JP7446767B2 - inkjet recording device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an inkjet recording apparatus that records on a recording medium using a recording unit that discharges ink while moving.

Generally, inkjet recording devices are known in which a carriage equipped with a recording head scans and records are made by ejecting ink from the ejection nozzles of the recording head included in the recording unit onto the surface of a recording medium such as a sealed letter (envelope) or sheet. There is. In such a printing apparatus, in order to perform good printing on a print medium, it is required that the distance between the ejection nozzles of the print head and the print medium be an appropriate distance.

Patent Document 1 describes a configuration in which the height of a carriage carrying a recording head can be adjusted according to the thickness of a recording medium placed on a platen by rotating a cam member with a motor. ing.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-218396

However, the recording device described in Patent Document 1 requires a motor to adjust the height of the recording unit having the recording head, a control section to control the motor, etc., which increases the cost of the device. was.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a configuration in which the height of a recording unit can be adjusted at low cost .

One aspect of the present invention includes a recording unit that performs recording by discharging ink onto a recording medium, a support unit that supports the recording unit, and a position of the recording unit relative to the recording medium in the thickness direction of the recording medium that performs recording. a positioning member for determining the positioning member; a moving unit for moving the supporting unit so that the recording unit performs recording on a recording medium while moving in the main scanning direction; and a moving unit rotatably provided on either the recording unit or the supporting unit. a cam member having a plurality of cam surfaces each having a different distance from a center of rotation of the cam member; and a cam member provided on the other of the recording unit and the support unit, the cam member being rotated. a contact surface that can be brought into contact with each of the plurality of cam surfaces; and an operation section that rotates the cam member when manually operated ; a first cam having a plurality of cam surfaces; and a second cam having a plurality of other cam surfaces whose distance from the center of rotation is equal to the distance from the plurality of cam surfaces, and the first cam includes: , the first cam is fixed with a gap to the rotating shaft in the rotating direction, the second cam is press-fitted to the rotating shaft, and the recording unit is connected to the rotating shaft via the operating section. The inkjet recording apparatus is characterized in that a distance to the positioning member in the thickness direction is changed by changing a cam surface that abuts the contact surface.

According to the present invention, the height of the recording unit can be adjusted at low cost .

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an inkjet recording apparatus according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a purge device. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a carriage unit and peripheral parts of the carriage unit. FIG. 3 is a side view showing a slider and a base plate. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a slider and a base plate. An exploded view showing the carriage unit. FIG. 3 is an exploded view showing the carriage unit. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a carriage and a cam member. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a cam member. (a) A side view showing the second cam part, (b) A side view showing the first cam part. (a) A cross-sectional view showing the second cam part, (b) A cross-sectional view showing the first cam part. (a) A sectional view of the carriage unit viewed from the X direction, and (b) a sectional view of the carriage unit viewed from the Y direction. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing manual rotation operation of the cam member. A diagram showing an inspection pattern. (a) A diagram explaining the difference in the landing position when recording in the forward direction, (b) A diagram explaining the difference in the landing position when recording in the backward direction, (c) When the distance between the recording head and the recording surface is small (d) A diagram showing a test pattern when the distance is also appropriate; (e) A diagram showing a test pattern when the distance is also large.

This embodiment will be described using FIGS. 1 to 15. First, a schematic configuration of an inkjet recording apparatus 100 of this embodiment will be described using FIG. 1.

[Inkjet recording device]
In the inkjet recording apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, a recording head H moves back and forth in the main scanning direction X and ejects ink onto the recording surface (top surface) P1 of a recording medium P such as a sealed letter (envelope), card, or sheet. This is a recording device that records (forms) characters and images. The recording head H includes an ink ejection port and an ink cartridge (not shown) that stores ink as a unit.

In the following description, the main scanning direction (second direction) X, the sub-scanning direction (first direction) Y orthogonal to the main scanning direction Also referred to as "direction" and "Z direction." In addition, the right side along the X direction in FIG. 1 (the right side when viewing the device from the front) is simply referred to as "right side," and the left side along the X direction in FIG. 1 is simply referred to as "left side." The rear along the Y direction in FIG. 1 is also simply referred to as "rear" (or back), and the front along the Y direction in FIG. 1 is also simply referred to as "front" (or front).

The inkjet recording apparatus 100 includes an apparatus body 2, a support plate 3 that supports the lower surface of a recording medium P held in the apparatus body 2 and used for recording, and a positioning mechanism 5 that positions the recording medium P supported by the support plate 3. , a carriage unit 7 that has a recording head H and reciprocates in the main scanning direction X, a moving device 9 that reciprocates the carriage unit 7, and a purge device 10.

The inkjet recording apparatus 100 also includes a control unit 50 as a control means for controlling each part of the inkjet recording apparatus 100, such as a motor (not shown) included in the moving device 9 and a recording head H. The control unit 50 includes a CPU, RAM, and ROM. The CPU controls each part while reading a program corresponding to a control procedure stored in the ROM. Further, the RAM stores work data and input data, and the CPU performs control by referring to the data stored in the RAM based on the aforementioned program and the like. As will be described in detail later, the control unit 50 performs recording head height confirmation to confirm that the distance between the recording head H and the recording surface P1 in the Z direction (vertical direction) is a predetermined distance, that is, an appropriate distance. mode is executable.

The positioning mechanism 5 as a positioning means includes a base plate 21 as a plate member disposed facing below the recording head H, and a lifter 22 as a pressing member and a support section disposed facing below the base plate 21. ing. The base plate 21 and the support plate 3 form an insertion section S into which a recording medium P to be recorded is set. The lifter 22 is configured to be able to be raised and lowered by a lifting mechanism (not shown). The lifter 22 is spaced apart from the base plate 21 in the lowered state, and allows the recording medium P to be inserted into and removed from the insertion portion S. On the other hand, the lifter 22 is raised and presses the recording medium P inserted into the insertion portion S toward the surface of the base plate 21 opposite to the recording head H, that is, toward the bottom surface. As a result, the recording medium P is pressed against the base plate 21 with a constant pressure regardless of its thickness, and its position in the vertical direction Z is determined.

