JP4199866B2 - Printer - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a printer suitable for printing on the surface of a thick recording medium such as a wooden plate material, round material or the like. In particular, the present invention relates to a printer including a medium transport tray of a type that performs printing on the surface of a recording medium by transporting a medium transport tray carrying a recording medium via a print position by a print head.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In order to perform printing on the surface of a CD or the like using an ink jet printer, the present applicant places a recording medium such as a CD on a medium transport tray and transports the medium transport tray via a print position by an ink jet head. Has proposed.
[0003]
Similarly to the recording medium, the medium transport tray is transported by the paper feed roller while being sandwiched between the paper feed rollers. Since the gap between the print head and the medium transport tray transported by the print head by the print head is maintained at a constant size, the thickness of the recording medium that can be transported by the medium transport tray is naturally limited and thick. A plate material or the like cannot be conveyed via the printing position.
[0004]
Therefore, in order to perform printing on a thick plate or the like, conventionally, a method of performing desired printing on silk printing or a thin recording medium and sticking this on the surface of a thick plate or the like is employed.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In view of this point, an object of the present invention is to propose a printer capable of printing directly on the surface of a thick plate or the like.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a media transport tray carrying the recording medium, by conveying through a printing position of the print head, the printer for printing on a surface of said recording medium, said by frictional engagement or interlocking engagement in the media transport tray, and sprocket for transporting the media transport tray via the printing position, to the sprocket is moved in the approaching and leaving directions with respect to the printing head An interval adjusting mechanism that adjusts an interval between the medium transport tray and the print head, a driven side gear that is coaxially connected to the sprocket, and a driving side gear that meshes with the driven gear, The interval adjusting mechanism is centered on the rotation center of the driving gear while the driven gear is engaged with the driving gear. Along an arc, it is characterized by moving relative to the print head.
[0007]
In the printer of the present invention, by moving a sprocket (mechanism for conveying the medium conveyance tray by mechanical engagement), the distance between the medium conveyance tray conveyed by the sprocket and the print head can be adjusted. Therefore, if the recording medium transported by the medium transport tray is thick, move the sprocket away from the print head, and if the recording medium is thin, move the sprocket closer to the print head. Thus, the interval between the recording medium being conveyed and the nozzle surface of the print head, that is, the platen gap can be kept constant .
[0008]
In the printer of the present invention, the rotational force transmission path for the moving sprocket is constituted by a driven gear that is coaxially connected to the sprocket and a drive gear that is meshed with the driven gear. The gap adjusting mechanism is configured to move the nozzle with respect to the print head along an arc centered on the rotation center of the drive side gear while being engaged with the drive side gear .
[0009]
Therefore, printing can be easily performed on the surface of thick wood or the like that could not be printed directly in the past .
[0010]
Further, by transporting the medium transport tray by the sprocket, it becomes possible to transport a heavy recording medium without slipping or the like.
[0011]
The interval adjusting mechanism that operates in this manner includes an arcuate slide groove that defines a movement locus along the arc of the driven gear, a rotary shaft that can slide along the arcuate slide groove, and the rotary shaft A support plate that rotatably supports the support plate, a holding portion that holds the support plate in a slidable state only in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the sprocket, and the holding portion that extends along the moving direction of the sprocket. The sprocket and the driven gear can be coaxially attached to the rotating shaft so as to rotate integrally.
[0012]
Here, in order to increase the meshing area of the medium transport tray and the sprocket, the following may be performed.
[0013]
That is, the arcuate slide groove includes first and second arcuate slide grooves, and the rotation shaft includes a first rotation shaft that can slide along the first arcuate slide groove, and the first rotation shaft. A second rotating shaft that is slidable along two arcuate slide grooves, and the driven gear and the first gear are coaxially attached to the first rotating shaft, A second gear is coaxially attached to the second rotation shaft, and a tooth that can mesh with a sprocket hole formed in the medium tray is interposed between the first and second gears. A configuration in which a toothed belt having a portion formed on the outer peripheral surface is stretched over may be employed. In this case, the toothed belt functions as the sprocket.
