JPH0550591A - Ink jet printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To adjust a distance between a printing head and a paper surface correspondingly to a thickness of printing paper to be substantially constant to improve a printing quality. CONSTITUTION:A carrier 2 is provided with a printing head 1, and a plurality of guide members 3, 4 are provided for moving the carrier 2 in a shuttle manner. A guide mechanism 10 functioning so as to adjust a gap between the printing head 1 and printing paper by moving the guide members 3, 4 along a flat surface erected vertical to the shuttle movement direction of the carrier 2 is provided on at least one of guide members 3, 4. Movable brackets 6 securely supporting the ends of the guide members 3, 4 and moving integrally with the carrier 2 along the flat surfaces erected vertical to the shuttle movement direction of the carrier 2 are provided on the both ends of the guide members 3, 4. On one end of the movable bracket 6, a head protective mechanism 5 for the printing head is provided.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a serial type ink jet printer, and more particularly to an ink jet printer provided with a carrier capable of shuttle movement.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In conventional ink jet printers, a head protection mechanism is fixed to the main body of the apparatus. Therefore, if the distance between the print head and the paper is changed, the distance between the head protection mechanism and the print head changes, which is the reason. ,
The head protection mechanism does not function properly, and the print head may be damaged or clogged. Therefore, conventionally, the distance between the print head and the platen has been fixed so as to be constant.

[0003]

However, in the case where the distance between the print head and the platen is fixed, the distance between the print head and the surface of the print sheet changes depending on the thickness of the print sheet. Therefore, if the print paper is thick, the gap between the print head and the print paper becomes narrow, and the print head may come into contact with the print paper and stain the print result. On the other hand, when the printing paper is thin, the gap between the print head and the printing paper becomes wide, and there is a disadvantage that the printing quality deteriorates.

[0004]

It is an object of the present invention to improve the disadvantages of the conventional example, and in particular, the distance between the print head and the paper surface can be adjusted to be substantially constant in response to the change in the thickness of the printing paper. It is an object of the present invention to provide an inkjet printer whose print quality is improved.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided a carrier equipped with a print head, and a plurality of guide members for carrying out shuttle movement of the carrier, and at least one of the plurality of guide members comprises: A guide mechanism having a function of adjusting the distance between the print head and the printing paper by moving the guide member along a plane perpendicular to the shuttle movement direction of the carrier is also provided. Then, movable brackets that fixedly support the end portions of each guide member and move along a plane perpendicular to the shuttle movement direction of the carrier integrally with the carrier are provided at both end portions of each guide member. The head protection mechanism for the print head is provided at one end of the printer. This aims to achieve the above-mentioned object.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. The embodiment shown in FIG. 1 includes a carrier 2 equipped with a print head 1 and a plurality of guide members 3 and 4 for shuttle-moving the carrier 2. By moving the guide member 3 along at least one guide member 3 of the plurality of guide members 3 and 4 along a plane perpendicular to the shuttle movement direction of the carrier 2, the print head 1 and the print sheet are separated from each other. A function to adjust the interval is added. Then, each guide member 3,
A movable bracket 5 that fixedly supports the end of the carrier 4 and moves integrally with the carrier 2 along a plane perpendicular to the shuttle movement direction of the carrier 2 is provided in each guide member 3, 4.
Equipped at both ends of. A head protection mechanism 6 for the print head is provided at one end of the movable bracket 5.

Here, the print head 1 includes a carrier 2
It is fixed to. The carrier 2 slides on a guide shaft 3 which is one guide member and a guide plate 4 which is the other guide member, and shuttles to perform printing.

The guide shaft 3 has a structure and structure capable of moving the print head 1 via the carrier 2 in a plane perpendicular to the shuttle movement direction of the carrier 2 and has a left side frame 7 and a right side not shown. It's fastened to the frame. The guide plate 4 is fixed to both side frames.

The bracket 6 has the same sectional shape (hole) as the sectional shape of the slide portion that slides on the hole 2A through which the guide shaft 3 of the carrier 2 and the guide plate 4 are cut by a plane perpendicular to the shuttle movement direction of the carrier. And projection). The head protection mechanism 5 is fixed to the protruding portion 6A of the bracket 6. Also, the bracket 6 is
In FIG. 1, a spring 8 urges the side frame 7 to rotate in a counterclockwise direction so as not to rotate clockwise when viewed from the carrier 2 side.

A guide mechanism 10 is used to adjust the distance between the print head 1 and the paper. This guide mechanism 1
0 functions to move the guide shaft 3 on a plane perpendicular to the shuttle movement direction of the carrier 2. At that time, the bracket 6 to which the head protection mechanism 5 is attached also moves together. Since the amount of movement of the bracket 6 at this time is the same as the amount of movement of the carrier 2 and the print head 1, the distance between the print head 1 and the head protection mechanism 5 does not change. In this case, the guide mechanism 10 has an external operated function that allows an external operation, and also has a function that moves the print head in parallel in the ink droplet ejection direction. The guide mechanism 10 further includes a shaft member and a structure in which the shaft member is equipped with an eccentric shaft. With the eccentric motion having the eccentric shaft as a central axis, a plane perpendicular to the shuttle motion direction with respect to the carrier is formed. It is configured to add a moving force along.

As described above, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, even if the distance between the print head 1 and the paper is adjusted, the protection function of the print head 1 is not impaired.

[0012]

As described above, according to the present invention, the head is provided on the plate having the same cross-sectional shape as the cross-sectional shape of the slide portion for the shuttle movement of the carrier taken along a plane perpendicular to the shuttle movement direction of the carrier. By fixing the protection mechanism, even if the guide is moved to adjust the distance between the print head and the paper, the head protection mechanism also moves as much as the print head, so the head protection function is not impaired. An inkjet printer can be provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially omitted perspective view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Printhead 2 Carrier 3 Guide shaft 4 Guide plate 5 Head protection mechanism 6 Bracket 7 Side frame 8 Spring as return spring 10 Guide mechanism

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A carrier having a print head, and a plurality of guide members for shuttle-moving the carrier, wherein the guide member is attached to at least one of the plurality of guide members. A guide mechanism having a function of adjusting the distance between the print head and the print sheet by moving the carrier along a plane perpendicular to the movement direction is provided side by side, and the ends of the guide members are fixedly supported and the carrier is also provided. A movable bracket that moves integrally with the carrier along a plane perpendicular to the shuttle movement direction of the carrier is provided at both ends of each of the guide members, and one end of the movable bracket is provided with a head protection for the print head. An inkjet printer that is equipped with a mechanism. 2. A protrusion is provided on an upper portion of the movable bracket on the side of the printing paper, the protrusion is provided with the head protection mechanism, and the movable bracket is provided with an original position return spring. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein 3. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein the guide mechanism has an external operated function that enables an external operation. 4. The ink jet printer according to claim 3, wherein the guide mechanism has a function of moving the print head in parallel in the ink drop ejection direction. 5. The guide mechanism comprises a shaft member and an eccentric shaft mounted on the shaft member, and the shuttle motion direction with respect to the carrier is eccentric with the eccentric shaft as a central axis. 5. The ink jet printer according to claim 1, wherein the ink jet printer has a function of applying a moving force along a vertical plane to the.