The positioning mechanism 5 also includes a main scanning direction positioning section (not shown) that positions the inserted recording medium P in the main scanning direction X, and a sub scanning direction Y orthogonal to the main scanning direction X of the inserted recording medium P. and a sub-scanning direction positioning section (not shown) that performs positioning. The main scanning direction positioning section and the sub-scanning direction positioning section are formed, for example, between the base plate 21 and the support plate 3 on the back side (right side and back side in FIG. 1) in the insertion direction of the recording medium P into the insertion section S. This is the wall section where the walls were painted. Thereby, the recording medium P inserted into the insertion section S is positioned in the main scanning direction X and the sub-scanning direction Y.

Furthermore, a V-groove-shaped guide rail 21a that extends in the main scanning direction X and guides the reciprocating movement of the carriage unit 7 is formed on the base plate 21 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). The guide rail 21a is, for example, integrally provided at the rear end of the base plate 21 in the sub-scanning direction Y. Further, the base plate 21 is formed with a recording area opening 21b that penetrates in the vertical direction. The recording area opening 21b is inserted into the insertion portion S as described above, and allows the recording head H to define a recording area on the recording surface P1 of the recording medium P pressed against the lower surface of the base plate 21 by the lifter 22. It is exposed on the side (upper side, which is one side in the Z direction).

The inkjet recording apparatus 100 also includes a recording medium sensor (not shown) that outputs a signal to the control unit 50 according to whether the recording medium P is inserted into the insertion section S and positioned. .

The moving device 9 as a main moving means and a second moving means includes a motor (not shown), a pulley 23 that rotates by driving force from the motor, a timing belt 25 that rotates by the pulley 23, etc. By repeating forward and reverse rotations, the carriage unit 7 is reciprocated in the X direction along the guide rail 21a.

For example, when the control unit 50 detects that the recording medium P is positioned based on an input signal from a recording medium sensor, it raises the lifter 22 and presses the recording medium P against the base plate 21 . The control unit 50 controls the ejection of ink from the motor and the recording head H based on an input signal from a linear encoder (not shown) that outputs a signal corresponding to the amount of movement of the carriage unit 7 in the X direction. do. In this embodiment, a DC motor and a linear encoder are used, but a DC motor and a rotary encoder may be used instead, or a DC motor and a plurality of optical sensors arranged in the X direction may be used. Alternatively, a stepping motor may be used.

With this configuration, the inkjet recording apparatus 100 performs recording on the positioned recording area of the recording medium P using the recording head H that ejects ink through the recording area opening 21b while reciprocating in the X direction.

[Purge device]
Next, referring to FIG. 2, the purge device 10 that cleans the ejection ports (not shown) for ejecting ink of the recording head H (see FIG. 1) will be described. Since the inkjet recording apparatus 100 performs recording by ejecting ink as described above, there is a possibility that the ejection openings (nozzles) for ejecting ink become clogged during use. Furthermore, if the ejection ports are exposed while no recording is being performed, ink adhering to the ejection ports may become stuck. For this reason, the purge device 10 includes a cap 10a and a cleaning blade 10b. In order to prevent ink from sticking at the ejection ports, the cap 10a covers the ejection ports of the print head H at a standby position where the print head H is waiting to print on the print medium P (capping). do).

Further, the cleaning blade 10b serving as a cleaning means cleans the ejection ports of the recording head H. The cleaning blade 10b comes into contact with the ejection opening of the print head H in the process of moving the print head H to the standby position after the print head H finishes printing on the print medium, and removes the adhered ink. Wipe it off.

[Carriage unit]
Next, a schematic configuration of the carriage unit 7 that has a recording head H and moves in the main scanning direction X and the sub-scanning direction Y will be explained using FIGS. 3 to 7. As shown in FIG. 3, the carriage unit 7 includes a recording head H, a slider 31, a carriage 32, a slide member 33, and a cam member 35. The slider 31 is reciprocated in the X direction by a moving device 9 (see FIG. 1), and holds the recording head H via a carriage 32. As will be described in detail later, the recording head H is moved in the sub-scanning direction Y by a slide member 33 serving as a sub-moving means and a first moving means , and its position in the height direction (vertical direction Z) is adjusted by a cam member 35. It is possible.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the slider 31 has a guide rail sliding part 31a, a regulating part 31b, a carriage guide part 31c, a first carriage support surface 31e, and a second carriage support surface 31f. . The guide rail sliding portion 31a engages with a groove of a guide rail 21a arranged along the main scanning direction X within the apparatus main body 2. The regulating portion 31b is hooked onto the end portion 21c of the guide rail 21a on the back side in the Y direction, and regulates the swinging of the slider 31 about the sliding position between the guide rail 21a and the guide rail sliding portion 31a.

More specifically, the guide rail sliding portion 31a has a lower end formed in a substantially semicircular shape when viewed in the X direction, and a portion of the substantially semicircular shape is formed on the V-shaped guide rail 21a when viewed in the X direction. It slides in a state where it is inserted. At this time, the approximately semicircular guide rail sliding portions 31a abut on both sides of the guide rail 21a in the Y direction. The regulating portion 31b is formed so as to wrap around the end 21c of the guide rail 21a on the back side in the Y direction further downward from the back side, and engages with the lower surface of the end 21c. As will be described later, the slider 31 supports the recording head H and the like on the front side in the Y direction with respect to the guide rail sliding part 31a, so the regulating part 31b tends to swing in the direction in which it engages with the lower surface of the end part 21c. becomes. Thereby, the slider 31 is guided by the guide rail 21a along the X direction while being supported by the guide rail 21a with movement and swinging in the Y direction being restricted.

