JP2024156504A - Inkjet printer - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an inkjet printer in which interference between media clamps and recording heads is prevented.SOLUTION: An inkjet printer 10 includes: a platen 16; a body frame 19; recording heads 22; a grit roller 51; a pinch roller 53; a media clamp 54; and an elevating mechanism 60. The pinch roller 53 is held by a second holding member 64. The second holding member 64 includes a locking member 64ab that can be brought into contact with or separated from the main body frame 19. When the second holding member 64 is rotated upward by the elevating mechanism 60, the pinch roller 53 is separated from the grit roller 51, the media clamp 54 is separated from the platen 16, and the locking member 64ab comes into contact with the main body frame 19. Lifting and lowering of the second holding member 64 is suppressed by the locking member 64ab, and interference between the media clamp 54 and the recording heads 22 is prevented.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7A

Description

The present invention relates to an inkjet printer.

Conventionally, there is known a printing device (inkjet printer) equipped with a regulating member (media clamp) that holds down the recording medium from above to prevent the recording medium from floating up from the platen during printing. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a printing device equipped with a printing unit that prints on the medium supported by the medium support unit, a transport unit that transports the medium to the printing unit, and a regulating member that regulates the medium from floating up from the medium support unit. The printing unit includes a carriage that can move in the width direction of the medium, and a recording head held under the carriage. The transport unit includes a drive roller that applies a driving force to transport the medium, and a driven roller that faces the drive roller and moves away from or toward the drive roller. In such a printing device, the regulating member is configured to move away from the medium support unit when the driven roller moves away from the drive roller, and to approach the medium support unit when the driven roller approaches the drive roller. This prevents the regulating member from getting in the way when an operator sets the medium on the medium support table.

JP 2017-170766 A

In the printing device described in Patent Document 1, when the regulating member is separated from the medium support section, the position of the upper end of the regulating member is positioned higher than the position of the lower end of the recording head. Therefore, to prevent interference between the recording head and the regulating member, the carriage is moved to the home position before the regulating member is separated from the medium support section. The home position is, for example, one end of the range of movement of the carriage when it moves in the width direction of the medium. However, for example, during maintenance of the printing device, the carriage may move in the width direction of the medium while the regulating member is separated from the medium support section. At this time, in such a printing device, there is a risk of interference between the regulating member and the recording head.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above points, and its purpose is to provide an inkjet printer that prevents interference between the media clamp and the recording head.

The inkjet printer of the present invention includes a platen having a mounting surface on which media is placed, a transport mechanism that transports the media placed on the platen in a first direction, a main body frame that is arranged above the platen and extends in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction in a plan view, and a recording head that is configured to be movable in the second direction and is located on one side of the first direction relative to the main body frame and ejects ink onto the media. The transport mechanism includes a grit roller that is provided on the platen and drives the media to be transported in the first direction, a pinch roller that is arranged above the grit roller and approaches or moves away from the grit roller between a clamping position where the media is clamped together with the grit roller and a separation position where the media is separated from the grit roller, a media clamp that is arranged above the platen and includes a clamping section that urges the media toward the mounting surface, at least a portion of which is arranged below the recording head and configured to be able to approach and move away from the platen, and an elevating mechanism that raises and lowers the pinch roller and the media clamp. The lifting mechanism includes a shaft extending in the second direction and disposed below the main body frame, a rotating means for rotating the shaft, a first holding member held by the shaft and holding the pinch roller, and a second holding member held by the shaft and holding the media clamp. The first holding member includes a locking member configured to be able to come into contact with and separate from the main body frame as the shaft rotates. An inkjet printer configured such that when the shaft is rotated in one direction around the second direction by the rotating means, the pinch roller is moved to the clamping position, the media clamp approaches the platen, and the locking member separates from the main body frame, and when the shaft is rotated in the other direction around the second direction by the rotating means, the pinch roller is moved to the separated position, the media clamp separates from the platen, and the locking member comes into contact with the main body frame.

