JP2023125272A - Adjustment method for printing device and printing device - Google Patents

Abstract

To convey a medium on a printing device with a high degree of accuracy.SOLUTION: An adjustment method for a printing device is for adjusting the printing device including a grid roller 212 which is a conveyance roller conveying a medium to be printed. The adjustment method includes a roller adjustment stage for adjusting the grid roller 212. The printing device includes the grid roller 212, a pinch roller 222 as an opposing roller, and an arm member 224 as a pressing member. In the roller adjustment stage, in a state where the arm member 224 pushes the pinch roller 222 onto the grid roller 212, an adjustment for reducing the deflection of the grid roller 212 is performed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to a printing device adjustment method and a printing device.

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, printing devices that perform printing using a print head such as an inkjet head have been widely used (for example, see Patent Document 1). In such a printing device, for example, a platen and a print head are arranged to face each other, and printing is performed on the medium by ejecting ink from the print head onto the medium on the platen. Furthermore, by transporting the medium in a predetermined transport direction using rollers, for example, the position of the medium facing the print head is changed.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-088187

When conveying a medium using rollers, for example, the medium is sandwiched between a grid roller and a pinch roller whose width direction and axial direction are parallel to each other, and the medium is conveyed by rotationally driving the grid roller. . Further, as such a grid roller, for example, a roller having a sufficient length relative to the width of the medium may be used. However, when printing on media with this type of configuration, skew occurs, which is a phenomenon in which the direction in which the media actually moves is tilted relative to the original transport direction, making it difficult to perform high-quality printing. be. Therefore, it has conventionally been desired to transport the medium in a more appropriate manner. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for adjusting a printing device and a printing device that can solve the above-mentioned problems.

The inventor of the present application has conducted extensive research on a configuration for increasing the accuracy of medium conveyance. In a configuration in which a medium is conveyed using a grid roller and a pinch roller, pressing the pinch roller against the grid roller causes unintended deflection of the grid roller, resulting in, for example, skew, which reduces the accuracy of conveyance. I found out that there is. Furthermore, it has been found that in such cases, by making adjustments to reduce the deflection of the grid roller, it is possible to appropriately prevent the occurrence of skew, for example, and to appropriately and sufficiently improve the accuracy of media conveyance. .

In addition, the inventor of the present application further conducted extensive research and discovered the features necessary to obtain such effects, leading to the present invention. In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a method for adjusting a printing device that adjusts a printing device equipped with a conveyance roller that conveys a medium to be printed, the method including a roller adjustment step of adjusting the conveyance roller. The printing device includes: a conveyance roller that conveys the medium in a predetermined conveyance direction; a facing roller that is a roller that sandwiches the medium between the conveyance roller; and a pressing roller that presses the facing roller against the conveyance roller. and a pressing member, which is a member, and in the roller adjustment step, adjustment is performed to reduce deflection of the transport roller while the pressing member presses the opposing roller against the transport roller.

With this configuration, by reducing the deflection of the conveyance roller in the roller adjustment stage, it is possible to appropriately prevent, for example, a decrease in conveyance accuracy due to the influence of the deflection of the conveyance roller. Further, thereby, for example, the occurrence of skew can be appropriately prevented, and the medium can be conveyed appropriately with high precision. Furthermore, by increasing the accuracy of conveyance of the medium, it becomes possible to appropriately perform high-quality printing, for example.

In this configuration, the conveyance roller is disposed, for example, so that its axial direction is perpendicular to the medium conveyance direction. As such a conveyance roller, for example, a roller (such as a grid roller) disposed so as to extend in the width direction of the medium may be used. Further, in this case, for example, it is preferable to use a conveyance roller having a length that contacts the entire medium in the width direction. Moreover, in this configuration, the printing apparatus further includes, for example, a platen that holds the medium being conveyed on its upper surface. In this case, the method for adjusting the printing device further includes, for example, a platen adjustment step of adjusting the height of the platen at each position in the width direction of the medium. Further, in this case, the platen adjustment stage is a stage executed at a different timing from the roller adjustment stage, for example. With this configuration, for example, the medium being conveyed can be appropriately held in the printing apparatus. Furthermore, this allows, for example, more appropriate conveyance of the medium.

Further, the printing device further includes, for example, a roller adjustment mechanism and a platen adjustment mechanism. The roller adjustment mechanism can be considered, for example, as a mechanism that changes the way the conveyance roller is deflected. The platen adjustment mechanism can be considered, for example, as a mechanism that adjusts the height of the platen at each position in the width direction of the medium. As the platen adjustment mechanism, it is preferable to use, for example, a mechanism that adjusts the height of the platen at each position in the width direction of the medium without changing the way the conveyance roller flexes. In this case, not changing the way the conveyance roller flexes can be considered as, for example, not substantially changing the way the conveyance roller flexes. With this configuration, for example, the height of the platen can be adjusted more easily and appropriately in the platen adjustment stage. Further, in this case, for example, it is conceivable that the operation of the platen adjustment mechanism is performed after the operation of the roller adjustment stage is performed. More specifically, in this case, for example, first, in the roller adjustment stage, the conveyance roller is adjusted using a roller adjustment mechanism. Then, for example, in the platen adjustment stage, the platen is adjusted using the platen adjustment mechanism while the opposing roller is pressed against the conveyance roller by the pressing member. With this configuration, for example, the conveyance roller and the platen can be appropriately adjusted.