Further, the carriage guide portion 31c is a rib-shaped protrusion that protrudes forward from the front surface 31j facing the carriage 32 (see FIG. 3) and is provided along the Z direction. In this embodiment, a pair of carriage guide parts 31c are provided at intervals in the X direction. The first carriage support surface 31e and the second carriage support surface 31f are surfaces formed on the upper surface of the protrusion 31p that is below the carriage guide portion 31c and protrudes forward from the surface 31j. The second carriage support surface 31f is formed to be substantially flush with the first carriage support surface 31e, and is spaced apart from the first carriage support surface 31e in the X direction. The first carriage support surface 31e and the second carriage support surface 31f are abutment surfaces that can come into contact with a cam surface of a cam member 35, which will be described later. to regulate.

As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, a carriage 32 serving as a holding means is held movably with respect to the slider 31 in a direction toward and away from the recording surface P1 of the recording medium P, that is, in a Z direction. It has a main carriage 36 as a holding and moving part and a subcarriage 37 as a holding part. The main carriage 36 holds a sub-carriage 37 movably in the Y direction. The subcarriage 37 holds a recording head H (see FIG. 3).

The main carriage 36 is arranged on the front side (front side) of the slider 31, which is one side in the Y direction, and extends along the Z direction on the rear side (back side), which is the other side in the Y direction, which faces the slider 31. A guide groove 32a is formed. The guide groove 32a engages with the carriage guide portion 31c of the slider 31 and guides the main carriage 36 relative to the slider 31 in the Z direction.

Further, the main carriage 36 is formed with a through hole 32b that penetrates in the X direction, and a cam member 35 is inserted into the through hole 32b and rotatably supported. The cam member 35 has cam surfaces T1 and T2 that can come into contact with the first carriage support surface 31e and the second carriage support surface 31f. Details of the cam member 35 will be described later.

Here, as shown in FIG. 3, a carriage spring 39 is arranged between the main carriage 36 and the slider 31 as a biasing means. The carriage spring 39 is stretched between a part of the main carriage 36 and a part of the slider 31, and biases the main carriage 36 toward the slider 31. Further, the carriage springs 39 are provided on both sides of the main carriage 36 and the slider 31 in the X direction, respectively. In this embodiment, the carriage spring 39 biases the main carriage 36 obliquely downward, thereby pressing the main carriage 36 in the Y direction toward the slider 31 and biasing the main carriage 36 downward. Thereby, the guide groove 32a of the main carriage 36 and the carriage guide portion 31c of the slider 31 are more reliably engaged, and the cam surfaces T1 and T2 of the cam member 35 supported by the main carriage 36 are attached to the slider 31. He is trying to make it contact with the provided first carriage support surface 31e and second carriage support surface 31f.

The main carriage 36 moves in the vertical direction Z (height direction) with respect to the slider 31 while its relative movement in the X direction with respect to the slider 31 is restricted by the guide groove 32a engaging with the carriage guide portion 31c. . Further, the position of the main carriage 36 in the height direction relative to the slider 31 is determined by the cam surfaces T1 and T2 of the cam member 35 coming into contact with the first carriage support surface 31e and the second carriage support surface 31f.

The sub-carriage 37 detachably holds the recording head H, and is held movably in the Y direction with respect to the main carriage 36. The sub-carriage 37 has a substrate (not shown) that electrically connects the contacts of the recording head H and the control unit 50 while holding (attaching) the recording head H. The recording head H outputs a signal depending on whether the recording head H is attached or not, a signal depending on the remaining amount of ink, etc. to the control unit 50 via the substrate of the subcarriage 37. A control signal for controlling the print head H is output from the control section 50 to the print head H via the substrate of the subcarriage 37.

The slide member 33 shown in FIG. 3 is held slidably in the X direction with respect to the main carriage 36 between surfaces of a part of the main carriage 36 and a part of the subcarriage 37 that face each other in the Y direction. ing. In the illustrated example, a portion of the main carriage 36 and a portion of the sub-carriage 37 are inserted through a through hole 31q formed in the slider 31 between surfaces facing each other in the Y direction. The slide member 33 is longer than the main carriage 36 in the X direction, and depending on the position in the X direction with respect to the main carriage 36, one or both of the right end and the left end of the slide member 33 may be away from the main carriage 36 in the X direction. I try to make it stick out.

Further, the slide member 33 is configured such that the thickness in the Y direction differs in at least two steps in the X direction. In this embodiment, the thickness of the other half of the slide member 33 in the Y direction is greater than that in the X direction, and the surfaces with different thicknesses are made to smoothly continue with the sloped surface. There is. Specifically, one surface in the Y direction is parallel to the entire X direction, and of the other surface in the Y direction, the second surface on the other side is more parallel to the Y direction than the first surface on one side in the X direction. They are each formed to protrude in parallel to the X direction, and the first surface and the second surface are connected to each other by an inclined surface.

Further, the sub-carriage 37 is urged toward the main carriage 36 by a head spring 40. The head springs 40 are provided on both sides of the main carriage 36 and the subcarriage 37 in the X direction, respectively. As a result, the slide member 33 is held between the main carriage 36 and the sub-carriage 37, and both surfaces of the slide member 33 in the Y direction are brought into contact with a part of the main carriage 36 and a part of the sub-carriage 37, respectively. There is.

