JP7765239B2 - Pointer and inkjet printer with pointer - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a pointer and an inkjet printer equipped with a pointer. More specifically, the present invention relates to a pointer suitable for use in an inkjet printer that prints by ejecting ink onto a medium using an inkjet method, and an inkjet printer equipped with the pointer.

In this specification and claims, "medium" refers not only to various recording media made of paper such as plain paper, but also to various materials such as resin materials such as PVC and polyester, and materials such as aluminum, iron, and wood.

In addition, in this specification and claims, the term "inkjet method" refers to a printing method using inkjet technology using various conventionally known methods, including various continuous methods such as binary deflection methods or continuous deflection methods, and various on-demand methods such as thermal methods or piezoelectric element methods.

Inkjet printers are generally known in which the overall operation is controlled by a computer system, and which have a platform on which a medium such as recording paper is placed, a carriage that can move in a predetermined direction above the medium placed on the platform, an ink head mounted on the carriage, and which use the ink head to print the desired image on the medium using an inkjet method.

In this specification and claims, the direction in which the carriage moves in an inkjet printer will be referred to as the "main scanning direction" where appropriate.

Inkjet printers like those described above are equipped with a pointer that projects a small beam of light onto a reference point on the mounting table or the medium placed on the mounting table, in order to align the origin position when starting printing on the mounting table or the medium placed on the mounting table.

In other words, the user of the inkjet printer aligns the origin position when the inkjet printer starts printing on the medium by moving the mounting table or the medium so that the light emitted from the pointer illuminates the alignment reference point provided on the mounting table or the medium placed on the mounting table.

Here, laser light sources have traditionally been used as the light source for the above-mentioned pointers. However, laser light sources are relatively expensive and lead to increased costs. To reduce costs, a method has been proposed in which cheaper light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are used as the light source for pointers, as disclosed, for example, in JP 2019-101435 A.

However, the method disclosed in the aforementioned JP 2019-101435 A involves arranging various components, including LEDs, inside a case with a roughly rectangular cylindrical shape, which increases the number of components, making the configuration more complex and the assembly process more tedious, resulting in problems such as increased costs.

JP 2019-101435 A

The present invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems with conventional technology, and its purpose is to provide a pointer and an inkjet printer equipped with a pointer that reduces the number of components and simplifies assembly work through a simple configuration, thereby reducing costs.

To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the pointer of the present invention is configured so that a light exit hole forming member, which forms a small-diameter light exit hole through which light emitted from the LED exits, is attached to an LED board on which an LED is mounted.

The pointer of the present invention does not require various components to be placed inside a roughly rectangular cylindrical case, as in the prior art described above. This significantly reduces the number of components compared to the prior art described above, and the simple configuration also simplifies assembly work.

In order to achieve the above object, an ink jet printer according to the present invention is equipped with the above-described pointer according to the present invention.

In other words, the pointer according to the present invention comprises an LED that emits light, an LED board to which the LED is connected, and a light exit hole forming member that is attached to the LED board on the side where the light is emitted by the LED and that has a light exit hole formed therein through which the light emitted from the LED exits.

The pointer according to the present invention is the same as the pointer according to the present invention described above, except that the LED substrate has a generally flat plate shape, and the light emission hole forming member is a generally plate-like body having a generally U-shaped configuration.

The pointer according to the present invention is also the pointer according to the present invention described above, wherein the light exit hole forming member engages one end of the generally flat plate shape of the LED board at one end of the generally U-shape, and engages the other end of the generally flat plate shape of the LED board at the other end of the generally U-shape.

The pointer according to the present invention is the same as the pointer according to the present invention described above, but further includes a light-passing hole between the LED and the light-emitting hole, through which the light emitted from the LED passes.

Furthermore, in the pointer according to the present invention, the light passage hole is formed in an intermediate plate having a substantially flat shape and disposed between the LED and the light exit hole forming member.

The pointer according to the present invention is the same as the pointer according to the present invention described above, in which the intermediate plate has one end and the other end of its approximately flat plate shape engaged with opposing portions of the approximately U-shaped portion of the light exit hole forming member.