Further, in a printing device, for example, a print head (such as an inkjet head) may be held at a position facing a platen with the medium interposed therebetween, and printing on the medium may be performed. In this case, it is conceivable to use, for example, a widthwise stretching member, which is a member that stretches in the widthwise direction of the medium, as a structure for holding the print head and the like. Further, in this case, the width direction stretching member stretches in the width direction of the medium over a wider range than the width of the medium, leaving a gap between the member and the medium, for example, at a position facing the platen with the medium in between. In this case, for example, if the size of the gap between the platen and the widthwise stretching member varies depending on the position, the distance between the print head and the medium will change depending on the position of the medium in the width direction. This may make it difficult to print with high precision. More specifically, for example, when an inkjet head is used as a print head, if the size of this gap changes depending on the position, variations may occur in the landing position of the ink, and the quality of printing may deteriorate. Therefore, it is preferable to adjust the height of each position of the platen so that the size of this gap is as uniform as possible. In this case, in the platen adjustment step, the height of the platen at each position in the width direction of the medium is adjusted, for example, based on the state of the widthwise stretching member. With this configuration, for example, the platen can be adjusted more appropriately.

Further, as a configuration of the present invention, a configuration of a printing device having the same characteristics as described above can also be considered. Also in this case, for example, the same effects as above can be obtained.

According to the present invention, for example, in a printing apparatus, it is possible to appropriately convey a medium with high precision.

1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a printing device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance of the printing apparatus 10. FIG. 1(b) shows an example of the configuration of main parts of the main body section 12 in the printing apparatus 10. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a specific configuration of a main body portion 12. FIG. FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing an example of the internal configuration of the main body portion 12. FIG. FIGS. 2(b) and 2(c) are a perspective view and a front view showing the internal structure of the main body 12 in an enlarged manner. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a specific configuration of a main body portion 12. FIG. FIGS. 3A to 3C show an example of the configuration of a portion of the main body 12 that is covered by the platen 104. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a roller adjustment mechanism 122 and a platen adjustment mechanism 124 in more detail. FIG. 4(a) shows the main body section 12 during printing. FIG. 4(b) shows an example of the configuration of the roller adjustment mechanism 122. FIG. 4C shows an example of the configuration of the platen adjustment mechanism 124. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the platen adjustment mechanism 124 in more detail. FIG. 5A shows an example of the configuration of the platen adjustment mechanism 124. FIG. 5(b) shows an example of the structure of the upper surface part 132 and the bracket 134. FIG. 5C shows an example of the configuration of the adjustment screw 402 in the platen adjustment mechanism 124. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an adjustment operation for adjusting the printing apparatus 10. FIG.

Embodiments according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of a printing apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance of the printing apparatus 10. FIG. 1B is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a main part of the main body section 12 in the printing apparatus 10 along with a part of a medium 50 to be printed. Printing device 10 may have the same or similar features as known printing devices, except as described below. For example, the printing device 10 may further include a configuration that is the same as or similar to a configuration in a known printing device, in addition to the illustrated configuration.

In this example, the printing device 10 is a roll-to-roll type inkjet printer, and includes a main body portion 12, a leg portion 14, a feeding portion 16, and a winding portion 18. In this case, for a roll-to-roll type inkjet printer, for example, printing is performed using an inkjet method by sequentially feeding out a rolled medium (media), and then sequentially rolling up the printed portion of the medium. It can be thought of as a device, etc. The main body section 12 is a main body portion that executes printing operations in the printing apparatus 10 . In this example, the main body section 12 includes, for example, a carriage 102, a platen 104, a guide section 106, a transport section 108, a main scanning control section 110, a sub-scanning drive section 112, and a control section 120, as shown in FIG. has.

The carriage 102 is a holding member that holds an inkjet head that ejects ink onto the medium 50. In this case, the inkjet head can be considered, for example, as an example of a print head. In the printing apparatus 10, the portion including the carriage 102 and the inkjet head can be considered as an example of a head section. Carriage 102 may hold multiple inkjet heads. In this case, it is conceivable that the carriage 102 holds a plurality of inkjet heads, each of which ejects ink of a different color, for example. Further, in this example, the carriage 102 is held by the guide section 106 in a state where it can move in a predetermined main scanning direction (Y direction in the figure).

The platen 104 is a table-like member that holds the medium 50 on its upper surface at a position facing the carriage 102 . The guide section 106 is configured to guide the movement of the carriage 102 in the main scanning direction during the main scanning operation. For example, the guide section 106 can be considered to hold the carriage 102 and the inkjet head at a position facing the platen 104 with the medium 50 in between. The main scanning operation can be considered as, for example, an operation of ejecting ink while moving in the main scanning direction relative to the medium 50. Further, in this example, the guide section 106 is an example of a widthwise extending member that extends in the width direction of the medium 50, and has a gap between it and the medium 50 at a position facing the platen 104 with the medium 50 in between. Then, the medium 50 is stretched in the width direction to a wider range than the width of the medium 50. The configuration of the guide section 106 will be explained in more detail later. The transport unit 108 is configured to transport the medium 50 in a predetermined transport direction. The configuration of the transport section 108 will also be explained in more detail later.

