35 are supported on both sides of the recording head 32 in the moving direction of the carriage 26. Then, each irradiator 35 cures the UV ink by irradiating the UV ink ejected on the medium P with UV light.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a transport arm mechanism 40 for transporting the medium P to the mounting surface 13 is provided on the side of the base 12 as an example of the suction portion. The transport arm mechanism 40 has a base portion 41 and a movable arm 43 having a base end connected to the upper surface of the base portion 41 and a rectangular plate-shaped support portion 42 connected to the tip end thereof. The movable arm 43 has a cavity S1 extending from its base end to its tip inside, and moves the support portion 42 in a direction along the mounting surface 13 of the base 12 by turning around the base end. It is possible. Further, the support portion 42 has a cavity S2 internally extending from the upper surface to the lower surface thereof. Then, the movable arm 43 and the support portion 42 are connected in a state where the open end of the cavity S1 at the tip of the movable arm 43 and the open end of the cavity S2 on the upper surface of the support portion 42 are aligned to be movable. The cavity S1 of the arm 43 and the cavity S2 of the support portion 42 communicate with each other.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cavity S2 of the support portion 42 is branched from the upper surface of the support portion 42 into a plurality of cavities and extends to the lower surface of the support portion 42, and a plurality of cavities S2 are formed on the lower surface of the support portion 42. The suction hole 45 of is open.

Then, the transfer arm mechanism 40 drives the vacuum pump 47 provided in the base 41 based on the control command from the arm control unit 46 that controls the operation of the transfer arm mechanism 40. At this time, the vacuum pump 47 functions as a negative pressure generating portion that generates a negative pressure in the suction hole 45 by sucking air from the suction hole 45 of the support portion 42 through the cavity S1 and the cavity S2. Therefore, the lower surface of the support portion 42 is a suction surface 48 on which the medium P can be sucked. In the present embodiment, the suction mechanism is configured by the combination of the suction hole 45 and the vacuum pump 47, and the transfer arm mechanism 40 includes a plurality of such suction mechanisms.

Further, in the cavity S2 of the support portion 42, an on-off valve 49 is individually provided for each suction hole 45 in a portion on the suction surface 48 side of the branch point. The opening / closing operation of each on-off valve 49 is controlled based on a control signal from the arm control unit 46 that functions as a valve control unit, so that the vacuum pump 47 exhausts air from the suction hole 45 through the cavity S1 and the cavity S2. Whether or not to do so is individually switched for each suction hole 45.

As shown in FIG. 3, in the present embodiment, the suction holes 45 are arranged in a grid pattern on the suction surface 48 of the support portion 42, and are arranged with the first end portion of the suction surface 48 of the support portion 42. It is referred to as a first suction hole 45A, a second suction hole 45B, a third suction hole 45C, a fourth suction hole 45D, and a fifth suction hole 45E in order from the one having the shortest distance from the corner portion A. Will be done. In this case, among the combinations of suction holes formed on the suction surface 48 of the support portion 42, the combination having the longest distance in the direction along the suction surface 48 is the first suction hole 45A and the fifth suction hole 45E. The straight line L connecting the first suction hole 45A and the fifth suction hole 45E becomes a corner portion A of the suction surface 48 of the support portion 42 and a second end portion located diagonally to the corner portion A. It coincides with the diagonal line of the suction surface 48 having the corner portion B as an end point. Further, the corner portion A of the suction surface 48 of the support portion 42 is a portion of the medium P that sucks the medium portion where printing by the liquid injection unit 21 is started.

Next, regarding the action of the printer of the present embodiment, paying particular attention to the action when the medium P adsorbed on the support portion 42 of the transport arm mechanism 40 is placed on the mounting surface 13 of the base 12. This will be described below.

First, as shown in FIG. 4A, the transport arm mechanism 40 drives the vacuum pump 47 with all the on-off valves 49 in the support portion 42 opened. Then, a negative pressure is generated in all the suction holes 45A to 45E opened in the suction surface 48 of the support portion 42, so that the entire suction surface of the medium P is sucked by the suction surface 48 of the support portion 42. Then, the transport arm mechanism 40 swivels the movable arm 43 in a state where the entire suction surface of the medium P is sucked on the suction surface 48 of the support portion 42, so that the medium P sucked on the suction surface 48 of the support portion 42 is sucked. It is vertically opposed to the mounting surface 13 of the base 12.