Furthermore, the pointer according to the present invention is the pointer according to the present invention described above, wherein the diameter φA of the light exit hole and the diameter φB of the light passage hole satisfy the relationship "diameter φA < diameter φB."

The pointer according to the present invention is the same as the pointer according to the present invention described above, except that the LED is configured to include a point light source LED element and a collimator lens.

An inkjet printer according to the present invention is an inkjet printer that prints on a medium by ejecting ink from an ink head using an inkjet method, and includes a table on which the medium is placed, a pointer arranged above the table, a carriage arranged above the table, and an ink head mounted on the carriage, and the pointer is any of the pointers according to the present invention described above.

An inkjet printer according to the present invention is the inkjet printer according to the present invention described above, wherein the pointer is mounted on the carriage.

The inkjet printer according to the present invention is the inkjet printer according to the present invention described above, wherein the carriage is movable relative to the mounting table.

The present invention is configured as described above, which has the excellent effect of reducing the number of components and simplifying assembly work through a simple configuration, thereby reducing costs.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of an inkjet printer equipped with a pointer according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the ink jet printer shown in FIG. 1 with the exterior member removed. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the ink jet printer shown in FIG. 1 in a schematic longitudinal section. FIG. 4 is a front view (viewed in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 3) illustrating the configuration of a pointer according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 5(a) is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the bottom surface (as viewed from the arrow C in Fig. 4) of the pointer shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 5(b) is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the right side surface (as viewed from the arrow D in Fig. 4) of the pointer shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 5(c) is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the left side surface (as viewed from the arrow E in Fig. 4) of the pointer shown in Fig. 4. FIG. 6 is a front view (viewed in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 3) illustrating an example of the state in which the pointer shown in FIG. 4 is attached to the carriage. FIG. 7 is a plan view (viewed in the direction of arrow F in FIG. 6) illustrating a schematic configuration of an example of the state in which the pointer shown in FIG. 4 is attached to the carriage. FIG. 8 is a front view (viewed in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 3) illustrating an example of how to use the pointer shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is a front view (viewed in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 3) illustrating an example of how to use the pointer shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is a front view (viewed in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 3) illustrating an example of how to use the pointer shown in FIG.

Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of a pointer and an inkjet printer equipped with a pointer according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(I) Description of the overall configuration of the inkjet printer equipped with a pointer according to the present invention

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of an inkjet printer equipped with a pointer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the inkjet printer shown in Figure 1 with the exterior member removed.

Figure 3 also shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the inkjet printer shown in Figure 1.

In the following description, the Y direction in the XYZ Cartesian coordinate system indicates the main scanning direction, which is the direction of movement of the carriage 20 (described below), the X direction in the XYZ Cartesian coordinate system indicates the sub-scanning direction, which is the direction perpendicular to the Y direction (main scanning direction) on the XY plane, and the Z direction in the XYZ Cartesian coordinate system indicates the height direction perpendicular to the XY plane.

Furthermore, in the following explanation, for the sake of convenience, the left side of the paper on which Figure 1 is drawn will be referred to as the left direction and the right side will be referred to as the right direction in the Y direction (main scanning direction); the lower side of the paper on which Figure 1 is drawn will be referred to as the front direction and the upper side will be referred to as the rear direction in the X direction (sub-scanning direction); and the lower side of the paper on which Figure 1 is drawn will be referred to as the down direction and the upper side will be referred to as the up direction in the Z direction (height direction).

It should be noted that the directions described above are merely defined for the convenience of explanation, and do not in any way limit the manner in which the inkjet printer may be installed, nor do they in any way limit the present invention.

Reference numeral 10 denotes a so-called flatbed type inkjet printer, which prints images and the like by ejecting ink from an ink head 22 onto a medium 12 using an inkjet method.

More specifically, the inkjet printer 10 has a base 14 that is rectangular in the XY plane, an exterior member 16 that is attached to the base 14 so as to cover the base 14 from above, leaving a predetermined area of space A, a mounting table 18 that is movably positioned within space A in the X direction (sub-scanning direction) and Z direction and on which the medium 12 is placed, a carriage 20 that is movably positioned above the mounting table 18 within space A in the Y direction (main scanning direction), an ink head 22 mounted on the carriage 20, and a pointer 100 mounted on the carriage 20.