According to this inkjet printer, the first holding member and the second holding member are held by the shaft of the lifting mechanism. The first holding member holds the pinch roller, and the second holding member holds the media clamp. By rotating the rotating means around the second direction, the shaft rotates and the first holding member and the second holding member are raised and lowered. The second holding member is provided with a locking member configured to be able to contact or separate from the main body frame. When the shaft is rotated in one direction around the second direction, the pinch roller moves to the clamping position, the media clamp approaches the platen, and the locking member separates from the main body frame. When the shaft is rotated in the other direction around the second direction, the pinch roller moves to the separated position, the media clamp separates from the platen, and the locking member contacts the main body frame. Therefore, at this time, the lifting and lowering of the first holding member and the second holding member by the lifting mechanism is suppressed by the locking member. This prevents the media clamp from interfering with the recording head.

The present invention provides an inkjet printer that prevents interference between the media clamp and the recording head.

1 is a perspective view of a printer according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a front view of a printer according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view of the inkjet head and the cutting head. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control device of a printer according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first holding member and a pinch roller according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a second holding member and a media clamp according to one embodiment. 13 is a side view of the periphery of the second holding member when the pinch roller is in the separated position and the media clamp is in the media insertion position. FIG. 11 is a side view of the periphery of the second holding member when the pinch roller is in the clamping position and the media clamp is in the clamping position. FIG. FIG.

The following describes an inkjet printer 10 (hereinafter referred to as printer 10) according to one embodiment, with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 10 according to this embodiment is a print-and-cut machine capable of printing and cutting media 5.

In the following description, left, right, top, and bottom refer to the left, right, top, and bottom as seen by an operator in front of the printer 10. The side of the printer 10 approaching the operator is the front, and the side moving away from the operator is the rear. The symbols F, Rr, L, R, U, and D in the drawings represent the front, rear, left, right, top, and bottom, respectively. The symbol Y in the drawings represents the main scanning direction. In this embodiment, the main scanning direction Y is the left-right direction. The symbol X in the drawings represents the sub-scanning direction. The sub-scanning direction X is a direction that intersects with the main scanning direction Y (for example, a direction that intersects perpendicularly in a plan view). The sub-scanning direction X is an example of the first direction. The main scanning direction Y is an example of the second direction. However, the above directions are merely defined for convenience and should not be interpreted in a restrictive manner.

The medium 5 is, for example, recording paper. However, the medium 5 is not limited to recording paper. For example, the medium 5 may be a sheet or a sealant made of a resin material such as PVC or polyester, and a backing paper laminated on the backing paper and coated with an adhesive, or a transparent sheet made of resin or glass, or a sheet made of metal or rubber. In this specification, "cutting" and "cutting" include cutting the entire thickness of the medium 5 (for example, cutting both the backing paper and the release paper of the sealant) and cutting only a part of the thickness of the medium 5 (for example, cutting only the release paper without cutting the backing paper of the sealant).

As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 10 includes a printer body 10a formed in a box shape and a roll support member 18. An internal space 12S is formed in the printer body 10a. The printer body 10a includes a front cover 23. Here, the front cover 23 is supported by the printer body 10a so that it can rotate around its upper end. By rotating the front cover 23 upward, the internal space 12S of the printer body 10a is connected to the external space. The internal space 12S is a space where printing is performed on the media 5 by an inkjet head 21, which will be described later. In this way, because the internal space 12S is covered by the front cover 23, dust and dirt from the external space are less likely to enter the internal space 12S during printing, etc.

As shown in FIG. 1, a window 23A is provided at the bottom of the front cover 23. The window 23A is formed, for example, from a transparent acrylic plate. The window 23A is treated to prevent light from the outside space (for example, ultraviolet light) from reaching the internal space 12S. The user can view the inside of the main body 12a through the window 23A.

The roll support member 18 is disposed below the printer body 10a. The roll support member 18 is a member that extends in the main scanning direction Y, and supports the media 5 formed in a roll shape. The media 5 supported by the roll support member 18 passes through the printer body 10a and is pulled out from the rear to the front of the printer 10. The pulled out media 5 is placed on the platen 16, which will be described later.