Next, as shown in FIG. 4B, the transport arm mechanism 40 is the first one in which the distance from the corner A of the suction surface 48 of the support portion 42 is the shortest while continuing to drive the vacuum pump 47. The on-off valve 49 corresponding to the suction hole 45A is closed. Then, the negative pressure generated in the first suction hole 45A is released, so that the end portion of the medium P sucked in the first suction hole 45A of the medium P is removed from the suction surface 48 according to gravity. Leave.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 4 (c), the transfer arm mechanism 40 continues to drive the vacuum pump 47, and the distance from the corner A of the suction surface 48 of the support portion 42 is the second shortest. The on-off valve 49 corresponding to the suction hole 45B of the above is closed. That is, the transport arm mechanism 40 has a second suction hole 45A to 45E opened in the suction surface 48 of the support portion 42, which is adjacent to the first suction hole 45A in which the generation of negative pressure is first released. The negative pressure generated in the suction hole 45B is released. Then, the medium portion of the medium P adjacent to the medium portion already separated from the suction surface 48 separates from the suction surface 48 according to gravity.

After that, the transfer arm mechanism 40 is closed in this order through the on-off valve 49 corresponding to each of the third suction hole 45C, the fourth suction hole 45D, and the fifth suction hole 45E while continuing to drive the vacuum pump 47. Perform valve operation. As a result, among the plurality of suction holes 45A to 45E opened in the suction surface 48 of the support portion 42, the generation of negative pressure is released in order from the suction holes having the shortest distance from the corner portion A of the suction surface 48. That is, among the plurality of suction holes 45A to 45E opened in the suction surface 48 of the support portion 42, the first suction hole located on one end side of the straight line L connecting the first suction hole 45A and the fifth suction hole 45E. The generation of negative pressure is released in the order from 45A to the fifth suction hole 45E located on the other end side of the straight line L. As a result, the portion of the medium P that is adjacent to the medium portion that has already been separated from the suction surface 48 is sequentially separated from the suction surface 48, so that when the medium P is placed on the mounting surface 13 of the base 12, the medium P is placed. The occurrence of wrinkles is suppressed.

According to the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) With respect to the medium P sucked on the suction surface 48 of the support portion 42 of the transport arm mechanism 40, the suction operation is sequentially released from one end side to the other end side of the medium P. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the medium P from wrinkling when the medium P is placed on the mounting surface 13 of the base 12 away from the suction surface 48 of the support portion 42 of the transport arm mechanism 40.

(2) The suction operation is released in order from the medium portion where recording is started with respect to the medium P sucked on the suction surface 48 of the support portion 42 of the transport arm mechanism 40. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the recording start position of the medium P from being displaced when the medium P is placed on the mounting surface 13 of the base 12 away from the suction surface 48 of the support portion 42 of the transport arm mechanism 40. ..

(3) The transport arm mechanism 40 releases the negative pressure in the order from the suction hole on one end side to the suction hole on the other end side in the direction along the suction surface 48 of the support portion 42. Therefore, it is possible to realize a configuration in which the suction operation is sequentially released from one end side to the other end side of the medium P with respect to the medium P sucked on the suction surface 48 of the support portion 42 of the transport arm mechanism 40.

(4) The transfer arm mechanism 40 has a suction hole located on the other end side of the suction hole located on one end side of a straight line connecting the suction holes of the combination having the longest distance along the suction surface 48 of the support portion 42. The negative pressure is released in the order of. Therefore, it is possible to realize a configuration in which the suction operation is sequentially released from one end side to the other end side of the medium P with respect to the medium P sucked on the suction surface 48 of the support portion 42 of the transport arm mechanism 40.

(5) The transport arm mechanism 40 individually controls the opening / closing operation of the on-off valve 49 provided for each suction hole 45 by the arm control unit 46. Therefore, it is possible to realize a configuration in which the vacuum pump 47 releases the negative pressure generated in the suction holes 45 for each suction hole 45.

In addition, the said embodiment can also be carried out in the following embodiments.
-In the above embodiment, the transport arm mechanism 40 may include a plurality of suction fans having suction ports on different surface portions of the suction surface 48 of the support portion 42. In this case, the transfer arm mechanism 40 can apply a suction force to the medium P for each surface portion of the suction surface 48 by individually driving a plurality of suction fans.

-In the above embodiment, the transfer arm mechanism 40 may release the suction operation in order from the suction holes located at the corners of the suction surface 48 of the support portion 42, which are opposite to the corners A. In this case, the suction operation with respect to the suction surface 48 is released starting from the medium portion of the medium P that is opposite to the medium portion on which the printing operation by the recording head 32 is started in the length direction X of the medium P.

In the above embodiment, the transport arm mechanism 40 may electrostatically attract the medium P to the suction surface 48 by charging the suction surface 48 of the support portion 42. In this case, by releasing the charge in order from the surface portion of the suction surface 48 having the shortest distance from the corner portion A, the suction operation is released in order from one end side to the other end side of the medium.