[0014]
Further, when printing a recording medium that is long in the transport direction, it is necessary to use a long medium transport tray. For this purpose, it is necessary to guide the medium transport tray before and after the printing position. Therefore, when printing on a long recording medium, it has a tray guide disposed on at least one of the upstream side and the downstream side in the transport direction of the medium transport tray with respect to the print position by the print head, It is desirable to adopt a configuration in which the guide surface of the medium transport tray by the tray guide can be adjusted to coincide with the transport surface of the medium transport tray by the sprocket.
[0015]
Further, if a plurality of tray guides can be connected, printing of a long recording medium can be easily handled.
[0016]
Furthermore, when printing on a recording medium having an uneven surface such as wood, an inkjet head that is a non-contact type print head may be used instead of a contact type print head such as a thermal head. desirable.
[0017]
Furthermore, the medium transport tray can be an endless belt that moves along a loop-shaped endless track passing through the printing position. In this case, the medium transport tray does not reciprocate but rotates on an endless track.
[0018]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an inkjet printer including a medium carrying tray to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0019]
1 is a plan view of the inkjet printer of this example, FIG. 2 is a side view of the ink jet printer when viewed in the direction of II-II in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a section taken along the line III-III in FIG. FIG.
[0020]
Referring to these drawings, the ink jet printer 1 of the present example is arranged on the frame frame 2, the ink jet head unit 3 arranged at the substantially center of the upper surface, and the paper feeding side with respect to the head unit 3. The sheet feeding side flat bed (tray guide) 4, the sheet discharge side flat bed (tray guide) 5 disposed on the sheet discharge side of the head unit 3, and the head unit 3 and the sheet feeding side flat bed 5 are disposed. And a tray transport unit 6. Further, the tray transport unit 6 includes a medium transport tray 7 that reciprocates along a transport path passing through the print position 31 by the head unit 3.
[0021]
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the medium transport tray. As shown in FIG. 4, the medium transport tray 7 is arranged in a row along a rectangular plate 71 having a certain thickness and both side edges in the transport direction. Are provided with sprocket holes 72 and 73. A region surrounded by a dotted line on the flat surface of the rectangular plate 71 is a recording medium carrying surface 74. A recording medium 8 such as a thick wooden board is placed on the carrying surface 74.
[0022]
5 and 6 are a perspective view and a side view showing a schematic configuration of the tray transport unit 6. Referring to these drawings, the tray transport unit 6 includes a pair of sprockets 61 and 62 that can mesh with the sprocket holes 72 and 73 on both sides of the medium transport tray 7, and these sprockets 61 and 62 are connected to the head unit 3. The distance adjusting mechanism 10 moves the nozzle surface 33 (see FIG. 2) of the inkjet head 32 in the direction of approaching and leaving, and the driving force transmission mechanism 9 that rotationally drives the pair of sprockets 61 and 62. .
[0023]
The sprocket 61 of this example includes two gears 63 and 64, a toothed belt 65 spanning the two gears 63, and a meshing protrusion 66 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the toothed belt 65 at a constant interval. It has a configuration. The toothed belt 65 is stretched so as to draw a long oval loop in the conveyance direction of the medium conveyance tray. The other sprocket 62 has the same structure, and includes two gears 67 and 68, a toothed belt 69, and a meshing protrusion 70 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the toothed belt 69. The height of the medium tray conveying surface is defined by the horizontal outer peripheral surface located above the pair of toothed belts 65 and 69.
[0024]
(Spacing adjustment mechanism)
The spacing adjusting mechanism 10 includes a common rotating shaft 11 in which gears 63 and 67 of the sprockets 61 and 62 are fixed in a coaxial state, and the other gears 64 and 68 of the sprockets 61 and 62 in a coaxial state. And a common rotating shaft 12. These rotating shafts 11 and 12 are rotatably supported by a support plate 13. The support plate 13 includes a bottom plate portion 131 and side plate portions 132 and 133 standing upright from both ends of the bottom plate portion 131. The rotating shafts 11 and 12 are transported between the side plate portions 132 and 133 in the conveying direction. It is bridged horizontally and parallel to the direction perpendicular to.
[0025]
The central portion of the bottom plate portion 131 of the support plate 13 is supported by the elevating member 14. The elevating member 14 includes side plate portions 143 and 144 in which horizontal grooves 141 and 142 capable of receiving the bottom plate portion 131 from the horizontal direction are formed, and a horizontal bottom plate portion connecting the lower ends of these side plate portions 143 and 144. 145.