Next, the internal configuration of the printer 10 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the printer 10 includes a platen 16 on which the media 5 is placed, a main body frame 19, a carriage 17 (see FIG. 3), an inkjet head 21, a cutting head 31, a head moving mechanism 40, a transport mechanism 50, and a control device 90. As shown in FIG. 1, the front end of the platen 16 protrudes from the internal space 12S to the outside. The printer main body 10a extends in the main scanning direction Y.

As shown in FIG. 2, the platen 16 supports the media 5 when printing on the media 5 and cutting the media 5. The platen 16 has a mounting surface 16A on which the media 5 is placed. Printing on the media 5 and cutting of the media 5 are performed on the platen 16. The platen 16 extends in the main scanning direction Y.

A main body frame 19 extending in the primary scanning direction Y is disposed above the platen 16. A guide rail 15 is fixed to the front surface of the main body frame 19.

As shown in FIG. 3, the carriage 17 has its rear surface supported by a guide rail 15 and is configured to be slidable in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. 3, the carriage 17 includes an ink head carriage 20 and a cutting carriage 30. An inkjet head 21 is mounted on the ink head carriage 20. A cutting head 31 is mounted on the cutting carriage 30. In this embodiment, the cutting carriage 30 is disposed to the left of the ink head carriage 20.

The inkjet head 21 prints on the medium 5 placed on the platen 16. The inkjet head 21 is configured to be movable in the main scanning direction Y. The inkjet head 21 includes a recording head 22 having a plurality of nozzles (not shown) that eject ink. Here, five recording heads 22 are supported by the ink head carriage 20. In this embodiment, the recording heads 22 are located in front of the main frame 19. The five recording heads 22 eject five different colors, for example, yellow ink, magenta ink, cyan ink, black ink, and white ink. However, the number of recording heads 22 is not limited to five. In addition, the colors of ink ejected by the recording heads 22 are not limited in any way. The connecting member 80 connects the inkjet head 21 and the cutting head 31. Therefore, the inkjet head 21 and the cutting head 31 move simultaneously in the main scanning direction Y. That is, when the carriage 17 moves in the main scanning direction Y, the inkjet head 21 and the cutting head 31 move in the main scanning direction Y.

The cutting head 31 cuts the media 5 placed on the platen 16. The cutting head 31 is configured to be movable in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. 3, the cutting head 31 includes a cutter holder 32, a cutter 33, and a solenoid 34 (see FIG. 4). The cutter 33 is held by the cutter holder 32, which is attached to the cutting carriage 30. The cutter holder 32 is connected to the solenoid 34 and is a member that can move up and down together with the solenoid 34. The solenoid 34 is controlled by the control device 90 (see FIG. 4). When the solenoid 34 is turned ON/OFF, the cutter 33 held by the cutter holder 32 moves up and down to contact the media 5 or move away from the media 5.

The head moving mechanism 40 is a mechanism that moves the carriage 17 in the main scanning direction Y relative to the media 5 placed on the platen 16. The head moving mechanism 40 moves the carriage 17 in the main scanning direction Y. The configuration of the head moving mechanism 40 is not particularly limited. As shown in FIG. 2, the head moving mechanism 40 includes a pulley 41, a pulley 42, a belt 43, and a carriage motor 44. The pulley 41 is provided on the left end side of the guide rail 15. The pulley 42 is provided on the right end side of the guide rail 15. The belt 43 is wound around the pulley 41 and the pulley 42. The belt 43 is fixed to the upper part of the back surface of the cutting carriage 30. The carriage motor 44 is connected to the left pulley 41. However, the carriage motor 44 may be connected to the right pulley 42. Here, the carriage motor 44 is driven to rotate the pulley 42, causing the belt 43 to run between the pulleys 41 and 42. This causes the cutting carriage 30 to move in the main scanning direction Y. That is, the carriage motor 44 moves the cutting carriage 30 in the main scanning direction Y. The ink head carriage 20 moves in the main scanning direction Y in conjunction with the movement of the cutting carriage 30. The carriage motor 44 indirectly moves the ink head carriage 20 in the main scanning direction Y via the cutting carriage 30. The carriage motor 44 is controlled by the control device 90.