The main scanning control section 110 is a driving section that causes the inkjet head held by the carriage 102 to perform a main scanning operation. In this example, the main scanning control section 110 moves the inkjet head held by the carriage 102 by moving the carriage 102 along the guide section 106. Further, by supplying a drive signal to the inkjet head to cause the inkjet head to eject ink, the inkjet head is caused to eject ink at each position in the main scanning direction. The sub-scanning drive unit 112 is a drive unit that causes the inkjet head held by the carriage 102 to perform a sub-scanning operation. The sub-scanning operation can be considered as, for example, an operation of moving relative to the medium 50 in the sub-scanning direction (X direction in the figure) perpendicular to the main scanning direction. In this example, the sub-scanning drive unit 112 moves the inkjet head relative to the medium 50 by causing the transport unit 108 to transport the medium 50 in the transport direction parallel to the sub-scanning direction. Further, in this case, the sub-scanning drive unit 112 changes the position facing the inkjet head on the medium 50 by causing the inkjet head to perform a sub-scanning operation between main scanning operations. The control unit 120 includes, for example, the CPU of the printing apparatus 10, and controls the operation of each part of the printing apparatus 10. According to this example, the printing operation on the medium 50 can be appropriately executed in the main body section 12 of the printing device 10, for example. Further, in this example, the main body section 12 further includes a roller adjustment mechanism, a platen adjustment mechanism, etc. in addition to the configuration shown in FIG. 1(b). These configurations will also be explained in more detail later.

Further, the leg portion 14 is a portion that serves as a stand that supports the main body portion 12. In this example, the leg portion 14 supports the main body portion 12 as well as the feeding portion 16 and the winding portion 18 at predetermined positions, as shown in FIG. 1(a), for example. The feeding unit 16 is a part of the main body 12 that holds the medium 50 before printing, and holds the medium 50 wound into a roll on the upstream side of the main body 12 in the conveyance direction of the medium 50. The medium 50 is sequentially fed out toward the main body 12 as the printing operation progresses. In this case, the upstream side of the main body section 12 in the transport direction can be considered, for example, as the side of the main body section 12 upstream of the carriage 102. The winding unit 18 is a part that holds the medium 50 after printing has been performed in the main body 12, and the winding unit 18 is a part that holds the medium 50 after printing has been performed on the main body 12, and by winding up the medium 50 on the downstream side of the main body 12 in the conveyance direction of the medium 50, the printing has been performed. The latter medium 50 is retained. In this case, the downstream side of the main body 12 in the transport direction can be considered, for example, as the downstream side of the main body 12 from the carriage 102. According to this example, printing can be appropriately performed on the medium 50 wound into a roll, for example. Moreover, the medium 50 after printing can be appropriately wound up.

Next, an example of a specific configuration of the main body section 12 will be explained in more detail. 2 and 3 are diagrams illustrating an example of a specific configuration of the main body portion 12. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the main body section 12. As shown in FIG. In this case, the inside of the main body part 12 can be considered to be, for example, a portion surrounded by a cover or the like that constitutes the outer periphery of the main body part 12. Further, FIG. 2(a) is a perspective view showing an example of the internal configuration of the main body portion 12 together with the leg portions 14. FIGS. 2(b) and 2(c) are a perspective view and a front view showing the internal configuration of the main body 12 in a larger scale than in FIG. 2(a). Further, in this example, the main body portion 12 has a part of the structure even in the portion covered by the platen 104 in FIG. Therefore, these parts are shown in FIG. 3(a) to 3(c) are diagrams showing an example of the configuration of a portion of the main body 12 that is covered by the platen 104. At least part of the platen 104 is An example of the configuration of the main body portion 12 is illustrated by erasing .

In this example, the guide section 106 includes a Y bar 202 and a linear movement guide 204, as shown in FIG. 2(b), for example. The Y bar 202 is a member extending in the main scanning direction, and holds the carriage 102 movably in the main scanning direction. Further, the Y bar 202 extends in the main scanning direction over a wider range than the width of the medium in the width direction of the medium with a gap between the Y bar 202 and the platen 104 at a position facing the platen 104 . By using such a Y bar 202, for example, the carriage 102 moving in the main scanning direction can be appropriately held. Further, in this example, the Y bar 202 further holds a linear movement guide 204.

The linear movement guide 204 is a member that guides the movement of the carriage 102 in the main scanning direction. In this example, the linear movement guide 204 has a rail portion extending in a predetermined movement direction and a movable portion that moves along the rail portion, and is arranged such that the moving direction of the movable portion is parallel to the main scanning direction. , is held by the Y bar 202. In this case, the fact that the moving direction of the movable part is parallel to the main scanning direction can be considered to mean, for example, that the designed moving direction is parallel to the main scanning direction. Further, the linear movement guide 204 can be considered, for example, as a mechanical component that guides the linear motion of the machine using rolling motion. As the linear movement guide 204, for example, a known LM guide (registered trademark) or the like can be suitably used. By using such a linear movement guide 204, for example, the movement of the carriage 102 in the main scanning direction can be appropriately guided in the guide section 106.