[0026]
Further, between the side plate portions 143 and 144, a single rotating shaft 145 is bridged above the horizontal grooves 141 and 142, and upper pressing rollers 146 and 147 are rotatably supported at both ends of the rotating shaft 145. Is mounted rotatably. On the other hand, between the side plate portions 143 and 144, two rotary shafts 148 and 149 are horizontally spanned below the horizontal grooves 141 and 142, and are rotatable at both end portions of the rotary shafts 148 and 149. Lower pressing rollers 151, 152 and 153, 154 are rotatably mounted, respectively.
[0027]
The bottom plate portion 131 of the support plate inserted in the horizontal grooves 141 and 142 formed in the side plate portions 143 and 144 from the horizontal direction includes the upper pressing rollers 146 and 147 and the lower pressing rollers 151, 152 and 153 and 154. It is sandwiched from above and below. Therefore, the support plate 13 can be moved up and down while being slidable in the horizontal direction.
[0028]
One side plate portion 143 of the elevating member 14 includes an extended portion 155 extending downward, and a rack 16 is fixed to this portion vertically. A pinion 17 is engaged with the rack 16, and the pinion 17 is fixed to an output shaft 181 of a stepping motor 18 for raising and lowering.
[0029]
Therefore, when the stepping motor 18 is driven, the motor rotational force is converted into the lifting motion of the lifting member 14. When the elevating member 14 moves up and down, the support member 13 supported by the elevating member 14 also moves up and down together, and the sprockets 61 and 62 attached to the rotary shafts 11 and 12 spanned over the support member 13 also move up and down. As a result, the distance between the transport surface of the medium transport tray defined by the sprockets 61 and 62 and the inkjet head 32 of the head unit 3 increases or decreases.
[0030]
(Driving force transmission mechanism)
Next, a drive force transmission mechanism for rotating the sprockets 61 and 62 will be described. At one end of the rotating shaft 11 of the sprocket 61, 62 driven gear 19 is fixedly mounted coaxially. The driven gear 19 meshes with a drive gear 20 attached to the gantry frame 2 side. The driving gear 20 is connected to a conveying motor (not shown) via a reduction gear train 21. Accordingly, when the drive motor is driven, the rotary shaft 11 rotates via the drive side gear 20 and the driven side gear 19, so that the sprockets 61 and 62 also rotate together and ride on the sprockets 61 and 62. The medium transport tray 7 that is present is transported.
[0031]
Here, both ends of the two rotary shafts 11 and 12 extend horizontally outward through the side plate portions 132 and 133 on both sides of the support plate 13. Outside the side plate portions 132 and 133, a guide plate 22 having arc-shaped slide grooves 221 and 222 and a guide plate 23 having arc-shaped slide grooves 231 and 232 are disposed. Both ends of the rotary shafts 11 and 12 penetrate the arc-shaped slide grooves 221, 231 and 222, 232 of the respective guide plates 22 and 23 in a slidable state.
[0032]
As can be clearly seen from FIG. 6, the driven gear 19 that moves up and down meshes with the drive gear 20 that is disposed at a fixed position. In order to keep the driven gear 19 in mesh with the driving gear 20, it is necessary to raise and lower the driven gear 19 along an arcuate locus 19a centering on the rotation center 20a of the driving gear 20. . Therefore, in this example, the rotary shafts 11 and 12 are slid along the arc-shaped slide grooves 221, 231 and 222, 232 along the arc-shaped locus 20b.
[0033]
Here, in order to raise and lower the rotating shafts 11 and 12 along the arc-shaped slide groove, it is necessary to move in the horizontal direction along with the slide. In this example, as described above, the upper pressing rollers 146 and 147 and the lower pressing rollers 151, 152, and 153 can be slid in the horizontal direction on the support plate 13 on which the rotary shafts 11 and 12 are spanned. And 154 are supported by the elevating member 14. Therefore, the driven gear 19 can be lifted and lowered while being engaged with the driving gear 20.
[0034]
(Structure of flat bed)
Next, in the inkjet printer 1 of the present example, the flat beds 4 and 5 are also moved up and down in conjunction with such up and down movement of the sprockets 61 and 62. As a result, the conveyance surface defined by the sprockets 61 and 62 and the conveyance surface of the medium conveyance tray 7 by the flat beds 4 and 5 are always located on the same plane.