As shown in FIG. 2, the transport mechanism 50 moves the media 5 placed on the platen 16 in the sub-scanning direction X relative to the inkjet head 21 and the cutting head 31. Here, the transport mechanism 50 moves the media 5 placed on the platen 16 in the sub-scanning direction X. The transport mechanism 50 includes a grit roller 51, a feed motor 52, a pinch roller 53, a media clamp 54, and a lifting mechanism 60 (see FIG. 8).

The grit roller 51 is provided on the platen 16. The grit roller 51 is embedded in the platen 16 so that the top of the grit roller 51 is exposed to the outside. The grit rollers 51 are arranged in parallel in the main scanning direction Y. The number of the grit rollers 51 is not particularly limited. The grit roller 51 is arranged below the pinch roller 53. The grit roller 51 sandwiches the media 5 between the grit roller 51 and the pinch roller 53. The grit roller 51 is connected to the feed motor 52. The feed motor 52 is controlled by the control device 90. When the feed motor 52 is driven to rotate the grit roller 51 with the media 5 sandwiched between the grit roller 51 and the pinch roller 53, the media 5 is transported in the sub-scanning direction X. In this embodiment, with the media 5 sandwiched between the grit roller 51 and the pinch roller 53, the media 5 is transported from the front to the rear or from the rear to the front.

The pinch roller 53 is disposed above the grit roller 51 so as to face the grit roller 51 in the vertical direction. The pinch roller 53 is formed of, for example, rubber. However, the material of the pinch roller 53 is not particularly limited. The number of pinch rollers 53 is the same as the number of grit rollers 51. However, the number of pinch rollers 53 is not particularly limited. As shown in FIG. 5, the pinch roller 53 is held by a first holding member 63 described later. The pinch roller 53 is raised and lowered between a separation position and a clamping position by a lifting mechanism 60 (see FIG. 8). Here, the separation position is a position where the pinch roller 53 is separated upward from the grit roller 51 as shown in FIG. 7A. The clamping position is a position where the pinch roller 53 approaches the grit roller 51 and pinches the media 5 (see FIG. 2) together with the grit roller 51 as shown in FIG. 7B.

The media clamp 54 is disposed above the platen 16. The media clamp 54 is disposed next to the pinch roller 53 in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. 6, the media clamp 54 is held by a second holding member 64, which will be described later. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, two media clamps 54 are disposed next to each other in the main scanning direction Y. Here, the media clamp 54 disposed on the left side of the two media clamps 54 disposed next to each other in the main scanning direction Y will be described. The media clamp 54 disposed on the right side of the two media clamps 54 disposed next to each other in the main scanning direction Y is in the opposite left-right direction to the following description. As shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7A, the media clamp 54 includes a holding portion 54a, a falling portion 54b, an extension portion 54c, a spacer 54d, a clamp portion 54e, and an insertion portion 54f. Note that each portion 54a to 54f of the media clamp 54 may be formed of a single member or may be a separate body. Also, two or more of the parts 54a to 54f may be integrated. In this embodiment, of the parts 54a to 54f, only the spacer 54d is a separate body. The media clamp 54 is raised and lowered between the clamp position and the media insertion position by the lift mechanism 60 (see FIG. 8). Here, the clamp position is the position where the clamp part 54e presses the media 5 (see FIG. 2) above the platen 16, as shown in FIG. 7B. The media insertion position is the position where the clamp part 54e is positioned higher than when it is in the clamp position, as shown in FIG. 7A. When the media clamp 54 is in the media insertion position, the operator places the media 5 on the platen 16 so that a portion of the media 5 is placed below the clamp part 54e.

