JPH07323628A - Recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To prevent the forward end of a sheet from tilting by proving a recording medium carrying passage, comprising a guide means and a supporting means with means for correcting the recording medium floating from the bottom face of the carrying passage due to the rigidity of the recording medium thereby correcting the floating of a sheet due to rigidity. CONSTITUTION: A serial recorder comprises a platen 10 for supporting the back face of a recording sheet 5 disposed opposed to a recording head 2a, and a member 11 for guiding the recording sheet 5 which is carried by a carrying roller 6b from the sheet inserting section to the discharging section. A rib 10a is provided as a means for correcting the sheet 5 floating above the bottom face of a sheet carrying passage due to rigidity thereof in the carrying passage on the downstream side of the carrying roller 6b in the sheet-carrying direction. The rib 10a is formed below the platen 10 integrally therewith, in order to correct floating of the sheet due to rigidity by pressing a part of the sheet 5 which passes through the carrying roller 6b downward.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recording device for performing a predetermined recording on a recording medium conveyed by a conveying means.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 6, a small serial type recording apparatus conveys a recording sheet 51 by a conveying means 52 in a sub-scanning direction, and a carriage equipped with a recording head 53.
The recording head 53 performs predetermined recording on the recording sheet 51 by scanning 54 in the main scanning direction. As a conveying means for the recording sheet, the recording sheet 51 is nipped by a conveying roller 52a and a pinch roller 52b which is pressed against the conveying roller and is driven to rotate, and the conveying roller 52a is rotated by a predetermined amount to move the recording sheet 51. Many things can be seen to be transported. Further, in this case, the arrangement positions of the conveying roller 52a and the pinch roller 52b are often arranged near the sheet insertion port in order to improve the operability when the recording sheet 51 is inserted.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, since the conveying roller 52a and the pinch roller 52b are arranged in the vicinity of the sheet insertion opening, the operability of the sheet from the sheet insertion opening to the conveying roller portion is improved. Is good, on the contrary, from the conveyance roller part to the sheet discharge port,
Since the range where the force that presses the sheet 51 that has passed through the conveyance roller portion is lost is widened, as shown in FIG. 6, floating α due to the rigidity of the sheet 51 occurs, and the floating causes the leading edge of the sheet (especially the widthwise center of the sheet). There is a possibility that (the vicinity) falls toward the recording head 53 side, and the leading end of the sheet 51 and the recording head 53 come into contact with each other to stain the leading end of the sheet or cause a recording failure.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to correct the floating due to the rigidity of the sheet to prevent the above-mentioned collapse of the sheet front end.

[0005]

The structure of a recording apparatus of the present invention which achieves the above-mentioned object comprises a mounting means for detachably mounting a recording means for recording on a recording medium, and recording for the recording means. Conveying means for conveying the medium, guide means for guiding the recording medium conveyed by the conveying means,
A guide means for guiding the recording medium similarly to the guide means, and a supporting means for supporting the back surface of the recording medium at a position facing the recording means, and in a recording medium conveying path formed by the guide means and the supporting means. It is characterized in that a floating correction means for correcting the floating of the recording medium from the bottom of the transport path due to the rigidity of the recording medium is provided.

[0006]

In the above structure, since the floating from the bottom surface of the transport path due to the rigidity of the recording medium that has passed through the transport means is corrected by the floating correction means (more specifically, it is pressed downward). It is possible to prevent the leading end of the recording medium from falling toward the recording unit side due to the floating of the recording medium.

[0007]

【Example】

[First Embodiment] An embodiment of a recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a serial type recording device will be used for explanation. FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of the recording apparatus, and FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the recording apparatus. FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of the platen and ribs according to the present invention, (a) is a front view,
(B) is a side view.

(Overall Structure) First, the overall structure of the apparatus will be described. Reference numeral 1 is a carriage as a mounting means, which is attached to the carriage 1 so as to be capable of reciprocating in the arrow a direction and the arrow-a direction in FIG. The recording means 2 is detachably mounted. One end of a flexible cable 3 is connected to the carriage 1, and an image signal or the like is transmitted to the recording unit 2 via the cable 3. The other end of the cable 3 is connected to a fixed connector 4 which is electrically connected to a control unit (not shown) provided in the apparatus body.