[0035]
Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, each flat bed 4, 5 includes tray guides 41, 42 and 51, 52 that guide the side surface of the medium transport tray 7 on both sides. In addition, a plurality of rollers 43 and 53 that define the transport surface of the medium transport tray 7 are provided, and a horizontal support that supports rotating shafts 44 and 54 that rotatably support these rollers 43 and 53. The frames 45 and 55 are supported by vertical linear guides 46 and 56 so as to be movable up and down. The horizontal support frame 45, 55 is attached brackets 47 and 57 extending downward, and vertically rack 48, 58 attached to these brackets 47 and 57. The racks 48 and 58 mesh with pinions 50 and 60 attached to the output shafts of the bed lifting motors 49 and 59, respectively.
[0036]
When the motors 49 and 59 are driven, the horizontal support frames 45 and 55 can be raised and lowered. In this example, by driving the motors 49 and 59 in conjunction with the lifting and lowering motor 18 of the tray transport unit 6, the tray transport surface defined by the sprockets 61 and 62 and the flat beds 4 and 5 are always used. The specified tray transport surface is the same height.
[0037]
(Effect of Example)
As described above, in the inkjet printer 1 of this example, printing can be performed on the recording medium 8 carried on the medium transport tray 7 by reciprocating the medium transport tray 7 via the print position. it can. Since the medium transport tray 7 is transported by the sprockets 61 and 62, a heavy recording medium can be transported more reliably than a friction engagement transport mechanism using a general paper feed roller.
[0038]
Further, by moving the sprockets 61 and 62 up and down according to the thickness of the recording medium 8 placed on the medium conveying tray 7, the gap between the conveyed recording medium 8 and the nozzle surface 33 of the inkjet head 32 is always constant. Can be held in. Therefore, it is possible to print even on a thick recording medium.
[0039]
Furthermore, in this example, the flat beds 4 and 5 arrange | positioned before and behind the conveyance direction are provided, and these go up and down integrally with the sprockets 61 and 62. As shown in FIG. Therefore, by supporting the medium transport tray 7 also by these flat beds 4 and 5, the long medium transport tray 7 can be transported.
[0040]
(Other embodiments)
In the above embodiment, the medium transport tray is transported using a sprocket. Here, the term “sprocket” in the present invention means a mechanism for transporting the medium transport tray by mechanical meshing, and does not mean only a normal chain gear.
[0041]
Next, the above example relates to a printer including a sprocket that transports the medium transport tray by mesh engagement. However, the present invention can also use a friction engagement type roller as the transport member. Also in this case, if the roller is supported by the lifting mechanism, the gap between the medium transport tray and the print head defined by the roller can be increased or decreased.
[0042]
On the other hand, in the above example, the flat beds 4 and 5 are moved up and down by using a dedicated motor. However, the flat beds 4 and 5 are horizontally mounted on the lifting member 14 that is lifted and lowered by the lifting and lowering motor 18 of the tray transport unit 6. The support frames 45 and 55 may be connected, and the horizontal support frames 45 and 55 may be moved up and down by the motor 18.
[0043]
Next, a thermal head, a wire dot head, or the like can be used as the print head in addition to the inkjet head.
[0044]
Furthermore, the present invention can be applied to a general printer that conveys a recording medium using a conveyance roller without using a medium tray. In this case, the conveyance roller may be moved in a direction approaching and moving away from the print head.
[0045]
Next, contrary to the above example, it is also possible to employ a configuration in which the distance between the print head and the recording medium conveyed is adjusted by moving the print head side up and down.
[0046]
For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the print head 101 of the printer 100 is attached to the printer main body 103 via the base 102 in a state where the print head 101 can be moved in the vertical direction. An inclined surface 104 is formed on the base 102, and a trapezoidal member 106 having an inclined surface 105 in close contact with the inclined surface 104 is attached to the printer main body 103 side in a state of being movable in the horizontal direction. When the trapezoidal member 106 is moved in the horizontal direction by a motor (not shown), both the inclined surfaces 104 and 105 are slid and the print head 101 is moved up and down. As a result, the interval between the print head 101 and the recording medium can be increased or decreased.
[0047]
Even when the configuration in which the print head side is moved in this way is employed, the same effect as in the above example can be obtained.