As shown in Figs. 6 and 7A, the holding portion 54a is a portion held by the second holding member 64 and is a portion of the media clamp 54 located at the rear. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 7B, when the media clamp 54 is in the clamped position, the holding portion 54a is approximately horizontal with respect to the platen 16. In this embodiment, the holding portion 54a is held to the second holding member 64 by a screw 54aa. However, the holding of the holding portion 54a is not limited to the screw 54aa.

The downward-hanging portion 54b is a portion that bends downward from the front end of the holding portion 54a and extends downward. The downward-hanging portion 54b functions as a leaf spring together with the extension portion 54c described later. When the media clamp 54 moves from the clamping position to the media insertion position by operating the rotation means 62 (see FIG. 8) described later, the reaction force generated by the downward-hanging portion 54b and the extension portion 54c causes the media clamp 54, particularly the holding portion 54a, to rise, expanding the gap between the media clamp 54 and the platen 16. When the media clamp 54 is in the clamping position, the downward-hanging portion 54b extends in a substantially vertical direction. The downward-hanging portion 54b is an example of a connection portion in the present invention. The downward-hanging portion 54b is connected to the front end of the holding portion 54a and the rear end of the extension portion 54c described later.

The extension portion 54c is a portion that presses the platen 16 downward, and extends forward from the lower end of the falling portion 54b. One side (front side) of the extension portion 54c in the sub-scanning direction X is integrally formed with the clamp portion 54e. The other side (rear side) of the extension portion 54c in the sub-scanning direction X, i.e., the portion not integrally formed with the clamp portion 54e, functions as a leaf spring, and the deformation of this portion presses one side in the sub-scanning direction X against the platen 16. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7A, when the media clamp 54 is in the media insertion position, the extension portion 54c is inclined downward from the lower end of the falling portion 54b toward the platen 16. That is, it extends forward and downward from the lower end of the falling portion 54b. At this time, the front part of the extension portion 54c is located below the recording head 22. In this embodiment, a spacer 54d is disposed on the lower surface of the extension portion 54c, and the extension portion 54c presses the platen 16 via the spacer 54d. Therefore, the media 5 is not placed below the extension portion 54c. The spacer 54d is disposed on the lower surface of the extension portion 54c (the portion on the other side of the sub-scanning direction X described above). The spacer 54d is a rectangular resin plate. As shown in FIG. 7B, when the media clamp 54 is in the clamping position, the entire spacer 54d contacts the platen 16. At this time, the extension portion 54c receives a normal force from the platen 16 via the spacer 54d and becomes approximately horizontal with respect to the platen 16. At this time, the platen 16 is pressed by the reaction force received from the extension portion 54c. Since the extension portion 54c has a plate shape extending forward and downward, when the media clamp 54 is in the clamping position, the extension portion 54c maintains an approximately horizontal state due to the balance of forces applied in the vertical direction. The vertical length of the spacer 54d is longer than the vertical length of the media 5. The spacer 54d is adhered to the lower surface of the extension portion 54c with an adhesive, for example.

As shown in FIG. 6, the clamp portion 54e is a portion that biases the media 5, and is formed by a portion adjacent to the right of the extension portion 54c through a slit 54k described later, and a portion that is integrally formed with one side of the extension portion 54c in the sub-scanning direction X and extends forward. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7A, when the media clamp 54 is in the clamp position, the front portion of the clamp portion 54e is located below the recording head 22. The extension portion 54c presses the platen 16, and the clamp portion 54e that is integrally formed with the extension portion 54c biases the media 5. The extension portion 54c and the clamp portion 54e have their respective lower surfaces formed flush with each other. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7B, when the media clamp 54 is in the clamp position, the clamp portion 54e, together with the extension portion 54c, is approximately horizontal with respect to the platen 16. The vertical distance between the clamp portion 54e and the platen 16 is equal to the vertical length of the spacer 54d. That is, the vertical distance between the clamp portion 54e and the platen 16 is longer than the vertical length of the media 5. The portion of the media 5 that is located below the clamp portion 54e is biased by the media clamp 54. As shown in FIG. 6, the clamp portion 54e has two confirmation holes 54ea arranged side by side in the front-to-rear direction. The confirmation holes 54ea are holes used to confirm the placement of the media 5. The confirmation holes 54ea are holes that penetrate the clamp portion 54e in the vertical direction. When the media 5 is placed below the clamp portion 54e, the operator can visually confirm the media 5 through the confirmation holes 54ea from above the media clamp 54. Therefore, the confirmation holes 54ea allow the operator to know whether the media 5 is placed below the clamp portion 54e. The number of confirmation holes 54ea is not limited to two.