Note that reference numeral 20a denotes a carriage cover that covers the carriage 20, and the ink head 22 and pointer 100 are covered by the carriage cover 20a and mounted on the carriage 20.

As will be described later, the carriage 20 is configured to be movable relative to the mounting table 18 in the Y direction (main scanning direction), the X direction (sub-scanning direction), and the Z direction (height direction).

Such inkjet printer 10 is equipped with a computer system (not shown), and the user can control the overall operation of the inkjet printer 10 through the computer system by operating various controls on the operation panel 24 located at the top right end of the exterior member 16.

That is, although detailed illustrations are omitted, the operation panel 24 is provided with controls that allow the user to perform various operations such as setting operations and input operations related to image printing, as well as a display unit that displays the operation status of the controls.

Specifically, the display unit displays information related to printing, such as the type of printing, resolution, printing status, and printing area settings.

Further, as operation elements, for example, a switch for turning on/off the power supply of the inkjet printer 10, input buttons for setting information relating to printing, and the like are arranged.

Here, the exterior member 16 has a box-like shape with an open bottom, and is provided with an openable cover member 26 at the front.

The exterior member 16 is detachably attached to the base portion 14 at its lower portion.

More specifically, the inkjet printer 10 has a frame 28 disposed on the base 14, extending above the mounting table 18 in the Y direction (main scanning direction).

A guide rail 30 extending along the Y direction (main scanning direction) is provided on the front surface of this frame 28, and the carriage 20 is engaged with this guide rail 30 so that it can slide freely in the Y direction (main scanning direction).

Here, the inkjet printer 10 is configured to allow the carriage 20 to move back and forth along the Y direction (main scanning direction) on the guide rail 30. The configuration includes a left pulley 32 located to the left of the left end of the guide rail 30, a right pulley 34 located to the right of the right end of the guide rail 30, an endless belt 36 wound around the left pulley 32 and the right pulley 34, and a motor 38 connected to the right pulley 34 and rotating the right pulley 34.

The carriage 20 is fixed to a predetermined position on the belt 36, and when the motor 38 is driven to rotate the right pulley 34, the belt 36 runs between the left pulley 32 and the right pulley 34, causing the carriage 20 fixed to the belt 36 to move in the Y direction (main scanning direction).

In this embodiment, the ink head 22 is disposed within the carriage 20 with the nozzles that eject ink toward the medium 12 using an inkjet method positioned downward.

Similarly, in this embodiment, the pointer 100 is arranged on the carriage 20 so that it can emit light downward toward the mounting table 18 and the medium 12.

The lower portion of the carriage 20 is open and is formed so as not to obstruct the ejection of ink from the nozzles of the ink head 22 toward the medium 12 or the emission of light from the pointer 100 toward the mounting table 18 and the medium 12.

Next, as described above, the inkjet printer 10 is equipped with a mounting table 18 on which the medium 12 is placed, and this mounting table 18 is formed from a plate-like body extending along the XY plane.

Regarding the positional relationship in the Z direction (height direction) between the mounting base 18, the ink head 22, and the pointer 100, the mounting base 18 is positioned below the nozzle of the ink head 22 and below where the downward emitted light from the pointer 100 is irradiated.

Here, the inkjet printer 10 is equipped with a sub-scanning direction movement mechanism 40 that moves the mounting table 18 in the X direction (sub-scanning direction), and a height direction movement mechanism 42 that moves the mounting table 18 in the Z direction (height direction).

The sub-scanning direction movement mechanism 40 is housed within the base 14 and comprises a right-side slide rail 44R that extends in the X direction (sub-scanning direction) and is attached to the base 14; a left-side slide rail (not shown) that extends in the X direction (sub-scanning direction) parallel to the right-side slide rail 44R and is attached to the base 14; a support member 46 that is slidably engaged with and guided by the right-side slide rail 44R and the left-side slide rail, allowing it to move back and forth in the X direction (sub-scanning direction); and a support member movement motor (not shown) connected to the support member 46.

The support member 46 is box-shaped and has an opening 46a that opens upward.