At the time of recording, while the carriage 1 is reciprocatingly moved, the recording means 2 is driven in accordance with an image signal to perform predetermined recording on the recording sheet 5.

Further, a sheet conveying means 6 for conveying the recording sheet 5 is provided on the opposite side of the recording means 2. When one line is recorded on the recording sheet 5, the sheet 5 is recorded by one line. Only, it is configured to be conveyed in the direction of arrow b in FIG.

Next, the configuration of each of the above parts will be specifically described.

(Carriage) The carriage 1 is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, the left and right frames 7a and 7b are slidably attached to the carriage shaft 8 whose both ends are fixed, and the carriage groove 1a is provided at the end of the frame wall 7c.
Are engaged. The carriage 1 has a lead screw 9 rotatably supported on the left and right frames 7a and 7b.
The shaft 1b of the carriage 1 is engaged with the screw groove portion 9a of the lead screw 9. A step motor 11 is connected to one end of the lead screw 9 via a power transmission system (not shown). And
When the motor 11 is driven in the forward direction, the carriage 1 moves in the direction of arrow a with the rotation of the lead screw 9, and when the motor 11 is driven in the reverse direction, the carriage 1 moves in the direction of the arrow a with the rotation of the lead screw 9. Is configured to move to.

(Recording Means) The recording means 2 records an ink image on the recording sheet 5, and in this embodiment, an ink jet recording system is used. The recording means 2 in this embodiment is a head cartridge in which a recording head 2a that ejects ink in response to a signal and an ink tank 2b that contains the ink are integrated.
It is detachably mounted on. This head cartridge 2
Predetermined recording is performed on the recording sheet 5 by scanning the carriage 1 in the main scanning direction (arrow a direction or arrow-a direction in FIG. 1) in synchronization with the driving of the recording head 2a in FIG.

Further, the recording head generates a fine liquid discharge port (orifice), a liquid passage and an energy acting portion provided in a part of this liquid passage, and a droplet forming energy which acts on the liquid in the acting portion. Equipped with energy generation means.

As the energy generating means for generating such energy, a recording method using an electromechanical transducer such as a piezo element is used, electromagnetic waves such as laser are irradiated to generate heat, and droplets are ejected by the action of the heat generation. There are a recording method using an energy generating means, a recording method using an energy generating means that heats a liquid by an electrothermal converter such as a heating element having a heating resistor, and ejects the liquid.

Among them, a recording head used in an ink jet recording method for ejecting a liquid by thermal energy has a high density of liquid ejection ports (orifices) for ejecting recording liquid droplets to form ejection liquid droplets. Since they can be arranged, high resolution recording is possible. Among them, the recording head using the electrothermal converter as the energy generating means can easily be made compact, and has the advantages of the IC technology and the microfabrication technology, which have been remarkably improved in technology and reliability in the recent semiconductor field. This is advantageous because it can be used in two parts, high-density mounting is easy, and the manufacturing cost is low.

(Sheet Conveying Means) The sheet conveying means 6
As shown in FIG. 2, a roller shaft 6a is rotatably attached in parallel to the moving direction of the carriage 1, and rubber conveying rollers 6b are attached to a plurality of positions of the roller shaft 6a. A pinch roller 6d is pressed against the conveying roller 6b by a spring shaft 6c. In this example, the rubber-made conveying roller 6b is divided into a plurality of positions on the roller shaft 6a to be attached. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the rubber-made conveying roller 6b may be provided over the entire area of the roller shaft 6a. It may be configured to be attached over.

The carrying roller 6b is connected to the carriage 1 via a power transmission system having a one-way clutch (not shown).
Are connected to a common step motor 11 that drives the.
Therefore, when the motor 11 is driven, the transport roller 6b is rotated via a power transmission system (not shown), and the recording sheet 5 nipped between the roller 6b and the pinch roller 6d is shown in FIG.
Is conveyed in the direction of arrow b. In this example, the conveyance roller 6b moves in the direction of arrow b in FIG. 1 only by the action of the one-way clutch only when the carriage 1 moves in the direction of arrow a in FIG. The sheet is conveyed by rotating the sheet by a predetermined amount.

