JPH05138991A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent printed characters from shifting due to a change in the position of a printing head with a platen during the movement of a carrier by providing a cleaning member which slides in contact with the upper surface of a guide member for the removal of foreign matter from said upper surface, on the carrier. CONSTITUTION:A carrier 4 consists of guide members 2, 3 provided along the one side and the other arranged in parallel with a platen 1 and a printing head 6 attached in such a manner that the head 6 is supported by both guide members 2, 3, moving along the platen 1 and at an opposite position to the platen 1. In addition, a guide roller 5 is provided on the carrier 4 in such a way that the roller 5, supported to rotate, travels on the upper surface 2U of one guide member 2. Further, a cleaning member 11 which removes foreign matter 9 sticking to the upper surface 2U through sliding contact with the upper surface 2U of the one guide member 2, is provided on the carrier 4. Subsequently, printed characters are prevented from shifting due to a change in the position of the printing head with the platen during the movement of the carrier.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to printers.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 show a schematic structure of a conventional printer. In these figures, 1 is a platen and 4 is a carrier.

The carrier 4 is supported by one and the other guide member (for example, the carrier rail 2 and the carrier shaft 3) so as to be movable along the platen 1 in the directions of arrows E and F. A print head 6 is mounted on the carrier 4 so as to face the platen 1.

More specifically, the carrier 4 is slidably supported on the carrier shaft 3 and movably supported on the upper surface 2U of the carrier rail 2 via a guide roller 5. The guide roller 5 is rotatably supported by the carrier 4. The upper surface 2U of the carrier rail 2 has arrows E, so that the carrier 4 does not rotate about the carrier shaft 3 during movement of the carrier 4 and the posture of the print head 6 with respect to the platen 1 does not change.
It is formed so as to be parallel and smooth in the F direction.

[0005]

By the way, in the printer described above, foreign matter 9 such as paper powder containing oil and fat may adhere to the upper surface 2U of the carrier rail 2. If such a situation occurs, when the carrier 4 is moved and printing is performed, the guide roller 5 rotatably supported by the carrier 4 rides on the foreign matter 9 on the carrier rail 2, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The print head 6 may be tilted with respect to the platen 1 (tilt angle θ), and print misalignment may occur.

In order to eliminate such a printing defect, it is necessary to suspend the printing operation to remove the foreign matter 9 adhering to the upper surface 2U of the carrier rail 2. The foreign matter 9 is repeatedly guided by the guide roller 5. In many cases, they are ridden and firmly pressed, and it is generally difficult to remove them.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a printer which can prevent the print head from changing its posture with respect to the platen during the movement of the carrier and causing print misalignment.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to one and the other guide member arranged in parallel with a platen, and movably supported by the both guide members along the platen and facing the platen. A printer having a print head mounted thereon and a guide roller rotatably supported on the upper surface of the one guide member so that the carrier is slidably in contact with the upper surface of the one guide member. It is characterized in that a cleaning member capable of removing foreign matter attached to the upper surface is provided.

[0009]

According to the present invention, when the carrier is moved along the platen via the one and the other guide members, the cleaning member provided on the carrier slides on the upper surface of the one guide member. Therefore, even if foreign matter adheres to the upper surface of the one guide member, the foreign matter is peeled off and removed from the upper surface by the cleaning member. At this time, the foreign matter can be easily removed because it is not pressed and solidified by the guide roller.

Therefore, it is possible to prevent the print head from changing its posture with respect to the platen during the movement of the carrier and causing print misalignment.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the printer according to this embodiment includes a platen 1, one and the other guide members (2,
3), a carrier 4, a guide roller 5, a print head 6 and a cleaning member 11.

The same components as those shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted or simplified.

In this embodiment, the carrier rail 2 is selected as one guide member and the carrier shaft 3 is selected as the other guide member.

The cleaning member 11 is means for slidingly contacting the upper surface 2U of the one guide member (carrier rail 2) to remove the foreign matter 9 adhering to the upper surface 2U, and is opposed to the carrier rail 3 of the carrier 4. It is provided in the part to do.

In this embodiment, the cleaning member 1
Reference numeral 1 is composed of a pair of cleaning blades 12 and 13 which are arranged on both sides of the guide roller 5 in an inclined manner. In this way, by tilting the cleaning blades 12 and 13 by a predetermined angle, the upper surface 2 of the carrier rail 2 is
The foreign matter adhering to U can be more effectively peeled and removed. These cleaning blades 12 and 13 are
It is integrally formed with the carrier 4 in consideration of workability and cost reduction. As shown in FIG. 1, foreign matter receivers 19 and 19 are provided on both sides of the carrier rail 2, and the foreign matter receiver 19 is configured to accommodate the foreign matter 9 separated by the cleaning member 11. ..