Further, in this example, the conveyance section 108 includes a grid roller 212 and a plurality of clamp sections 214, as shown in FIG. 3(b), for example. The grid roller 212 is an example of a conveyance roller, and rotates in a predetermined direction while sandwiching the medium between it and the pinch roller 222 in the clamp section 214, thereby conveying the medium in the conveyance direction. Further, in this example, the grid roller 212 is a roller that actively rotates by being driven by the sub-scanning drive unit 112 (see FIG. 1), and is located upstream in the transport direction from the position facing the carriage 102. It is disposed so that its axial direction is perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the medium, and contacts the medium on the back surface side of the medium. In this case, the axial direction of the grid roller 212 can be considered, for example, as the direction in which the rotating shaft extends. The fact that the axial direction of the grid roller 212 and the axial direction are orthogonal to the medium conveyance direction can be considered to be orthogonal in design, for example. The back surface of the medium can be considered, for example, as the surface opposite to the surface facing the carriage 102. For example, the grid roller 212 can be considered to be arranged so as to extend in the width direction of the medium. Further, in this example, the grid roller 212 is a roller with a length that contacts the entire medium in the width direction, and is disposed at a position where the rotation axis is lower than the upper surface of the platen 104. For example, the position of the grid roller 212 is The medium comes into contact with the medium through a gap formed on the upper surface of the platen 104 in accordance with the above. In this case, the platen 104 can be considered to be configured to accommodate, for example, the grid roller 212 in a state where it can come into contact with the medium. By using the grid roller 212 and platen 104 having such a configuration, for example, the medium held on the platen 104 can be appropriately conveyed by the grid roller 212.

The clamp section 214 is a member for sandwiching the medium between itself and the grid roller 212, and includes a pinch roller 222 and an arm member 224. The pinch roller 222 is an example of a facing roller, and is pressed against the grid roller 212 by the arm member 224, thereby pinching the medium between the pinch roller 222 and the grid roller 212. Furthermore, in this example, the pinch roller 222 is a driven roller that rotates in accordance with the rotation of the grid roller 212, and is rotatably held at one end of the arm member 224. The arm member 224 is an example of a pressing member, holds the pinch roller 222 at one end, and changes the position of the one end according to, for example, a user's operation. Further, in this case, the arm member 224 presses the pinch roller 222 against the grid roller 212 by moving the position of one end in a predetermined direction. Furthermore, by moving the position of one end in the opposite direction, the pinch roller 222 is separated from the grid roller 212. With this configuration, the medium can be appropriately sandwiched between the grid roller 212 and the pinch roller 222, for example, when the medium is conveyed. Furthermore, when installing or removing a medium, the gap between the grid roller 212 and the pinch roller 222 can be increased to facilitate installation or removal of the medium.

Further, as shown in the figure, in this example, the conveyance section 108 includes a plurality of clamp sections 214 arranged in the width direction of the medium. In this case, the pinch rollers 222 in each clamp section 214 pinch the medium with the grid roller 212 at each position. In this case, for example, it is conceivable to use only some of the clamp parts 214 depending on the width of the medium. Further, in this example, the plurality of clamp parts 214 are fixed to the Y bar 202 in the guide part 106. With this configuration, for example, the clamp portion 214 can be appropriately held at a position facing the grid roller 212 with the medium interposed therebetween.

Furthermore, as explained above, in this example, the main body 12 further includes a roller adjustment mechanism 122 and a platen adjustment mechanism 124. The roller adjustment mechanism 122 is a mechanism that adjusts the grid roller 212. In this example, the roller adjustment mechanism 122 is a mechanism that changes the way the grid roller 212 is deflected by adjustment, and by reducing the deflection of the grid roller 212, the axial direction of the grid roller 212 is adjusted to be different from the designed direction. Reduce misalignment. In this case, in order to reduce the deflection of the grid roller 212, for example, it is necessary to prevent the grid roller 212 from unintentionally bending, etc., and to ensure that the axis of rotation at each position of the grid roller 212 is orthogonal to the conveying direction. It can also be thought of as making adjustments. In this example, the designed axial direction of the grid roller 212 is parallel to the horizontal plane and perpendicular to the conveying direction. Further, the platen adjustment mechanism 124 is a mechanism for adjusting the height of the platen 104. In this case, the height of the platen 104 can be considered, for example, as the height of the surface of the platen 104 that faces the medium. Further, in this example, the platen adjustment mechanism 124 adjusts the height of the platen 104 at each position in the width direction of the medium by adjusting the height of the platen 104 at a plurality of mutually different positions in the width direction of the medium. .