(Sheet Conveying Path) Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a platen 10 is provided as a supporting means for supporting the back surface of the recording sheet 5 at a position where the guide and the recording head 2a face each other when the sheet is inserted. Further, the transport roller 6
A guide member 11 is provided for guiding the recording sheet 5 conveyed by b from the sheet insertion portion to the discharge portion. The guide member 11 is interposed between the left and right frames 7a and 7b and forms a part of the main body frame 7. The platen 10 and the guide member 11 form a conveyance path for the recording sheet 5.

Further, a rib 10a is provided in the sheet conveying path on the downstream side of the conveying roller 6b in the sheet conveying direction as a floating correction means for correcting the floating from the bottom of the conveying path due to the rigidity of the sheet. There is. The rib 10a is integrally formed below the platen 10 (see FIG. 3).
(See), a part of the recording sheet 5 that has passed through the conveyance roller 6b is pressed downward to correct the floating due to the rigidity of the sheet. Ribs 10a integrally formed below the platen 10 correct the floating caused by the rigidity of the sheet,
Leading edge 5a of the recording sheet (especially near the center in the sheet width direction)
Is prevented from falling toward the recording head 2a.

(Recording and Sheet Conveying Operation) At the time of recording, the motor 11 is driven in the normal direction to move the carriage 1 in the direction of arrow a.
While moving in the direction, the recording head 2a is driven in synchronization with this in accordance with the image signal to perform predetermined recording on the recording sheet 5. At this time, no rotational force is transmitted to the transport roller 6b due to the action of the one-way clutch (free state) interposed in the power transmission system described above.

Next, while the motor 11 is driven in the reverse direction to move the carriage 1 in the direction of arrow -a, the conveying roller 6b is moved in the direction of arrow in FIG. 2 via the power transmission system having the one-way clutch (locked state). 1 to rotate the recording sheet 5 to FIG.
A predetermined amount is conveyed in the direction of arrow b.

[Other Embodiments] In the above-described embodiments, the rib 10a as the floating correction means is provided over substantially the entire area of the platen 10 in the width direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Without the ribs as shown in FIG. 4, for example.
The configuration may be such that 10a is divided and provided at a plurality of positions in the width direction of the platen 10. As a result, the recording sheet 5 and the rib 10
The contact area with a is reduced, and the load resistance of the sheet 5 and the rib 10a can be reduced. At the same time, in the case of integral molding with a mold, it is possible to improve the fluidity of the resin by reducing the thick rib portion as much as possible, thereby improving the moldability.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the rib 10a serving as the floating correction means is fixed to the platen 10. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and as shown in FIG. The floating correction means may be composed of a coil spring 10b and a plate material 10c, and this may be attached below the platen 10. As a result, it becomes possible to absorb the corrugation of the recording sheet that occurs when the sheet is conveyed, and it is possible to manage the dimension to some extent roughly as compared with the ribs described above.

Further, although the ink jet recording system is used as the recording means in the above-described embodiment, the electrothermal converter is energized in response to a recording signal, and the thermal energy applied by the electrothermal converter produces ink. More preferably, recording is performed by ejecting the ink from the ejection port due to the growth and contraction of bubbles generated in the ink by utilizing the film boiling.

With regard to its typical constitution and principle, it is preferable to use the basic principle disclosed in, for example, US Pat. Nos. 4,723,129 and 4740796. This method can be applied to both the so-called on-demand type and continuous type, but in the case of the on-demand type in particular, it is arranged corresponding to the sheet or liquid path holding the liquid (ink). By applying at least one drive signal to the electrothermal transducer, which corresponds to the recorded information and gives a rapid temperature rise beyond nucleate boiling,
This is effective because heat energy is generated in the electrothermal converter to cause film boiling on the heat acting surface of the recording head, and as a result bubbles in the liquid can be formed in a one-to-one correspondence with this drive signal. Due to the growth and contraction of the bubbles, the liquid is ejected through the ejection openings to form at least one droplet. It is more preferable to make this drive signal into a pulse shape, because the bubble growth and contraction are immediately and appropriately performed, so that particularly excellent liquid ejection can be achieved.