Therefore, according to the sub-scanning direction movement mechanism 40, when the support member movement motor is driven and rotated, the support member 46 is moved in the X direction (sub-scanning direction) along the right slide rail 44R and the left slide rail.

Next, the height movement mechanism 42 is housed within the support member 46 and is composed of a plurality of guide posts 48 extending in the Z direction (height direction), a box-shaped platform support case 50 that is slidably engaged with and guided by the guide posts 48 and can move back and forth in the Z direction (height direction), and a platform support case movement motor (not shown) connected to the platform support case 50.

The mounting table 18 is fixed to the top surface of the mounting table support case 50, and the mounting table 18 is supported by the mounting table support case 50.

Therefore, with the height direction movement mechanism 42 , the stage support case 50 is moved in the Z direction (height direction) along the guide support posts 48 by driving and rotating the stage support case movement motor.

(II) Detailed description of the pointer configuration according to the present invention

Figure 4 shows a schematic front view (viewed from arrow B in Figure 3) of a pointer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 5(a) shows an explanatory diagram of the configuration of the bottom surface (viewed from arrow C in Figure 4) of the pointer shown in Figure 4, Figure 5(b) shows an explanatory diagram of the configuration of the right side surface (viewed from arrow D in Figure 4) of the pointer shown in Figure 4, and Figure 5(c) shows an explanatory diagram of the configuration of the left side surface (viewed from arrow E in Figure 4) of the pointer shown in Figure 4.

Figure 6 also shows a schematic front view (viewed from arrow B in Figure 3) of an example of how the pointer shown in Figure 4 is attached to the carriage.

FIG. 7 is a plan view (viewed in the direction of arrow F in FIG. 6) illustrating a schematic configuration of an example of how the pointer shown in FIG. 4 is attached to the carriage.

The pointer 100 is composed of an LED board 102 having a substantially flat plate shape, an LED 104 having a point light source LED element 104a and a collimator lens 104b connected to the LED board 102 and emitting light L, a light emission hole forming member 106 attached to the LED board 102 on the side from which the light L emitted by the LED 104 is emitted and provided with a light emission hole 106a, which is a circular opening through which the light L is emitted, and an intermediate plate 108 having a substantially flat plate shape and provided with a light passage hole 108a, which is a circular opening through which the light L passes, and is positioned between the LED 104 and the light emission hole 106a on the side from which the light L emitted by the LED 104 is emitted.

Note that reference numeral 110 denotes a connector for connecting the LED board 102 to a computer system (not shown) or a power source (not shown).

Furthermore, the symbol 112 denotes a fastening screw for fastening and fixing the LED substrate 102 and the light exit hole forming member 106 by passing the screw shaft 112a through screw holes (not shown) formed in the LED substrate 102 and the light exit hole forming member 106, respectively.

More specifically, the light emission hole forming member 106 is a roughly U-shaped plate-like body, with the right end 102b, which is one end of the LED board 102, fastened at the fastening portion 106d, which is one end of the roughly U-shaped body, and the left end 102a, which is the other end of the LED board 102, fastened at the left wall portion 106f, which is the other end of the roughly U-shaped body.

Specifically, the light exit hole forming member 106 is composed of a lower bottom portion 106b in which the light exit hole 106a is formed, a right side wall portion 106c that rises from the right end of the lower bottom portion 106b, a fastening portion 106d that extends to the right in the Y direction in the XY plane from the upper end of the right side wall portion 106c and has a screw hole (not shown) through which the screw shaft 112 of the fastening screw 112 passes, and a left side wall portion 106f that rises from the left end of the lower bottom portion 106b and has a recess 106e formed at its upper end.

The left end 102a of the LED substrate 102 is narrower in the X direction than other areas, including the right end 102b, and is fitted into a recess 106e formed in the left wall 106f of the light emission hole forming member 106.

In other words, the LED board 102 and the light exit hole forming member 106 are fixed together by fastening the right end 102b of the LED board 102 to the fastening portion 106d of the light exit hole forming member 106 with a fastening screw, and by fitting the left end 102a of the LED board 102 into a recess 106e formed in the left wall portion 106f of the light exit hole forming member 106, so that the two are integrally constructed.