Next, the operation will be described. When the carrier 4 is moved in the directions of arrows E and F along the platen 1 via the carrier rail 2 and the carrier shaft 3 for printing, etc., the cleaning blade 12 of the cleaning member 11 provided on the carrier 4 , 13 are in sliding contact with the upper surface 2U of the carrier rail 2. Therefore, even if the foreign matter 9 adheres to the upper surface 2U of the carrier rail 2,
The foreign matter 9 is removed from the upper surface 2U by the cleaning blades 12 and 13.

At this time, the foreign matter 9 can be easily removed because it is not pressed and solidified by the guide roller 5. Further, the foreign matter 9 peeled off by the cleaning blades 12 and 13 is removed by the foreign matter receiver 1 as the carrier 4 moves.
The foreign matter 9 does not scatter around the carrier rail 2 because it falls onto the carrier rail 2.

Thus, the upper surface 2U of the carrier rail 2 is
Are cleaned by the cleaning member 11, so that the carrier 4 moves along the platen 1 without rotating about the carrier shaft 3. As a result, during the movement of the carrier 4, the posture of the print head 6 with respect to the platen 1 does not change, and printing can be performed without causing print misalignment.

According to this embodiment, however, the cleaning member 1 capable of slidingly contacting the carrier 2 with the upper surface 2U of the carrier rail 2 to remove the foreign matter 9 adhering to the upper surface 2U.
1 is provided, the posture of the print head 6 with respect to the platen 1 does not change even if the carrier 4 is moved, and it is possible to effectively prevent print misalignment and the like.

Further, the cleaning member 11 is attached to the carrier 4
The cleaning member 1 can be brought into sliding contact with the upper surface 2U of the carrier rail 2 by utilizing the moving force of the carrier 4. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a drive source for driving the cleaning member 1, and it is possible to achieve size reduction and cost reduction.

Since the cleaning member 11 is composed of the pair of cleaning blades 12 and 13, the upper surface 2U of the carrier rail 2 can be cleaned more effectively. As a result, it is possible to more reliably prevent the occurrence of printing deviation and the like.

Furthermore, since the cleaning member 11 is integrally formed with the carrier 4, it is possible to improve the workability and reduce the cost.

Further, since the cleaning blades 12 and 13 of the cleaning member 11 are arranged so as to be inclined with respect to the moving direction of the carrier 4, the foreign matter 9 adhering to the upper surface 2U of the carrier rail 2 can be more effectively removed.・ Can be removed.

Furthermore, since the foreign matter receivers 19 and 19 are provided on both sides of the carrier rail 2, the foreign matter 9 separated by the cleaning member 11 can be collected without being scattered and can be easily discarded.

Although the cleaning member 11 is composed of the pair of cleaning blades 12 and 13 in the above embodiment, it may be composed of only one cleaning blade (for example, the cleaning blade 12).

Further, the cleaning member 11 is attached to the carrier 4
However, it may be formed as a separate body and attached to the carrier 4.

[0027]

According to the present invention, since the carrier is provided with the cleaning member capable of slidingly contacting the upper surface of the one guide member to remove foreign matters adhering to the upper surface, the upper surface of the one guide member can be simplified. Can be cleaned. As a result, it is possible to prevent the print head from changing its posture with respect to the platen during the movement of the carrier and causing print misalignment.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a main part of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing a main part of one embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a schematic configuration of a conventional printer.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which a guide roller rides on a foreign substance attached to the upper surface of a carrier rail in a conventional printer.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a state in which a print head is inclined with respect to a platen due to a foreign substance attached to an upper surface of a carrier rail in a conventional printer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 platen 2 carrier rail (one guide member) 3 carrier shaft (other guide member) 4 carrier 5 guide roller 6 print head 11 cleaning member

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A carrier having one and the other guide members arranged in parallel with a platen, a movably supported by the both guide members along the platen, and a print head mounted so as to face the platen. And a guide roller rotatably supported on the carrier so as to be able to travel on the upper surface of the one guide member, and removes foreign matter adhering to the carrier by sliding contact with the upper surface of the one guide member. A printer provided with a cleaning member capable of cleaning.