Next, the specific configurations of the roller adjustment mechanism 122 and the platen adjustment mechanism 124 will be explained in more detail. 4 and 5 are diagrams for explaining the roller adjustment mechanism 122 and the platen adjustment mechanism 124 in more detail. First, an example of the reason why the grid roller 212 and the platen 104 are adjusted in this example will be explained using FIG. 4(a). FIG. 4A is a diagram showing the main body section 12 together with the medium 50 during printing. As explained above, in this example, when printing is executed by the printing apparatus 10 (see FIG. 1), the inkjet head held by the carriage 102 is caused to perform a main scanning operation. Furthermore, in this main scanning operation, the inkjet head discharges ink while moving in the main scanning direction. Therefore, the ink ejected from the inkjet head approaches the medium while moving in the main scanning direction. In this case, if the head gap, which is the distance between the surface on which the nozzles are formed in the inkjet head and the medium 50, increases depending on the position in the main scanning direction, for example, when the ink is ejected and then the medium 50 Due to the difference in the time it takes for the ink to land (the flight time of the ink), the deviation in the landing position depending on the position in the main scanning direction becomes large, and the quality of printing deteriorates. In addition, in the case of a configuration in which the carriage 102 is held by the guide section 106 as in this example, the head gap at each position in the main scanning direction is determined depending on the size of the gap between the platen 104 and the guide section 106, for example. It can be thought of as changing. Furthermore, in this case, it can be considered that the size of this gap changes depending on the position in the main scanning direction, which causes variations in the landing positions of the ink, resulting in a decrease in printing quality.

Regarding this point, for example, from a design point of view, it seems that the direction in which the guide portion 106 holding the carriage 102 extends is in a horizontal plane, and the upper surface of the platen 104 is also made horizontal. However, in the actual printing apparatus 10, misalignment, bending, etc. will occur in various parts due to various factors. More specifically, for example, in the guide section 106, deflection may occur due to the influence of a reaction caused by pressing the pinch roller 222 in the clamp section 214 against the grid roller 212, for example. In such a case, simply making the extending direction of the guide section 106 or the top surface of the platen 104 horizontal in design will increase the difference in the head gap depending on the position in the main scanning direction, making it difficult to print with high precision. things become difficult. In contrast, in this example, as explained above, the height of the platen 104 at each position is adjusted by the platen adjustment mechanism 124. Further, by doing this, for example, the platen 104 is adjusted in accordance with the way the guide portion 106 is bent, etc., and the difference in the head gap depending on the position is reduced. In this case, it is preferable to make adjustments so that, for example, the size of the gap between the platen 104 and the guide portion 106 is as uniform as possible. With this configuration, for example, it is possible to appropriately prevent a large shift in the landing position depending on the position in the main scanning direction.

Furthermore, in order to perform printing with high precision in the printing device 10, it is also important, for example, to appropriately transport the medium 50 with high precision. Regarding this point, the inventor of the present application has proposed that when the pinch roller 222 in the clamp section 214 is pressed against the grid roller 212, unintended deflection occurs in the grid roller 212, for example, a skew occurs, and the conveyance accuracy decreases. I found out that there is. Furthermore, it has been found that when printing is performed on a rolled medium 50, such a problem is likely to occur when the medium 50 is continuously conveyed in the conveying direction. In contrast, in this example, as explained above, the roller adjustment mechanism 122 adjusts the grid roller 212 so as to reduce the deflection of the grid roller 212. Therefore, according to this example, it is also possible to appropriately prevent, for example, a decrease in the accuracy of conveyance of the medium 50 due to the deflection of the grid roller 212. Further, thereby, for example, the occurrence of skew can be appropriately prevented, and the medium 50 can be appropriately transported with high precision. Furthermore, by increasing the accuracy of conveyance of the medium 50, it becomes possible to appropriately perform high-quality printing, for example.

Here, in this example, as described above, by using the roller adjustment mechanism 122 and the platen adjustment mechanism 124, for example, the grid roller 212 and the platen 104 can be adjusted appropriately. However, in this case, for example, if the results of the adjustments made by the roller adjustment mechanism 122 and the platen adjustment mechanism 124 influence each other, it may not be possible to properly adjust the grid roller 212 and the platen 104. More specifically, for example, if the height of the platen 104 changes due to the adjustment by the roller adjustment mechanism 122, and the way the grid roller 212 bends also changes due to the adjustment by the platen adjustment mechanism 124, the roller Among the adjustments performed by the adjustment mechanism 122 and the platen adjustment mechanism 124, the adjustment performed later will cause an error in the result of the adjustment performed earlier.

Therefore, it is preferable to use a configuration for at least one of the roller adjustment mechanism 122 and the platen adjustment mechanism 124 that does not affect the adjustment result of the other. Further, in this example, a mechanism is used as the platen adjustment mechanism 124 that adjusts the height of the platen 104 at each position in the width direction of the medium 50 without changing the way the grid roller 212 is bent. Further, in this case, for example, after the grid roller 212 is adjusted by the roller adjustment mechanism 122, the platen 104 is adjusted by the platen adjustment mechanism 124. With this configuration, for example, it is possible to appropriately prevent the grid roller 212 from being deflected when adjusting the height of the platen 104. Furthermore, this allows, for example, to appropriately adjust both the grid roller 212 and the platen 104. For example, not changing the way the grid roller 212 bends can be considered as not substantially changing the way the grid roller 212 bends. Further, the fact that the way the grid roller 212 is deflected is not substantially changed can be considered to mean, for example, that there is no change in the way the grid roller 212 is deflected, which would cause skew, etc., which would be a problem in the accuracy required for conveyance.