The position of the subcarriage 37 in the Y direction relative to the main carriage 36 is determined by the position of the slide member 33 in the X direction. That is, when the thicker portion of the slide member 33 in the Y direction is located between the surfaces of a portion of the main carriage 36 and a portion of the subcarriage 37 that face each other in the Y direction, the subcarriage 37 is , located at a first position away from the main carriage 36. On the other hand, if the portion of the slide member 33 having a small thickness in the Y direction is located between the surfaces of a part of the main carriage 36 and a part of the subcarriage 37 that face each other in the Y direction, the subcarriage 37 , is located at a second position closer to the main carriage 36 than the first position. That is, as the slide member 33 moves relative to the main carriage 36 and the sub-carriage 37 in the X direction, the sub-carriage 37 moves in the Y direction with respect to the main carriage 36.

In this embodiment, when the carriage unit 7 including the carriage 32 and the slider 31 moves in the X direction, the end of the slide member 33 in the X direction comes into contact with a part of the apparatus main body 2, and the slide member 33 moves in the X direction. It is configured to move to . Specifically, when the carriage unit 7 moves to the right, which is one side in the come into contact with When the carriage unit 7 further moves to the right, the slide member 33 is pushed by the right contact portion and moves to the left with respect to the main carriage. Then, when the carriage unit 7 moves until the print head H reaches a position on the right side of the print area, the subcarriage 37 starts moving in the Y direction with respect to the main carriage 36. Here, it is assumed that a thinner portion is formed on the right side of the slide member 33. Then, the sub-carriage 37 moves toward the main carriage 36 (toward the second position) by the biasing force of the head spring 40, and ends its movement to the second position before the recording head H reaches the standby position.

Further, when the carriage unit 7 moves to the other left side in the X direction and reaches a predetermined position, the left end of the slide member 33 comes into contact with a left contact portion (not shown) provided on the apparatus main body 2. When the carriage unit 7 further moves to the left, the slide member 33 is pushed by the left contact portion and moves to the right with respect to the main carriage. Then, when the carriage unit 7 moves until the print head H reaches a position on the left side of the print area, the subcarriage 37 starts moving in the Y direction with respect to the main carriage 36. At this time, the thicker part of the slide member 33 is located between the surfaces of a part of the main carriage 36 and a part of the sub-carriage 37 that face each other in the Y direction, so that the sub-carriage 37 The carriage unit 7 moves to the side away from the main carriage 36 (toward the first position) against the biasing force of the carriage unit 40, and ends the movement to the first position before reaching the left end of the movement area of the carriage unit 7.

As described above, the subcarriage 37 moves in the Y direction as the carriage unit 7 reciprocates in the X direction. Therefore, the recording head H held by the sub-carriage 37 can eject ink to positions shifted in the Y direction between the forward path and the backward path in the X direction.

As described above, in the inkjet recording apparatus 100, the positioning mechanism 5 positions the recording head H in the Z direction with respect to the recording surface P1 on which recording is performed, regardless of the thickness of the recording medium P. That is, the recording medium P inserted into the insertion section S is pressed against the base plate 21 by the lifter 22, thereby determining the position of the recording surface P1 in the Z direction. However, depending on the dimensional accuracy of each component related to the height accuracy of the recording head H, such as the subcarriage 37, main carriage 36, slider 31, base plate 21, etc., the distance between the recording head H and the recording surface P1 may be an appropriate distance. There is a risk that it may come off. Although details will be described later, in the case of a configuration in which the ink ejection position shifts in the Y direction when the carriage unit 7 reciprocates in the X direction as in this embodiment, the distance between the recording head H and the recording surface P1 is If it deviates from the distance, there is a risk that the image formed on the outward pass and the image formed on the return pass may be shifted in the X direction, resulting in a decrease in image quality. For this reason, the inkjet recording apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment allows the position of the recording head H in the Z direction with respect to the slider 31 to be adjusted by the cam member 35, so that the distance between the recording head H and the recording surface P1 is set to an appropriate distance, and This makes it possible to make good records.

[Cam member]
Next, the cam member 35 will be explained using FIGS. 8 to 13. The cam member 35 of this embodiment can be rotated manually by a person using a tool such as a screwdriver, and is not driven by a drive source such as a motor. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the cam member 35 has a first cam part 41, a second cam part 42, and a connecting shaft that connects the first cam part 41 and the second cam part 42. 43. The first cam portion 41 and the second cam portion 42 are spaced apart from each other on the right side and the left side of the main carriage 36, respectively, and are connected to each other by a connecting shaft 43. The connecting shaft 43 is inserted into a through hole 32b formed in the main carriage 36, and is rotatably supported by the main carriage 36.

The first cam part 41 and the second cam part 42 each have a cam surface having a plurality of flat parts having different distances from the virtual axis L1 (rotation axis) which is the rotation center of the cam member 35 depending on the position in the rotation direction. It has T1 and T2.

[Cam surface]
As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the first cam part 41 and the second cam part 42 each have five flat parts: a flat part t1, a flat part t2, a flat part t3, a flat part t4, and a flat part t5. It has cam surfaces T1 and T2 formed in a substantially pentagonal shape. These plane parts are arranged at different positions in the rotational direction of the cam member 35 and have different distances from the virtual axis L1, which is the rotation center of the cam member 35. The distance from the virtual axis L1 is such that the plane part t1 has the smallest distance, and the plane part t5 has the largest distance in the order of the plane part t2, the plane part t3, the plane part t4, and the plane part t5. Among the combinations of flat parts adjacent in the rotational direction, the distances from the virtual axis L1 of the flat parts t1 to t5 differ by a predetermined distance from each other, except for the combination of t1 and t5. In the present embodiment, the distances between the plane portions t1 and t2, between the plane portions t2 and t3, between the plane portions t3 and t4, and between the plane portions t4 and t5 from the virtual axis L1 are 0. The plane portions t1 and t5 differ by 2 mm in distance from the virtual axis L1.

Further, the first cam portion 41 and the second cam portion 42 have corner portions that connect two adjacent flat portions in the rotational direction of the cam member 35 among the flat portions t1 to t5. For example, the first cam portion 41 and the second cam portion 42 are formed at an angle that connects a flat portion t1 as a first flat portion adjacent to each other in the rotational direction of the cam member 35, and a second flat portion t2 to the flat portion t1. It has a section C1. Each corner has a curved apex.