[0048]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, in the printer of the present invention, the sprocket or roller (conveying engagement member) for conveying the medium conveying tray via the printing position can be moved toward and away from the print head. It is as. In addition, a transport engagement member for transporting the recording medium can be moved in a direction toward and away from the print head. Further, the print head can be moved in the direction approaching and leaving the recording medium. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to directly print on a thick recording medium.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a plan view of an inkjet printer to which the present invention is applied.
FIG. 2 is a side configuration diagram of the ink jet printer of FIG. 1 as viewed from the direction of II-II line.
3 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram of a portion cut along a line III-III of the ink jet printer of FIG. 1;
4 is a perspective view of a medium carrying tray of the ink jet printer of FIG. 1. FIG.
5 is a perspective view showing a medium carrying tray of the ink jet printer of FIG. 1. FIG.
6 is an explanatory view showing a side configuration of a medium carrying tray of the ink jet printer of FIG. 1. FIG.
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing main parts of a printer according to another example of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Inkjet printer 2 Base frame 3 Head unit 31 Printing position 32 Inkjet head 33 Nozzle surface 4 Flat bed 5 Flat bed 6 Tray transport unit 7 Medium transport tray 72, 73 Sprocket hole 8 Recording medium 61, 62 Sprocket 11, 12 Rotating shaft 13 Support plate 14 Lift plate 16 Rack 17 Pinion 18 Lifting motors 221, 222, 231, 232 Arc-shaped slide grooves 146, 147 Upper pressing roller 151-154 Lower pressing roller 19 Drive side gear 19 a Movement track of driven side gear 20 driving side gear 20a center of driving side gear 100 printer 101 print head 102 base 103 printer main body 104 inclined surface 105 inclined surface 106 trapezoidal member

Claims (7)

In a printer that transports a medium transport tray carrying a recording medium via a print position of a print head and performs printing on a recording medium carried by the medium transport tray.
A sprocket for conveying the medium conveying tray via the printing position by friction engagement or meshing engagement with the medium conveying tray;
An interval adjusting mechanism that adjusts an interval between the medium transport tray and the print head by moving the sprocket in a direction toward and away from the print head ;
A driven gear connected coaxially to the sprocket;
A drive-side gear meshed with the driven gear;
Have
The interval adjusting mechanism moves the driven gear with respect to the print head along an arc centered on the rotation center of the driving gear while keeping the driven gear meshed with the driving gear. Printer equipped with a media transport tray. In claim 1,
The interval adjusting mechanism includes an arcuate slide groove that defines a movement locus of the driven gear along the arc, a rotary shaft that can slide along the arcuate slide groove, and a rotary shaft that rotatably supports the rotary shaft. A supporting plate, a holding portion that holds the supporting plate in a slidable state only in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the sprocket, and a drive that moves the holding portion along the moving direction of the sprocket. And a mechanism,
A printer having a medium transport tray, wherein the sprocket and the driven gear are coaxially attached to the rotating shaft so as to rotate integrally . In claim 2,
The arcuate slide groove includes first and second arcuate slide grooves,
The rotating shaft includes a first rotating shaft slidable along the first arcuate slide groove and a second rotating shaft slidable along the second arcuate slide groove,
The driven gear and the first gear are coaxially attached to the first rotating shaft,
A second gear is coaxially attached to the second rotating shaft,
Between the first and second gears, a toothed belt having a meshing protrusion formed on the outer peripheral surface capable of meshing with a sprocket hole formed in the medium tray is stretched,
A printer provided with a medium transport tray, wherein the toothed belt functions as the sprocket . In any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
Furthermore, it has a tray guide arranged on at least one of the upstream side and the downstream side in the transport direction of the medium transport tray with respect to the print position by the print head, and the guide surface of the medium transport tray by this tray guide is A printer comprising a medium transport tray, wherein the printer is adjustable so as to coincide with a transport surface of the medium transport tray defined by the transport engaging member . In claim 4,
A printer provided with a medium transport tray, wherein a plurality of tray guides can be connected . In any one of claims 1 to 5,
The printer having a medium transport tray, wherein the print head is an ink jet head . In any one of claims 1 to 6 ,
The printer having a medium transport tray, wherein the medium transport tray is an endless belt that moves along a looped endless track passing through the printing position .

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