Further, in this case, it is conceivable to adjust the grid roller 212 using, for example, the roller adjustment mechanism 122 having the configuration shown in FIG. 4(b). FIG. 4B shows an example of the configuration of the roller adjustment mechanism 122 together with the grid roller 212 and the like. In this example, the roller adjustment mechanism 122 supports the grid roller 212 from the lower side (lower side in the vertical direction) at a plurality of mutually different positions in the width direction of the medium 50, and changes the support position in the vertical direction. Then, the way the grid roller 212 is bent is changed. Further, the roller adjustment mechanism 122 includes a roller support section 302, a fixed section 304, a moving section 306, and a plurality of adjustment screws 308 at each of a plurality of positions in the width direction of the medium 50.

The roller support portion 302 is a portion that contacts and supports the grid roller 212 at each position in the width direction of the medium 50. In this example, the roller support section 302 is fixed above the moving section 306 (vertically above) and supports the grid roller 212 from below. The fixing portion 304 is a member for fixing each component of the roller adjustment mechanism 122 at each position in the width direction of the medium 50. Furthermore, in this example, the fixing section 304 is fixed to the leg section 14 (see FIG. 1) of the printing apparatus 10, thereby being fixed at a predetermined position in the width direction of the medium 50. The moving part 306 is a member that can be moved up and down by adjustment using a plurality of adjustment screws 308, and by moving up and down together with the roller support part 302, the moving part 306 moves the roller support part 302 in the up and down direction according to its own movement. change the position of The plurality of adjustment screws 308 are screws for adjusting the height of the moving section 306 in the vertical direction. Further, in this example, the plurality of adjustment screws 308 fix the moving part 306 to the fixed part 304 in the adjusted position. With this configuration, for example, by changing the height of the moving section 306 using a plurality of adjustment screws 308, the roller support section 302 can be moved together with the moving section 306. Further, thereby, for example, the height at which the grid roller 212 is supported by the roller support portion 302 at each position in the width direction of the medium 50 is changed, and the way the grid roller 212 is bent can be changed. Therefore, according to this example, it is possible to appropriately adjust the grid roller 212, for example.

Further, in this case, it is conceivable to adjust the platen 104 using, for example, the platen adjustment mechanism 124 having the configuration shown in FIG. 4(c). FIG. 4C shows an example of the configuration of the platen adjustment mechanism 124 together with the platen 104 and the like. In this example, the platen adjustment mechanism 124 changes the height of the top surface of the platen 104 at a plurality of mutually different positions in the width direction of the medium 50. More specifically, in this example, platen 104 has a top portion 132 and a bracket 134. The upper surface portion 132 is a portion that constitutes the upper surface of the platen 104. As for the upper surface portion 132, it is also possible to consider, for example, the main body portion of the platen 104. The bracket 134 is a portion that functions as a support for the upper surface portion 132, and is disposed at a fixed position with respect to the printing apparatus 10, and supports the upper surface portion 132 on the upper side at that position. Further, in this example, the bracket 134 supports the upper surface portion 132 with a gap provided between the bracket 134 and the upper surface portion 132 at at least some positions.

In this example, the bracket 134 can also be considered to serve as the moving part 306 in the roller adjustment mechanism 122, for example. In this case, the fact that the bracket 134 also functions as the moving part 306 can be considered, for example, because the bracket 134 also functions as the moving part 306. Further, in this case, the bracket 134 can also be considered as a component of the roller adjustment mechanism 122 instead of a component of the platen 104. In this case, for example, the bracket 134 may not be included in the platen 104 and the upper surface portion 132 may be considered as the platen. Further, in the case of a configuration in which the bracket 134 also serves as the moving part 306, the height of the platen 104 may also change due to the bracket 134 moving up and down when the grid roller 212 is adjusted by the roller adjustment mechanism 122. As the moving part 306 in the roller adjustment mechanism 122, a structure different from the bracket 134 may be used. In this case, for example, a configuration may be used in which the height of the platen 104 does not change when the grid roller 212 is adjusted by the roller adjustment mechanism 122.

Further, in this example, the platen adjustment mechanism 124 adjusts the height of the platen 104 at each position by changing the size of the gap between the bracket 134 and the top surface part 132 at each position in the width direction of the medium 50. change. More specifically, in this example, the platen adjustment mechanism 124 changes the height of the platen 104 at each position in the width direction of the medium 50 using a screw configuration. In this case, the platen adjustment mechanism 124 has the configuration shown in FIG. 5, for example, at each position in the width direction of the medium 50.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the platen adjustment mechanism 124 in more detail, and shows an example of the configuration of the platen adjustment mechanism 124 at each position in the width direction of the medium. FIG. 5A shows an example of the configuration of the platen adjustment mechanism 124 together with the upper surface portion 132 and the bracket 134 of the platen 104. As shown in FIG. FIG. 5(b) shows an example of the structure of the upper surface part 132 and the bracket 134. FIG. 5C shows an example of the configuration of the adjustment screw 402 in the platen adjustment mechanism 124.