In addition, the plane part t1 of the first cam part 41 and the plane part t1 of the second cam part 42, the plane part t2 of the first cam part 41 and the plane part t2 of the second cam part 42, and the plane part of the first cam part 41. t3 and the plane part t3 of the second cam part 42, the plane part t4 of the first cam part 41 and the plane part t4 of the second cam part 42, the plane part t5 of the first cam part 41 and the plane part of the second cam part 42. t5 are formed so that the distances from the virtual axis L1 are the same. That is, the first cam portion 41 and the second cam portion 42 have the same cam surfaces T1 and T2, and the flat portions t1, t2, t3, t4, and t5 have the same shape in the rotational direction of the cam member 35. They are arranged so that their phases are substantially the same.

[Configuration that allows adjustment of the position of the carriage in the Y direction with respect to the slider]
As shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, when assembled as the carriage unit 7, the connecting shaft 43 has one of the flat portions t1 to t5 of the second cam portion 42 on the second carriage support surface 31f. If they are facing each other, among the flat parts t1 to t5 of the first cam part 41, the flat part corresponding to the flat part of the second cam part 42 facing the second carriage support surface 31f, that is, the virtual axis L1 The first cam part 41 and the second cam part 42 are connected to each other so that the flat part having the same distance faces the first carriage support surface 31e. For example, the connecting shaft 43 is configured such that when the flat portion t1 of the second cam portion 42 faces the second carriage support surface 31f, the t1 of the first cam portion 41 faces the first carriage support surface 31e. The first cam part 41 and the second cam part 42 are connected.

Further, in the cam member 35 of this embodiment, the connecting shaft 43 connects the first cam portion 41 and the second cam portion 42 such that they can rotate relative to each other by a predetermined angle (a predetermined amount) α. If the connecting shaft 43 is connected to the first cam part 41 and the second cam part 42 so that they do not rotate relative to each other, the dimensions of the first cam part 41, the second cam part 42, and the connecting shaft 43 in the relative rotation direction Due to errors and surface differences, the phases of the plane parts may be slightly shifted from each other. In this case, for example, even if the flat part of the first cam part 41 contacts the first carriage support surface 31e in parallel, the flat part of the second cam part 42 in the same phase contacts the second carriage support surface 31f obliquely. There is a possibility that the distances from the virtual axis L1 (rotation axis) to the respective contact positions are different on the left and right, and the carriage 32 may be tilted.

For this reason, in this embodiment, the first cam part 41 and the second cam part 42 are connected by the connecting shaft 43 so as to be able to rotate slightly relative to each other (relatively rotatable by a predetermined angle α). Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the first cam portion 41 and the second cam portion 42 have connection holes 41a and 42a into which the ends of the connection shaft 43 are inserted, respectively. The left end of the connecting shaft 43 is lightly press-fitted into the connecting hole 42a of the second cam part 42, and the second cam part 42 and the connecting shaft 43 are fixed so that they do not rotate relative to each other. The right end of the connecting shaft 43 is inserted into the connecting hole 41a of the first cam portion 41, and there is a gap (backlash, play) M between the first cam portion 41 and the connecting shaft 43 that allows relative rotation within a range of a predetermined angle α. It is formed.

The predetermined angle α is, for example, when the first cam portion 41 is rotated and the flat portion of the first cam portion 41 facing the first carriage support surface 31e is switched to an adjacent flat portion. The second cam part 42 rotates accordingly, and the flat part of the second cam part 42 facing the second carriage support surface 31f is also set at an angle that switches to the adjacent flat part. That is, the first cam part 41 and the second cam part 42 are such that the other cam part rotates following the rotation of one cam part, and the corresponding flat parts (having the same distance from the virtual axis L1) The predetermined angle α is set so that the two are located in the same phase. In addition, the predetermined angle α is set to be an angle that can absorb dimensional errors in the relative rotation direction of the first cam portion 41, the second cam portion 42, and the connecting shaft 43 (backlash as a gap M in the rotation direction of the cam portion). ) is set so that it is formed. As a result, even if there is a slight dimensional error in the rotational direction between the first cam part 41 and the second cam part 42, the first cam part 41 and the second cam part 42 having the same phase come into contact with the first carriage support surface 41e and the second carriage support surface 31f in parallel, respectively, and the height position of the carriage 32 is set in an appropriate state without tilting with respect to the slider 31. be done. Here, the gap M is formed between the first cam part 41 and the connecting shaft 43, but unlike that, a gap may be formed between the second cam part and the connecting shaft, or a gap M may be formed between the first cam part 41 and the connecting shaft 43. A gap may be formed between both the second cam portion and the connecting shaft.

Further, the first cam portion 41 is biased by the biasing force of the carriage spring 39 in a direction in which one of the flat portions t1 to t5 comes into contact with the first carriage support surface 31e. Similarly, the second cam portion 42 is moved by the biasing force of the carriage spring 39 in a direction in which a flat portion of the flat portions t1 to t5 that corresponds to the flat portion of the first cam portion 41 comes into contact with the second carriage support surface 31e. energized.

With this configuration, the cam member 35 does not separate from the first carriage support surface 31e and the second carriage support surface 31f, and the first cam portion 41 and the second cam are located at the same distance from the virtual axis L1. A flat portion of the portion 42 contacts the first carriage support surface 31e and the second carriage support surface 31f.

In addition, the cam member 35 changes the rotational position of the cam surfaces T1 and T2 that come into contact with the first carriage support surface 31e and the second carriage support surface 31f of the slider 31 according to the rotational position of the slider 31. The position (height position) of the carriage 32 in the Z direction with respect to the slider 31 can be adjusted. Further, the cam member 35 can adjust the position of the carriage 32 in the Z direction with respect to the slider 31 in increments of 0.5 mm up to 2 mm.