A slit 54k is formed between the extension portion 54c and the clamp portion 54e. In this embodiment, the slit 54k extends from the rear end of the clamp portion 54e to one side (rear) in the sub-scanning direction X. The slit 54k is formed at a position approximately midway between the extension portion 54c and the clamp portion 54e in the main scanning direction Y.

The insertion portion 54f is a portion provided at the rear end of the clamp portion 54e. The insertion portion 54f extends rearward and upward from the rear end of the clamp portion 54e. Therefore, the insertion portion 54f is inclined upward with respect to the clamp portion 54e. As shown in FIG. 7B, the vertical distance H2 between the platen 16 and the upper end of the insertion portion 54f is longer than the vertical distance H3 between the platen 16 and the clamp portion 54e.

As shown in FIG. 8, the lifting mechanism 60 is a mechanism that raises and lowers the pinch roller 53 and the media clamp 54. The lifting mechanism 60 includes a shaft 61, a rotating means 62, a first holding member 63, and a second holding member 64.

The shaft 61 extends in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. 7A, the shaft 61 is disposed below the main frame 19. The shaft 61 is disposed above the platen 16. In this embodiment, the shaft 61 has a hexagonal cross-sectional shape. As shown in FIG. 8, the shaft 61 holds a first holding member 63 and a second holding member 64. The first holding member 63 and the second holding member 64 are provided so as to be slidable in the main scanning direction Y relative to the shaft 61. The first holding member 63 and the second holding member 64 are slidable on the shaft 61 independently of each other.

The rotating means 62 is disposed to the right of the platen 16. The rotating means 62 rotates the shaft 61 in the directions of the arrows R1 and R2 in FIG. 8. The rotating means 62 includes a loading lever 62a and a link mechanism 62b. The loading lever 62a is provided at the front end of the link mechanism 62b. The rear end of the link mechanism 62b is connected to the shaft 61. As shown in FIG. 2, the loading lever 62a extends forward of the printer body 10a. The operator can operate the loading lever 62a from the front of the printer body 10a. When the loading lever 62a is pushed up in the direction of the arrow U1 in FIG. 8, the shaft 61 rotates in the direction of the arrow R1. At this time, the first holding member 63 and the second holding member 64 rotate upward in accordance with the rotation of the shaft 61. On the other hand, when the loading lever 62a is pushed down in the direction of the arrow D1 in FIG. 8, the shaft 61 rotates in the direction of the arrow R2. At this time, as the shaft 61 rotates, the first holding member 63 and the second holding member 64 rotate downward.

The first holding member 63 is disposed above the platen 16 (see FIG. 2) and holds the pinch roller 53. As shown in FIG. 5, the first holding member 63 includes a main body 63a supported by a shaft 61 (see FIG. 8), an arm 63b supported by the main body 63a, an axis 63d that rotatably supports the arm 63b on the main body 63a, an axis 63e that extends in the left-right direction and is inserted in the left-right direction through the arm 63b, and a torsion coil spring 63f wound around the axis 63d. The pinch roller 53 is supported on the axis 63e. The main body 63a is formed with a first insertion hole 63aa that is hexagonal in side view. The shaft 61 (see FIG. 8) extending in the main scanning direction Y is inserted into the first insertion hole 63aa. The arm 63b rotates around the axis 63d. The arm 63b has a protrusion 63ba that protrudes in the left-right direction. An opening 63bb is formed in the main body 63a, and the protrusion 63ba is inserted into the opening 63bb. The opening 63bb is a long hole that extends in the vertical direction. The protrusion 63ba moves up and down within the opening 63bb. Therefore, the pinch roller 53 can be moved up and down within the range in which the arm 63b moves up and down. The pinch roller 53 is rotatably supported by the shaft 63e provided on the arm 63b. The torsion coil spring 63f is wound around the shaft 63d, so that the arm 63b is loaded downward by the torsion coil spring 63f. In this embodiment, two torsion coil springs 63f are provided, but the number of torsion coil springs 63f is not particularly limited.