Furthermore, the intermediate plate 108 is fixed by engaging both ends with opposing portions of the approximately U-shaped light emission hole forming member 106, which is a roughly U-shaped plate.

Specifically, the intermediate plate 108 is fixedly attached to the light exit hole forming member 106 by having one end, the right end 108b, engaged with the right side wall 106c of the light exit hole forming member 106 and the other end, the left end 108c, engaged with the left side wall 106f of the light exit hole forming member 106.

Here, the light exit hole 106a and the light passage hole 108a are aligned and positioned so that the light L emitted by the LED 104 can pass through each.

Regarding the circular diameter φA of the light exit hole 106a and the circular diameter φB of the light passage hole 108a, it is preferable that the diameter φA of the light exit hole 106a is smaller than the diameter φB of the light passage hole 108a, that is, that "diameter φA < diameter φB."

By making the diameter φA < the diameter φB, the size of the irradiation area of the light L emitted from the LED 104, i.e., the size of the spot light, is determined depending on the diameter φA. However, by passing the light L through the light passage hole 108a and making it incident on the light emission hole 106a, the boundary between the spot light and other areas can be made clearer, and halation can also be prevented.

The pointer 100 described above is mounted at a predetermined position on the carriage 20 by, for example, fixing the LED board 102, light emission hole forming member 106, etc. to brackets 20b, 20c provided at predetermined positions on the carriage 20 by welding or other means, as shown in Figures 6 and 7.

The method of mounting the pointer 100 on the carriage 20 is not limited to the method described above, and the pointer 100 may be attached to a bracket using various fastening tools such as screws and bolts, or may be attached directly to the wall of the carriage 20 without providing a structure such as brackets 20b and 20c. The pointer 100 may be attached to the carriage 20 by an appropriate method depending on the design conditions and usage conditions.

Here, examples of specific dimensions for the pointer 100 include the following values:

The distance g1 between the top of the light exit surface of the LED 104 (the light exit end of the collimator lens 104a) and the upper surface of the intermediate plate 108 is, for example, 1 mm to 3 mm.

The distance g2 between the lower surface of the intermediate plate 108 and the upper surface of the lower base portion 106b of the light exit hole forming member 106 is, for example, 3 mm to 10 mm.

The distance g3 between the front of the pointer 100 and the front of the carriage 20 is, for example, 10 mm.

The diameter φA of the light exit hole 106a provided in the light exit hole forming member 106 is, for example, 0.8 mm to 1.0 mm.

The diameter φB of the light passing hole 108a provided in the intermediate plate 108 is, for example, 1.2 mm to 1.3 mm.

(III) Description of the pointer-based alignment method according to the present invention

Figure 8 shows a schematic front view (viewed from arrow B in Figure 3) of an example of how to use the pointer shown in Figure 4.

Figure 9 also shows a front view (viewed from arrow B in Figure 3) of the configuration, illustrating a typical example of how to use the pointer shown in Figure 4.

FIG. 10 is a front view (viewed from arrow B in FIG. 3) illustrating a typical example of how to use the pointer shown in FIG.

When aligning the medium 12 and the mounting table 18 using light L emitted from the pointer 100 mounted on the inkjet printer 10, for example, when printing multiple media 12 continuously with a length (thickness) H1 in the Z direction (height direction) of 10 mm to 30 mm or more, as shown in Figure 8, the distance H2 between the bottom end of the carriage 20 and the top end of the medium 12 is set to 1 mm to 2 mm, and alignment is performed by irradiating light L onto a reference point (not shown) for alignment provided on the mounting table 18. In the aligned state, ink is ejected from the nozzles of the ink head 22 of the inkjet printer 10 toward the medium 12, printing on the medium 12.

Alternatively, when aligning the medium 12 or the mounting table 18 using light L emitted from the pointer 100 mounted on the inkjet printer 10, for example, when printing on a single medium 12, as shown in Figure 9, the distance H3 between the bottom end of the carriage 20 and the top end of the medium 12 is set to 10 mm to 30 mm, and alignment is performed by irradiating light L onto a reference point (not shown) for alignment provided on the medium 12.