In this embodiment, the cam surfaces T1 and T2 of the cam member 35 have five planes having different distances from the center of rotation, but the present invention is not limited to this. The cam member has a cam surface having a different distance from the rotation center at at least two rotational positions, and by changing the position of the abutment surface and the abutting cam surface, the position of the carriage in the direction of approach and separation from the slider is changed. It suffices if they are arranged so as to change the

[Rotation operation of cam member]
Next, a configuration that allows an operator to manually rotate the cam member 35 will be described using FIGS. 3, 5, 9, and 13. As shown in FIG. 9, the first cam part 41 and the second cam part 42 are arranged facing the end of the cam member 35 in the virtual axis L1 direction, and are used to manually rotate the cam member 35. It has a manual operation section 45. The manual operation section 45 has a mark 45a and a groove 45b.

The mark 45a has asymmetry with respect to the virtual axis L1 so that the rotational positions of the cam surfaces T1 and T2 can be visually observed when the cam surfaces T1 and T2 rotate. Specifically, the mark 45a is a mark pointing in a predetermined direction from the virtual axis L1 toward the cam surfaces T1 and T2, and is formed so that the operator can visually identify the direction in which the mark 45a is pointing. has been done. In the cam member 35 of this embodiment, the mark 45a points in the direction from the virtual axis L1 toward the plane portion t3.

The groove portion 45b is formed in a groove shape along the virtual axis L1, and by rotating a predetermined tool inserted into the groove portion 45b, it is possible to apply torque around the virtual axis L1 to the cam member 35. It has become.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the slider 31 includes a right plate 31k arranged to the right of the first cam part 41 and formed along a direction intersecting the X direction, and a second cam part 42. A left plate 31m is disposed on the left side and formed along a direction intersecting the X direction. The right plate 31k and the left plate 31m are provided with an operation hole 31g that penetrates the right plate 31k and the left plate 31m in the X direction. The operation hole 31g of the right plate 31k exposes the manual operation part 45 of the first cam part 41 to the right when the carriage unit 7 is assembled, and the operation hole 31g of the left plate 31m exposes the manual operation part 45 of the first cam part 41 to the right when the carriage unit 7 is assembled. 42 manual operation parts 45 are exposed to the left, allowing insertion of tools into the grooves 45b and visual inspection of the marks 45a.

As shown in FIG. 13, the operator inserts a predetermined tool, such as the tip of a flathead screwdriver D, into the groove 45b through the operation hole 31g, and manually applies a torque around the virtual axis L1 to the cam member 35. By adding this, the first cam portion 41 and the second cam portion 42 can be rotated.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the distance between each corner of the cam surfaces T1 and T2 and the virtual axis L1 is greater than the distance between any of the adjacent plane parts forming the corner and the virtual axis L1. , the cam member 35 changes from a state in which one of its flat parts is in contact with the first carriage support surface 31e and the second carriage support surface 31f, to a state in which the corner formed by the flat part and the adjacent flat part is in contact with each other. When the carriage spring 39 is rotated until the adjacent plane parts come into contact with each other, the carriage spring 39 rotates with a click feeling due to a change in the biasing force of the carriage spring 39.

An identification display 31h that allows the rotational position of the cam member 35 to be visually identified is arranged around the operation hole 31g. The identification display 31h has markings with values "1" to "5" corresponding to the flat parts t1 to t5, respectively, and depending on the rotational position of the cam member 35, there is a marking at the end of the direction indicated by the mark 45a. It is formed so that a stamp with a corresponding value is placed on any of the flat parts that are in contact with the first carriage support surface 31e and the second carriage support surface 31f.

Specifically, when the flat part t1 of the first cam part 41 is in contact with the first carriage support surface 31e, the identification mark 31h of the right plate 31k is located beyond the direction indicated by the mark 45a of the first cam part 41. The mark with the value "1" is located. Similarly, when the flat part t2 of the first cam part 41 is in contact with the first carriage support surface 31e, the stamp with the value "2" of the identification display 31h is located at the end of the direction indicated by the mark 45a, When the flat part t3 of the first cam part 41 is in contact, the stamp with the value "3" of the identification display 31h is located at the end of the direction indicated by the mark 45a, and the flat part t4 of the first cam part 41 is in contact. In the state where the mark 45a is in contact, the stamp with the value "4" of the identification display 31h is located at the end of the direction indicated by the mark 45a, and in the state where the flat part t5 of the first cam part 41 is in contact with the mark 45a, the mark 45a is in the direction indicated by the mark 45a. A stamp with the value "5" of the identification display 31h is located ahead of the mark. Note that the relationship between the second cam portion 42 and the identification display 31h on the left plate 31m is the same as the relationship between the identification display 31h on the right plate 31k of the first cam portion 41, and will therefore be omitted.

Furthermore, as described above, the position of the carriage 32 in the Z direction with respect to the slider 31 may be 0 depending on which of the plane parts t1 to t5 is in contact with the first carriage support surface 31e and the second carriage support surface 31f. It can be adjusted in .5mm increments up to a maximum of 2mm. In addition, with the plane portion t3 in contact with the first carriage support surface 31e and the second carriage support surface 31f, the position of the carriage 32 relative to the slider 31 in the Z direction becomes the reference position (center position) of the adjustment range. .

The right plate 31k and the left plate 31m have a reference display 31n that allows the operator to identify that the state in which the mark 45a is pointing to the stamp with the value "3" is the reference state. The reference display 31n may be any display that can distinguish between the stamp with the value "3" and other stamps, and is composed of, for example, a dot placed near the stamp with the value "3". Note that standard markings that allow workers to visually identify that they are in the standard state are not limited to this, and even if the marking that the mark points to in the standard state is formed in a larger font than other markings. Alternatively, it may be formed in a shape other than a point.