As the pulse-shaped drive signal, those described in US Pat. Nos. 4,463,359 and 4,345,262 are suitable. If the conditions described in US Pat. No. 4,313,124 of the invention relating to the rate of temperature rise of the heat acting surface are adopted, more excellent recording can be performed.

As the constitution of the recording head, in addition to the combination constitution of the discharge port, the liquid passage, and the electrothermal converter (the linear liquid passage or the right-angled liquid passage) as disclosed in the above-mentioned respective specifications. The present invention also includes configurations using US Pat. Nos. 4,558,333 and 4,459,600, which disclose configurations in which the heat acting portion is arranged in a bending region.

Further, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 59-123670 discloses a structure in which a common slit is used as a discharge portion of an electrothermal converter for a plurality of electrothermal converters, and an opening for absorbing a pressure wave of thermal energy. Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No.
The effect of the present invention is effective even if the configuration is based on Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 59-138461. That is, according to the present invention, recording can be surely and efficiently performed regardless of the form of the recording head.

Further, the present invention can be effectively applied to a full line type recording head having a length corresponding to the maximum width of a recording medium which can be recorded by the recording apparatus. As such a recording head, a combination of a plurality of recording heads may be used to satisfy the length thereof or a single recording head integrally formed.

In addition, even in the case of the serial type described above, when it is mounted on the recording head fixed to the carriage or the carriage, it is possible to electrically connect with the apparatus main body and supply the ink from the apparatus main body. A replaceable chip type recording head or a cartridge type recording head in which an ink tank is integrally provided in the recording head itself may be used.

Further, it is preferable to add a recovery means for the recording head, a preliminary auxiliary means, etc., which are provided as a constituent of the recording apparatus of the present invention, because the effects of the present invention can be further stabilized. Specific examples thereof are capping means, cleaning means, pressurizing or suctioning means for the recording head, electrothermal converter or a heating element other than this, or preheating means by a combination thereof, and recording. It is also effective to perform a stable recording by performing a preliminary discharge mode in which another discharge is performed.

Regarding the type and number of recording heads mounted on the carriage, for example, only one is provided corresponding to a single color ink, or a plurality of inks having different recording colors and densities are supported. And a plurality of them may be provided. That is, for example, the recording mode of the recording apparatus is not limited to the recording mode of only the mainstream color such as black, but the recording head may be integrally configured or a plurality of combinations may be used. Alternatively, it can be applied to an apparatus provided with at least one of full colors by color mixing.

In addition, although the ink is described as a liquid in the above-mentioned embodiments, it is an ink which is solidified at room temperature or lower and softens or liquefies at room temperature, or in the ink jet recording system. 30 inks
Generally, the temperature is controlled in the range of ℃ or more and 70 ℃ or less to control the temperature of the ink so that the viscosity of the ink is in the stable ejection range. good. In addition, it is possible to prevent the temperature rise due to thermal energy from being positively used as the energy for changing the state of the ink from the solid state to the liquid state, or to use ink that solidifies when left standing for the purpose of preventing ink evaporation. In any case, heat such as ink that is liquefied by the application of heat energy according to the recording signal and liquid ink is ejected or that has already started to solidify when it reaches the recording sheet. It is also applicable when using an ink that has the property of being liquefied for the first time by energy.

The ink in such a case is disclosed in JP-A-54-568.
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 47 or Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 60-71260, a form in which the electrothermal converter is opposed to the concave portion or the through hole held in the liquid sheet as a liquid or solid substance. Also good. The most effective one for each of the above-mentioned inks is to execute the above-mentioned film boiling method.

Further, as the form of the above-mentioned ink jet recording apparatus, in addition to a form used as an image output terminal of information processing equipment such as a computer, a form of a copying machine combined with a reader or the like, and a form of a facsimile machine having a transmission / reception function are provided. It may be something to take.