In this example, the platen adjustment mechanism 124 includes an adjustment screw 402 and a fixing screw 404, which are used at each position in the width direction of the medium. Further, in the platen 104, the upper surface portion 132 has a through hole 146 through which the adjustment screw 402 is inserted. The bracket 134 has a female thread 144 which is a hole used for fixing the fixing screw 404. More specifically, in this example, the adjustment screw 402 is a cylindrical screw having an axial through hole 412 through which the fixing screw 404 is passed, and a side wall 416 having a thread. Further, an engagement groove 414 for turning the adjustment screw 402 is formed on the upper surface of the adjustment screw 402. The fixing screw 404 is a screw for fixing the upper surface portion 132 of the platen 104 to the bracket 134, and a thread corresponding to the female thread 144 of the bracket 134 is formed at the tip. Furthermore, a thread corresponding to a thread on the side wall 416 of the adjustment screw 402 is formed on the inner wall of the through hole 146 of the upper surface portion 132 .

When using the platen adjustment mechanism 124 having such a configuration, for example, the through hole 146 of the upper surface part 132 may be adjusted such that the lower surface contacts the upper surface of the bracket 134 by partially passing through the through hole 146 of the upper surface part 132. Insert adjustment screw 402. In this case, the size of the gap D between the upper surface part 132 and the bracket 134 is determined according to the height of the portion of the adjustment screw 402 that protrudes from the through hole 146 of the upper surface part 132. Further, by turning the adjustment screw 402, the size of the gap D is changed. Furthermore, in this case, after determining the size of the gap D by adjustment, the adjustment screw 402 is passed through the through hole 412 and the tip of the fixing screw 404 is engaged with the female thread 144 of the bracket 134. 402 and the top portion 132 are secured to the bracket 134. More specifically, in this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 5(a), with the head of the fixing screw 404 pressing down on the top surface part 132 from above, the tip of the fixing screw 404 and the female thread 144 of the bracket 134 are connected. By engaging these, the upper surface portion 132 is fixed to the bracket 134 while maintaining the size of the adjusted gap D. With this configuration, for example, the height of each position of the platen 104 can be adjusted appropriately.

Furthermore, when using the roller adjustment mechanism 122 and platen adjustment mechanism 124 having such configurations, it is conceivable to adjust the printing apparatus 10 by the operation shown in FIG. 6, for example. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an adjustment operation for adjusting the printing apparatus 10, and shows an example of an adjustment operation performed when the printing apparatus 10 is assembled. In this operation, first, the printing apparatus 10 to be adjusted is assembled (S102). In this case, the printing apparatus 10 is assembled by, for example, attaching each part of the main body 12 to the structural parts of the printing apparatus 10 including the legs 14 and the like. The operation in step S102 can be considered, for example, as an operation for attaching the Y bar 202, grid roller 212, etc. to the printing apparatus 10 that is being assembled.

Further, in this example, after the printing apparatus 10 is assembled in step S102, each part of the printing apparatus 10 is adjusted. Further, at least part of this adjustment is performed while the pinch roller 222 in the clamp section 214 of the conveyance section 108 is pressed against the grid roller 212. More specifically, in this example, following step S102, the Y bar 202 is adjusted (S104). Further, in this example, in step S104, the clamp unit 214 is moved to adjust the Y bar 202 to be parallel to the grid roller 212 while pressing the pinch roller 222 against the grid roller 212. More specifically, in this case, focusing on the positions of the grid roller 212 and the Y bar 202 in a direction (X direction) parallel to the conveyance direction of the medium 50, the Y bar 202 is moved so that the positions in this direction are aligned. Make adjustments to Furthermore, in this example, in step S102, the Y-bar 202 is attached with the linear movement guide 204 already attached to a predetermined position of the Y-bar 202. Therefore, the adjustment of the Y bar 202 performed in step S104 can be considered to also serve as adjustment of the linear movement guide 204, for example.

Further, after the Y bar 202 is adjusted in step S104, the grid roller 212 is adjusted while the pinch roller 222 is kept pressed against the grid roller 212 (S106). In this example, the operation in step S106 is an example of the operation in the roller adjustment stage. Further, in step S106, the roller adjustment mechanism 122 is used to perform adjustment to reduce the deflection of the grid roller 212. Further, after the grid roller 212 is adjusted in step S106, the platen 104 is adjusted while the pinch roller 222 remains pressed against the grid roller 212 (S108). In this example, the operation in step S108 is an example of the operation in the platen adjustment stage. Further, in step S108, the height of the platen 104 at each position in the width direction of the medium is adjusted using the platen adjustment mechanism 124 based on the state of the guide section 106. In this case, adjusting the platen 104 based on the state of the guide section 106 can be considered as, for example, adjusting by focusing on the size of the gap between the platen 104 and the guide section 106. I can do it. Further, in this case, for example, the platen 104 may be adjusted so that the upper surface of the platen 104 is warped in accordance with the way the linear movement guide 204 in the guide portion 106 is warped. With this configuration, for example, the platen 104 can be adjusted appropriately.