In this way, the identification display 31h and the reference display 31n indicate that the position of the carriage 32 in the Z direction with respect to the slider 31 is the reference position depending on the position of the mark 45a according to the rotational position of the first cam part 41 and the second cam part 42. The operator can visually determine whether the slider is present or not and how far the carriage 32 has moved in either direction, upward or downward, relative to the slider 31 from the reference position.

With the inkjet recording apparatus 100 configured as described above, the cam member 35 is manually rotated by a tool or the like while the operator visually observes the identification display 31h, the reference display 31n, and the mark 45a. As a result, the distance between the recording head H and the recording surface P1 can be adjusted with a low-cost configuration that does not require a motor or the like.

Here, in a recording apparatus in which the distance between the recording head and the recording surface changes depending on the thickness of the recording medium on which recording is performed, as in the configuration described in Patent Document 1 mentioned above, it is necessary to manually set the distance between the recording head and the recording surface each time the recording medium is set. Since adjusting the height of the recording head greatly reduces the working efficiency during recording, it is desirable to have a configuration in which the height of the recording head is automatically adjusted by a motor or the like rather than manually. However, such a configuration increases manufacturing costs.

On the other hand, in the inkjet recording apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, the distance between the recording head H and the recording surface P1 does not depend on the thickness of the recording medium on which recording is performed. Adjustment frequency can be reduced. For example, the inkjet recording apparatus 100 only adjusts the height of the recording head H at the time of shipping the product in order to keep the distance between the recording head H and the recording surface P1 at an appropriate distance according to errors in component dimensions. It's over. Therefore, even with a low-cost configuration in which the distance between the recording head H and the recording surface P1 is manually adjusted, it is possible to perform good recording without reducing work efficiency when recording on a recording medium. It becomes possible.

Further, in the inkjet recording apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, the rotational position of the cam member 35 can be visually identified by the identification display 31h, the reference display 31n, and the mark 45a. The operator can easily identify the adjustment status of the distance between the recording head H and the recording surface P1.

[Example of height adjustment of recording head H]
Next, a specific procedure for setting the distance between the recording head H and the recording surface P1 to an appropriate distance will be explained using FIGS. 1, 14, and 15. When the assembly of the inkjet recording apparatus 100 is completed at the manufacturing factory, the worker first installs a measuring device (dummy recording device) equipped with a sensor capable of measuring the distance between the subcarriage 37 and the lower surface of the base plate 21 instead of the recording head H. A head (not shown) is attached to the subcarriage 37. In this state, the operator measures the distance between the sub-carriage 37 and the lower surface of the base plate 21 using a measuring device, and if the measurement result is outside the appropriate distance range, the operator adjusts the cam so that the distance is appropriate. The distance between the subcarriage 37 and the lower surface of the base plate 21 is adjusted by rotating the member 35.

After that, the operator removes the measuring device from the sub-carriage 37, attaches the recording head H in its place, and confirms that the distance between the recording head H and the recording surface in the Z direction is a predetermined distance, that is, an appropriate distance. Execute print head height confirmation mode. The recording head height confirmation mode is executed by an operator operating an apparatus operation section (not shown) with a recording medium set in the insertion section S. For example, a button for the recording head height confirmation mode is provided on the device operation section, and when the operator presses this button, the control section 50 executes the recording head height confirmation mode. Alternatively, if the apparatus operation section has an operation panel, the operator selects the recording head height confirmation mode, and the control section 50 executes this mode.

As shown in FIG. 14, the inspection pattern R consists of a first image R1 and a second image R2. When the control unit 50 starts the recording head height confirmation mode, the recording head H (carriage unit 7) moves in the forward direction X1 (left side, one side) from the state where the recording head H is located at the standby position. The moving device 9 and the recording head H are controlled to perform a first operation of ejecting ink onto the recording surface of the recording medium while moving to form the first image R1. The first image R1 is a plurality of lines of the same thickness extending in the Y direction and arranged at equal pitches in the X direction. When the recording head H reaches a position to the left of the recording area, the sub-carriage 37 moves forward with respect to the main carriage 36.

Thereafter, the control unit 50 causes the recording head H (carriage unit 7) to eject ink while moving in the return direction X2 (right side, other side) to form a second image R2 on the recording surface of the recording medium. The moving device 9 and the recording head H are controlled to perform the second operation. The second image R2 is a plurality of lines of the same thickness extending in the Y direction and arranged at equal pitches in the X direction. In addition, the pitch of each line, the number of arranged lines, and the length in the X direction, that is, the width of each line, are the same width as the first image R1, and the second image R2 is Y It is recorded adjacent to one side (front side) of the direction. In this embodiment, the first image R1 and the second image R2 are the same, and in the recording head height confirmation mode, the same image is formed in the forward and backward passes while being shifted in the Y direction. When the distance between the recording head H and the recording surface, that is, the height of the recording head H is at an appropriate position (predetermined position), the first image R1 and the first image The two images R2 are formed so that their positions in the X direction match and are line symmetrical with respect to the boundary line L2 between the first image R1 and the second image R2.

As shown in FIGS. 15(a) and 15(b), the print head H ejects ink while moving in the X direction, so when the distance between the print head H and the print surface changes, ink is ejected from the same position in the Even if the ink is ejected, the position of the ink reaching the recording surface (hereinafter referred to as the landing position) changes. That is, as the distance between the recording head H and the recording surface increases, the landing position of the ink shifts toward the moving direction of the recording head H. Therefore, when the distance between the recording head H and the recording surface is smaller than the appropriate distance, the second image R2 is formed shifted to the left with respect to the first image R1, as shown in FIG. 15(c). be done. Furthermore, if the distance between the recording head H and the recording surface is larger than the appropriate distance, the second image R2 is formed shifted to the right with respect to the first image R1, as shown in FIG. 15(e). Ru. The operator forms such a test pattern R, and when the test pattern shown in FIG. 15C or 15E is formed, adjusts the height of the recording head H using the cam member 35. Then, the product is shipped from the factory with the inspection pattern R in the state shown in FIG. 15(d).