Although an example of using the ink jet recording system as the recording means has been described above, the recording system of the present invention is not limited to the ink jet recording system, and other thermal transfer recording system, thermal recording system, and Can be applied to a recording method such as a wire dot recording method or another recording method. Further, it is not necessary to limit to the serial recording method, and a so-called line recording method may be used.

[0038]

As described above, the ribs for correcting the floating of the recording sheet from the bottom surface of the conveying path due to the rigidity of the recording sheet are used to press the recording sheet downward at the portion in the conveying path after passing the conveying rollers. It is possible to prevent the seat from floating. Therefore, it is possible to prevent contact between the sheet front end and the recording head due to the front end of the recording sheet falling toward the recording head side, and it is possible to prevent recording failure or contamination of the sheet front end.

Further, by providing the ribs at a plurality of positions in the width direction of the platen, the contact area between the ribs and the recording sheet is reduced, and the load resistance between the both can be reduced. At the same time, when the ribs and the platen are integrally molded, the rib portion having a large wall thickness is reduced as much as possible to improve the fluidity of the resin, thereby improving the moldability.

Further, the floating correction means is composed of a plate material and a coil spring for urging the plate material downward, and by mounting the plate spring below the platen, the corrugation of the recording sheet generated when the sheet is conveyed is prevented. The ribs can be absorbed, and the dimensions can be managed to some extent roughly as compared with the ribs described above.

Further, by adopting the ink jet system as the recording means, low noise and high speed recording are possible, and high quality recording is possible. In this case, by providing an electrothermal converter for generating thermal energy as ink ejection energy, the head can be easily made compact and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.
Further, when the ink is ejected, the thermal energy is used to eject the ink from the ejection port by utilizing the film boiling generated in the ink, so that an effect such as a high-definition image can be obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an example of a serial type inkjet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the recording device.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a platen and ribs according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of a platen and ribs according to another embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a platen and ribs according to another embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Carriage, 1a ... Carriage groove, 1b ... Shaft, 2
... recording means (head cartridge), 2a ... recording head, 2b ... ink tank, 3 ... flexible cable,
4 ... Fixed connector, 5 ... Recording sheet, 5a ... Sheet front end, 6 ... Sheet conveying means, 6a ... Roller shaft, 6b ... Conveying roller, 6c ... Spring shaft, 6d ... Pinch roller, 7 ... Main body frame, 7a, 7b ... Left and right frames, 7c ... Frame wall, 8 ... Carriage shaft, 9 ... Lead screw, 9a ...
Screw groove portion, 10 ... Platen, 10a ... Rib, 10b ... Coil spring, 10c ... Plate material, 11 ... Guide member

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A mounting means for detachably mounting a recording means for recording on a recording medium, a conveying means for conveying the recording medium to the recording means, and a recording medium conveyed by the conveying means. A guide unit for guiding the recording medium, and a supporting unit for guiding the recording medium and supporting the back surface of the recording medium at a position facing the recording unit, the guide unit being formed by the guide unit and the supporting unit. A recording apparatus, comprising: in a conveyance path of a recording medium, a float correction unit that corrects a float of the recording medium from a bottom surface of the conveyance path due to rigidity of the recording medium. 2. The floating correction means is a rib arranged in the conveyance path of the recording medium so as to press a part of the recording medium passing through the conveyance means against the bottom surface of the conveyance path. Recording device. 3. The floating correction means has a biasing means for biasing a part of the recording medium, which has passed through the transporting means, in the transporting path of the recording medium in a direction of pressing the bottom of the transporting path. The recording device described. 4. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the floating correction means is formed integrally with the support means. 5. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the floating correction means is arranged at a plurality of positions in a width direction of the recording medium. 6. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording apparatus is an inkjet recording method in which recording means ejects ink in accordance with a signal to perform recording. 7. The recording device according to claim 6, wherein the recording device includes an electrothermal converter for generating thermal energy for ejecting ink by the recording means. 8. The recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the recording means ejects the ink from the ejection port by utilizing the film boiling generated in the ink by the thermal energy applied by the electrothermal converter. The recording device according to 1.