6, the second holding member 64 includes a main body 64a supported by the shaft 61 (see FIG. 8) and an arm 64b connected to the front of the main body 64a and holding the media clamp 54. The main body 64a and the arm 64b are detachable. Therefore, the media clamp 54 can be removed from the shaft 61 by removing the arm 64b from the main body 64a. The upper front end of the main body 64a includes a locking member 64ab that determines the amount of rotation of the second holding member 64 in the vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 7A, the locking member 64ab extends upward and forward from the main body 64a. The locking member 64ab is bent downward at approximately the middle position in the front-rear direction. The tip 64ac, which is the front end of the locking member 64ab, is the part that comes into contact with the main body frame 19 when the media clamp 54 is in the media insertion position, as shown in FIG. 7A. The arm 64b includes an attachment portion 64ba for attaching the media clamp 54, and a handle portion 64bb. A second insertion hole 64aa is formed through the main body 64a. The shaft 61 extending in the primary scanning direction Y is inserted through the second insertion hole 64aa. The second insertion hole 64aa is an example of an insertion hole in the present invention. As shown in FIG. 7B, the shape of the second insertion hole 64aa in a side view is a shape in which a passing area required when the hexagonal shape, which is the cross-sectional shape of the shaft 61, rotates by the first angle α1 is hollowed out. Therefore, when the shaft 61 is inserted, a gap 64ad is generated between the shaft 61 and the second insertion hole 64aa. The holding portion 54a of the media clamp 54 is attached to the lower surface of the attachment portion 64ba. The handle portion 64bb is disposed above the attachment portion 64ba. The handle portion 64bb extends forward. The handle portion 64bb is a portion that an operator grasps when removing the media clamp 54 from the main body portion 64a. As shown in FIG. 7B, the tip portion 64ac when the media clamp 54 is in the media insertion position is offset by a second angle α2 around the shaft 61 from the tip portion 64ac when the media clamp 54 is in the clamping position. In FIG. 7B, the locking member 64ab when the media clamp 54 is in the media insertion position is shown by a two-dot chain line. The second angle α2 is smaller than the first angle α1.

As shown in FIG. 4, the control device 90 is a device that controls printing on the media 5 and cutting of the media 5. The configuration of the control device 90 is not particularly limited. The control device 90 is, for example, a microcomputer. The hardware configuration of the microcomputer is not particularly limited, but for example, it includes an I/F, a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and a storage device. As shown in FIG. 1, the control device 90 is provided inside the printer body 10a. However, the control device 90 does not have to be provided inside the printer body 10a. For example, the control device 90 may be a computer installed outside the printer body 10a. In this case, the control device 90 is connected to the printer body 10a so as to be able to communicate with it via wire or wirelessly.

As shown in FIG. 4, the control device 90 controls the drive of the carriage motor 44. This controls the rotation of the pulley 42 and the movement of the belt 43 (see FIG. 2). As a result, the control device 90 controls the movement of the inkjet head 21 and the cutting head 31 in the main scanning direction Y. The control device 90 controls the timing at which the inkjet head 21 ejects ink, the amount of ink ejected, etc. The control device 90 controls the solenoid 34 to control the vertical movement of the cutter 33. The control device 90 controls the drive of the feed motor 52 to control the rotation of the grit roller 51, thereby transporting the media 5 in the sub-scanning direction X.