Such a recording head height confirmation mode can also be executed by the user. That is, it is difficult for the user to measure the distance between the print head H and the print surface and adjust the height of the print head H. Therefore, by executing the recording head height confirmation mode as described above and operating the cam member 35 according to the formed inspection pattern, the distance between the recording head H and the recording surface can be measured without actually measuring the distance between the recording head H and the recording surface. The height of the recording head H can be adjusted. At this time, the cam member 35 can be rotated simply by inserting a tool such as a flathead screwdriver into the operation hole 31g of the cam member 35 and turning it, so that the height of the recording head H can be adjusted with easy operation.

Note that the inkjet recording apparatus 100 can execute a manual rotation mode in which, when the operator manually rotates the cam member 35, the control unit 50 moves the carriage unit 7 to a position where it is easy to rotate the cam member 35. may be configured. Specifically, when the operator operates a button or the like on the device operation section to start the manual rotation mode, the control section 50 controls the movement device so that the carriage unit 7 moves to a predetermined position, for example, the position shown in FIG. Control 9. Thereby, a work space for rotating the cam member 35 is formed on the right side of the carriage unit 7, so that work efficiency can be improved.

<Other embodiments>
In this embodiment, the cam member 35 is rotatably supported by the main carriage 36, and the cam surfaces T1 and T2 are in contact with the first carriage support surface 31e and the second carriage support surface 31f (contact surfaces) of the slider 31. This configuration is possible, but is not limited to this. The cam member only needs to be rotatably supported by either the main carriage or the slider, and configured so that the cam surface can come into contact with the contact surface of the other of the main carriage or the slider. For example, the cam member may be rotatably supported by the slider, and the contact surface may be formed on the main carriage.

In addition, in this embodiment, the inspection pattern R is recorded adjacently in the Y direction, both extend in the Y direction, and the first image R1 is a line of the same thickness arranged at the same pitch and in the same number in the X direction. and a second image R2, but the present invention is not limited to this as long as the deviation between the first image and the second image can be visually confirmed. For example, if the lengths in the main scanning direction of adjacent parts of the first image and the second image in the Y direction are the same, the first image and the second image will be displayed when the height of the recording head H is appropriate. It is also possible to use a pattern in which the positions in the Y direction match when the positions are the same, but are not symmetrical with respect to each other's boundary lines.

5...Positioning mechanism (positioning means)/9...Movement device (main movement means)/21...Base plate (plate member)/22...Lifter (pressing member)/31...Slider/31e ...First carriage support surface (contact surface)/31f...Second carriage support surface (contact surface)/31h...Identification display/32...Carriage (holding means)/33... Slide member (sub-moving means) /35...Cam member/36...Main carriage (holding and moving part)/37...Sub-carriage (holding part)/39...Carriage spring (biasing means)/ 41...First cam part/42...Second cam part/43...Connection shaft (connection part)/45...Manual operation part/45a...Marker/50...Control part ( Control means)/100...Inkjet recording device/H...Recording head/L1...Virtual axis (rotation center)/P...Recording medium/P1...Recording surface/R1...First Image/R2...Second image/t1-t5...Plane portion/X...Main scanning direction/Y...Sub-scanning direction/Z...Approach/separation direction (vertical direction)

Claims (5)

a recording unit that performs recording by ejecting ink onto a recording medium;
a support unit that supports the recording unit;
a positioning member that determines the position of the recording unit with respect to the recording medium in the thickness direction of the recording medium on which recording is performed;
a moving unit that moves the support unit so that the recording unit performs recording on a recording medium while moving in the main scanning direction;
a cam member rotatably provided on either the recording unit or the support unit, the cam member having a plurality of cam surfaces each having a different distance from the center of rotation of the cam member;
a contact surface that is provided on the other of the recording unit and the support unit and that can be brought into contact with each of the plurality of cam surfaces when the cam member is rotated;
an operating section that rotates the cam member when manually operated;
Equipped with
The cam member includes a rotation axis, a first cam having the plurality of cam surfaces, and a second cam having another plurality of cam surfaces having a distance from the rotation center equal to the plurality of cam surfaces. , has
The first cam is fixed with a gap relative to the rotation shaft in the rotation direction of the first cam,
the second cam is press-fitted into the rotating shaft;
In the recording unit, the distance to the positioning member in the thickness direction is changed by changing the cam surface that contacts the contact surface via the operation section.
An inkjet recording device characterized by: The moving unit is capable of moving the recording unit in a sub-scanning direction that intersects the main scanning direction and the thickness direction,
The recording unit performs recording on the recording medium while being moved in the forward direction in the main scanning direction by the moving unit, is moved in the sub-scanning direction by the moving unit, and then is moved by the moving unit in the forward direction in the main scanning direction. Recording is performed on the recording medium while being moved in the backward direction in the main scanning direction;
The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support unit is
a plate-shaped member disposed opposite to the recording unit in the thickness direction, the plate-shaped member having an opening formed therein;
a pressing member that presses the recording medium against a surface of the plate-like member opposite to the surface facing the recording unit;
The recording unit records on a recording medium through the opening,
The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The cam member has a mark that is visible when rotating the operating section and rotates together with the cam member,
Either one of the recording unit and the support unit has an identification display that allows the rotational position of the cam member to be visually identified based on the position of the mark.
The inkjet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: further comprising a control means capable of executing a manual rotation mode in which the recording unit is moved to a predetermined position where the rotation operation of the cam member is manually performed via the operation section;
The inkjet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 .

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