-In the above embodiment, the printer as a recording device is used as a fluid other than ink (a liquid, a liquid in which particles of functional materials are dispersed or mixed in the liquid, a fluid such as gel, or a fluid. It may be a fluid injection device that records by injecting or discharging (including a solid that can be flowed and injected). For example, printing is performed by injecting a liquid substance containing materials such as electrode materials and coloring materials (pixel materials) used in the manufacture of liquid crystal displays, EL (electroluminescence) displays, surface emitting displays, etc. in the form of dispersion or dissolution. It may be a liquid crystal injection device. Further, a flowable material injection device that injects a flowable material such as a gel (for example, a physical gel), and a powder or granular material injection device that injects a solid such as a powder (powder or granular material) such as toner (for example, a toner jet type). It may be a printing device). Then, the present invention can be applied to any one of these fluid injection devices. In the present specification, the term "fluid" is a concept that does not include a fluid consisting only of gas, and the fluid includes, for example, a liquid (inorganic solvent, organic solvent, solution, liquid resin, liquid metal (metal melt), etc. Includes), liquids, fluids, powders (including granules and powders) and the like.

12 ... Base as an example of mounting unit, 32 ... Recording head as an example of recording unit, 40 ... Transfer arm mechanism as an example of suction unit, 45 ... Suction hole, 46 ... Arm as an example of valve control unit Control unit, 47 ... Vacuum pump as an example of negative pressure generating unit, 48 ... Suction surface, 49 ... On-off valve, A ... Corner part as an example of the first end, B ... As an example of the second end Corner, L ... straight line, P ... medium.

Claims (6)

A mounting portion that has a mounting surface and can mount a medium on the previously described mounting surface ,
A recording unit that records on the medium placed on the above-mentioned storage unit,
A suction unit capable of sucking the medium is provided.
When the suction portion sucks one end side and the other end side of the medium and the suction by the suction portion is released from the state where the medium is arranged above the above-mentioned placement portion, the suction portion causes the suction portion. The adsorption is released in order from the one end side to the other end side in a state where one end side of the adsorbed medium is placed on the previously described placement portion and the other end side is separated from the previously described placement portion .
The recording unit is a recording head that moves with respect to the medium placed on the above-mentioned storage unit and ejects a liquid.
The previously described mounting portion has a mounting suction hole that opens in the previously described mounting surface.
The medium placed on the placement surface, Rukoto to act the suction force through the said placing suction holes, a recording apparatus according to claim. The recording device according to claim 1, wherein one end side of the medium is a medium portion where recording by the recording unit is started. The suction part is
A support part provided with multiple suction holes and
A negative pressure generating portion capable of sucking air from the suction hole and generating a negative pressure capable of adsorbing the medium,
Each of the plurality of suction holes has an on-off valve provided in the support portion.
The recording device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the on-off valve releases the suction by the suction portion. To release the suction by the suction portion, the suction hole is arranged above the above-mentioned placement portion, and among the combinations of the plurality of suction holes, the combination in which the distance in the direction along the suction surface of the medium is the longest. One end side of the straight line connecting the suction holes of the above is mounted on the previously described placing portion, and the other end side of the straight line is separated from the previously described placing portion, and the other end side from the suction hole located on the one end side. The recording device according to claim 3 , wherein the negative pressure generated in the suction hole by the negative pressure generating portion is released in the order of the suction holes located in. The recording unit includes a mounting unit having a mounting surface and capable of mounting a medium on the previously described mounting surface, and a recording unit for recording on the medium mounted on the previously described mounting portion. Is a recording head that moves with respect to the medium mounted on the previously described mounting portion to inject a liquid to perform recording, and the previously described mounting portion has a mounting suction hole that opens in the previously described mounting surface. the recording apparatus, in a medium which recording is performed, is mounted on the mounting portion, in a state in which the suction force through the mounting suction hole is applied, the medium in which the recording by the recording unit is performed , A suction mechanism that can be sucked
When the adsorption is released from the state where one end side and the other end side of the medium are adsorbed and the medium is arranged above the pre-described placement portion, the adsorption is performed by the one end side of the adsorbed medium. A suction mechanism characterized in that the suction mechanism is mounted on a placement portion and is released in order from the one end side to the other end side in a state where the other end side is separated from the previously described placement portion. A mounting portion having a mounting surface on which a medium can be mounted on the previously described mounting surface, a recording unit that records on the medium mounted on the previously described mounting portion, and a recording unit capable of adsorbing the medium. The recording unit is provided with a suction unit, and the recording unit is a recording head that moves with respect to the medium placed on the above-mentioned placement unit to inject a liquid, and the front-stated placement portion opens in the front-stated placement surface. has a mounting suction hole, to placed on said medium to the placement surface, the suction force through the said placing suction holes a control method of the suction unit in the recording device you action,
When one end side and the other end side of the medium are adsorbed and the adsorption is released from the state where the medium is arranged above the above-mentioned placement portion, the adsorption by the adsorption portion is carried out by the adsorbed medium. A control method in which one end side is mounted on the previously described placing portion and the other end side is separated from the previously described placing portion, and the ends are sequentially released from the one end side to the other end side.

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