Then, as shown in Figure 10, in order to print on the medium 12 using the inkjet printer 10, the distance H4 between the bottom end of the carriage 20 and the top end of the medium 12 is set to 1 mm to 2 mm to adjust the height position for printing, and ink is ejected from the nozzles of the ink head 22 of the inkjet printer 10 toward the medium 12 to print on the medium 12.

(IV) Description of the effects of the pointer of the present invention and the inkjet printer equipped with the pointer

As explained above, the pointer 100 of the present invention does not have various components arranged inside a roughly rectangular cylindrical case, as in the conventional technology described above. This allows for a significant reduction in the number of components compared to the conventional technology described above, and the simple configuration also simplifies assembly work.

Furthermore, the pointer 100 of the present invention can be made smaller in size because the number of components is significantly reduced compared to the conventional technology described above. Moreover, since it can be mounted on the carriage 20 of the inkjet printer 10 by an appropriate method, it can be easily attached even to carriages 20 that do not have much space to spare.

(V) Description of other embodiments and modifications

The above-described embodiments are merely examples, and the present invention can be embodied in various other forms. In other words, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various omissions, substitutions, modifications, etc. can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

For example, the above-described embodiment may be modified as shown in (V-1) to (V-9) below.

(V-1) In the above embodiment, the case where the mounting table 18 is moved relative to the carriage 20 in the X direction (sub-scanning direction) has been described, but it goes without saying that this is not limited to this. For example, the mounting table 18 may be fixed in the X direction (sub-scanning direction), and the carriage 20 may be configured to be movable relative to the mounting table 18 in the Y direction (main scanning direction) and the X direction (sub-scanning direction).

(V-2) In the above embodiment, the case where the mounting base 18 is moved relative to the carriage 20 in the Z direction (height scanning direction) has been described, but it goes without saying that this is not limited to this. For example, the mounting base 18 may be fixed in place in the Z direction (height scanning direction), and the carriage 20 may be configured to be movable relative to the mounting base 18 in the Z direction (height scanning direction).

(V-3) In the above embodiment, a so-called flatbed type inkjet printer 10 was described as the inkjet printer, but of course, this is not limited to this. Inkjet printers also include so-called paper-move type inkjet printers, such as roll-to-roll type inkjet printers that print while transporting a rolled medium in the X direction (sub-scanning direction), and the present invention may also be applied to such inkjet printers.

(V-4) In the above-described embodiment, the light passing hole 108a is provided between the LED 104 and the light exit hole 106a, but this is of course not limited to this. Depending on design conditions, it may be possible to reduce the number of parts and costs by not providing the light passing hole 108a located between the LED 104 and the light exit hole 106a. Furthermore, if the light passing hole 108a is not provided, it is of course not necessary to provide the intermediate plate 108.

(V-5) In the above-described embodiment, the pointer 100 is provided with a single light-transmitting hole, the light-transmitting hole 108a. However, this is not necessarily limited to this. Depending on design conditions, multiple light-transmitting holes may be provided between the LED 104 and the light-emitting hole 106a to further clarify the boundary between the spot light and other areas and more reliably prevent halation.

(V-6) In the above embodiment, detailed explanation of the color of the light L emitted from the pointer 100 was omitted, but any appropriate color, such as white, red, or blue, may be selected depending on design conditions, etc.

(V-7) In the above embodiment, the pointer 100 is mounted on an inkjet printer 10, but the device on which the pointer 100 is mounted is not limited to an inkjet printer. The pointer 100 may be mounted on a variety of devices, including inkjet printers, as well as various processing devices such as a cutting device that cuts a medium (workpiece) into a desired shape, a milling device that cuts a medium (workpiece) into a desired shape, a foil stamping device that transfers foil to a medium (workpiece), or a three-dimensional modeling device that creates a three-dimensional object of a desired shape.

(V-8) In the above embodiment, the pointer 100 is mounted on the carriage 20 of the inkjet printer 10, but this is of course not limited to this. For example, the pointer 100 may be attached to a component other than the carriage 20, such as the frame 28 of the inkjet printer 10.