Here, as described above, in this example, the adjustment of the platen 104 in step S108 is performed at a different timing from the adjustment of the grid roller 212 in step S106. In this case, after the grid roller 212 is adjusted, the platen 104 is adjusted using the platen adjustment mechanism 124 that does not change the way the grid roller 212 bends. With this configuration, for example, the grid roller 212 and the platen 104 can be adjusted appropriately. Further, in this example, after these adjustments are made, the height of the carriage 102 is adjusted (S110). With this configuration, the height of the carriage 102 can be appropriately adjusted, for example, according to the adjusted states of the grid roller 212, platen 104, and the like. According to this example, for example, the printing apparatus 10 can be adjusted appropriately with high accuracy.

Further, the same or similar operation as the adjustment operation for the printing device 10 described above may be performed at a time other than when the printing device 10 is assembled. In this case, for example, it is conceivable that at least a part of the operations from step S104 onward are executed when adjusting the printing apparatus 10 as necessary after shipping the printing apparatus 10. Furthermore, the specific configuration of each part of the printing device 10 is not limited to the configuration described above, and can be modified in various ways. For example, the roller adjustment mechanism 122 may have a configuration different from that described above to change the way the grid roller 212 is bent. In this case, it is conceivable to use a mechanism configured to change the way the grid roller 212 is bent without changing the height of the platen 104, for example, as the roller adjustment mechanism 122. Further, in this case, the adjustment of the grid roller 212 may be performed after the adjustment of the platen 104. Further, the platen adjustment mechanism 124 may have a configuration different from that described above, and may change the height at each position of the platen 104. For example, when adjusting the grid roller 212 after adjusting the platen 104 using the roller adjustment mechanism 122 configured to change the deflection of the grid roller 212 without changing the height of the platen 104, the height of the platen 104 may be adjusted. It is also conceivable to use a platen adjustment mechanism 124 configured to change the way the roller adjustment mechanism 122 bends during adjustment.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION This invention can be conveniently utilized for the adjustment method of a printing apparatus, for example.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Printing device, 102... Carriage, 104... Platen, 106... Guide part, 108... Conveyance part, 110... Main scanning control part, 112... Sub-scanning drive part , 12... Main body part, 120... Control part, 122... Roller adjustment mechanism, 124... Platen adjustment mechanism, 132... Top surface part, 134... Bracket, 14... Leg part , 144...Female thread, 146...Through hole, 16...Feeding part, 18...Rewinding part, 202...Y bar, 204...Linear movement guide, 212...Grid Roller, 214... Clamp part, 222... Pinch roller, 224... Arm member, 302... Roller support part, 304... Fixed part, 306... Moving part, 308... Adjustment Screw, 402...Adjustment screw, 404...Fixing screw, 412...Through hole, 414...Engagement groove, 416...Side wall, 50...Medium

Claims (6)

A printing device adjustment method for adjusting a printing device including a conveyance roller that conveys a medium to be printed, the method comprising:
a roller adjustment stage for adjusting the conveyance roller;
The printing device includes:
the conveyance roller that conveys the medium in a predetermined conveyance direction;
an opposing roller that is a roller that sandwiches the medium between it and the conveyance roller;
a pressing member that is a member that presses the opposing roller against the conveying roller;
A method for adjusting a printing apparatus, wherein in the roller adjustment step, adjustment is performed to reduce deflection of the conveyance roller while the opposing roller is pressed against the conveyance roller by the pressing member. The printing device further includes a platen that holds the medium being conveyed on an upper surface,
The method for adjusting the printing device further includes a platen adjustment step of adjusting the height of the platen at each position in the width direction of the medium,
2. The method of adjusting a printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the platen adjustment step is performed at a different timing from the roller adjustment step. The printing device includes:
a roller adjustment mechanism that is a mechanism that changes the way the conveyance roller is bent;
3. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a platen adjustment mechanism that adjusts the height of the platen at each position in the width direction of the medium without changing the way the conveyance roller is bent. How to adjust the printing device. In the roller adjustment step, the roller adjustment mechanism is used to adjust the conveyance roller, and then,
4. In the platen adjustment step, the platen is adjusted using the platen adjustment mechanism while the opposing roller is pressed against the conveyance roller by the pressing member. How to adjust the printing device. The printing device includes a width direction stretching member that is a member that extends in the width direction of the medium in a wider range than the width of the medium with a gap between the medium and the medium at a position facing the platen with the medium in between. further comprising a member;
Any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein in the platen adjustment step, the height of the platen at each position in the width direction of the medium is adjusted based on the state of the widthwise stretching member. How to adjust the printing device described in . A printing device that prints on a medium,
a conveyance roller that conveys the medium in a predetermined conveyance direction;
an opposing roller that is a roller that sandwiches the medium between it and the conveyance roller;
a pressing member that presses the opposing roller against the conveying roller;
a platen that holds the medium being conveyed on an upper surface;
a roller adjustment mechanism that is a mechanism that changes the way the conveyance roller is bent;
a platen adjustment mechanism that adjusts the height of the platen at each position in the width direction of the medium without changing the way the conveyance roller is bent;
The printing apparatus is characterized in that the roller adjustment mechanism performs adjustment to reduce deflection of the conveyance roller while the opposing roller is pressed against the conveyance roller by the pressing member.

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