(V-9) Of course, the above-described embodiment and the various other embodiments and modifications shown in (V-1) to (V-8) above may be combined as appropriate.

The pointer according to the present invention is suitable for use in various devices, such as inkjet printers, which print by ejecting ink onto a medium using an inkjet method.

In addition, by incorporating the pointer of the present invention, the inkjet printer of the present invention can easily align the origin position when starting printing.

10 Inkjet printer 12 Medium 14 Base 16 Exterior member 18 Mounting table 20 Carriage 20a Carriage cover 20b Bracket 20c Bracket 22 Ink head 24 Operation panel 26 Cover member 28 Frame 30 Guide rail 32 Left pulley 34 Right pulley 36 Belt 38 Motor 40 Sub-scanning direction movement mechanism 42 Height direction movement mechanism 44R Right slide rail 46 Support member 46a Opening 48 Guide support 50 Mounting table support case 100 Pointer 102 LED board 102a Left end (other end)
102b Right end (one end)
104 LED
104a: Point light source LED element 104b: Collimator lens 106: Light exit hole forming member 106a: Light exit hole 106b: Lower base 106c: Right side wall 106d: Fastening portion (one end)
106e Recess 106f Left side wall portion (other end)
108 Intermediate plate 108a Light passing hole 108b Right end (one end)
108c Left end (other end)
110 Connector 112 Fastening screw 112a Screw shaft φA Diameter of light exit hole φB Diameter of light passing hole A Space L Light

Claims (9)

An LED that emits light;
an LED substrate to which the LEDs are connected;
a light exit hole forming member attached to the LED board on the side where the light is emitted by the LEDs, and having a light exit hole formed therein through which the light emitted from the LEDs exits;
the light exit hole forming member is a substantially plate-like body having a substantially U-shape, and is configured to have a lower bottom portion in which the light exit hole is formed, one wall portion formed by rising from one end of the lower bottom portion, a fastening portion extending from the upper end of the one wall portion in parallel with the lower bottom portion toward the outside of the substantially U-shape and having a screw hole formed therein for passing a screw shaft of a fastening screw, and the other wall portion formed by rising from the other end of the lower bottom portion and having a recess formed at its upper end,
the LED substrate has a generally flat plate shape, one end of the generally flat plate shape is formed with a screw hole through which the screw shaft of the fastening screw passes, and the other end of the generally flat plate shape is formed narrower than the area of the one end of the generally flat plate shape so as to fit into the recess;
The LED substrate and the light exit hole forming member are fixed by inserting the fastening screw into the screw hole formed in one end of the LED substrate and the screw hole formed in the fastening portion of the light exit hole forming member, and the other end of the LED substrate is fixed by fitting into the recess of the light exit hole forming member, thereby forming the LED substrate and the light exit hole forming member as a single unit.
A pointer characterized by: The pointer of claim 1 further comprising:
A pointer comprising: a light passing hole between the LED and the light exit hole, through which the light emitted from the LED passes. 3. The pointer according to claim 2 ,
The light passing hole is formed in an intermediate plate having a substantially flat plate shape and disposed between the LED and the light exit hole forming member. 4. The pointer according to claim 3 ,
The intermediate plate has one end and the other end of its approximately flat plate shape engaged with the respective portions of the one wall portion and the other wall portion that face each other in the approximately U-shape of the light exit hole forming member. The pointer according to any one of claims 2 , 3 and 4 ,
A pointer characterized in that the diameter φA of the light exit hole and the diameter φB of the light passing hole satisfy the relationship "diameter φA<diameter φB." 6. The pointer according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5,
The pointer is characterized in that the LED is configured to include a point light source LED element and a collimator lens. In an inkjet printer that prints on a medium by ejecting ink from an ink head using an inkjet method,
a mounting table on which the medium is placed;
a pointer disposed above the mounting table;
a carriage disposed above the mounting table;
an ink head mounted on the carriage,
10. An inkjet printer, wherein the pointer is the pointer according to claim 1. 8. The inkjet printer according to claim 7 ,
The inkjet printer, wherein the pointer is mounted on the carriage. 9. The inkjet printer according to claim 7 ,
The inkjet printer, wherein the carriage is movable relatively to the stage.