The configuration of the printer 10 has been described above. Next, as an example of the operation of the lifting mechanism 60, the operation of the printer 10 when placing the media 5 on the platen 16 will be described.

When placing the media 5 on the platen 16, the operator places the pinch roller 53 in the separated position and the media clamp 54 in the media insertion position. At this time, the operator pushes up the loading lever 62a shown in FIG. 8 in the direction of U1. This causes the shaft 61 to rotate in the direction of R1. Since the first holding member 63 and the second holding member 64 are held by the shaft 61, the first holding member 63 and the second holding member 64 rotate in the direction of R1. By the first holding member 63 rotating in the direction of R1, as shown in FIG. 7A, the pinch roller 53 is separated from the grit roller 51 and the pinch roller 53 is placed in the separated position. By the second holding member 64 rotating in the direction of R1, the media clamp 54 is separated from the platen 16 and the media clamp 54 is placed in the media insertion position. The tip 64ac of the locking member 64ab of the second holding member 64 comes into contact with the lower end 19a of the main frame 19, restricting the rotation of the second holding member 64 and stopping it. The front ends of the extension 54c and the clamp 54e may come into contact with the platen 16. At this time, the reaction force generated by the downward-facing portion 54b and the extension 54c of the media clamp 54 causes the holding portion 54a, the downward-facing portion 54b, and the rear portion of the extension 54c to rise up. Therefore, the clamp 54e, which is partially formed integrally with the extension 54c, also rises up. In this state, the operator inserts the media 5 from the rear to the front of the platen 16. The media 5 passes between the pinch roller 53 and the grit roller 51, and between the insertion portion 54f and the clamp 54e and the platen 16. The worker checks the confirmation hole 54ea (see FIG. 6) from above and confirms whether the media 5 is placed below the confirmation hole 54ea. If the media 5 is placed below the confirmation hole 54ea, the media 5 is placed below the clamp portion 54e.

When the media 5 is completely placed on the platen 16, the operator pushes down the loading lever 62a shown in FIG. 8 in the direction D1. This rotates the shaft 61 in the direction R2. Since the first holding member 63 and the second holding member 64 are held by the shaft 61, the first holding member 63 and the second holding member 64 rotate in the direction R2. When the first holding member 63 rotates in the direction R2, the pinch roller 53 approaches the grit roller 51 and is positioned in the clamping position. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7B, the media 5 is clamped between the pinch roller 53 and the grit roller 51. When the second holding member 64 rotates in the direction R2, the tip 64ac of the locking member 64ab moves away from the lower end 19a of the main frame 19, and the media clamp 54 approaches the platen 16 and is positioned in the clamping position. At this time, the spacer 54d comes into contact with the platen 16, and the portion of the extension 54c that is not integrally formed with the clamp portion 54e elastically deforms. This causes the extension 54c to press the platen 16 via the spacer 54d. Because the extension 54c and the clamp portion 54e are integrally formed in front of the slit 54k, the extension 54c and the clamp portion 54e are approximately horizontal with respect to the platen 16. The clamp portion 54e is positioned above the platen 16 by the vertical length of the spacer 54d, and biases the media 5. Therefore, the media 5 is prevented from floating up from the platen 16.

As described above, in the printer 10 of this embodiment, the first holding member 63 and the second holding member 64 are held by the shaft 61 provided in the lifting mechanism 60. The first holding member 63 holds the pinch roller 53, and the second holding member 64 holds the media clamp 54. The shaft 61 rotates by pushing up the loading lever 62a shown in FIG. 8 in the direction of the arrow U1 or pushing down in the direction of the arrow D1. When the shaft 61 rotates, the first holding member 63 and the second holding member 64 rise and fall. Here, the second holding member 64 is provided with a locking member 64ab configured to be able to contact or separate from the main body frame 19. When the loading lever 62a is pushed down in the direction of the arrow D1 and the shaft 61 is rotated in the direction of R2 shown in FIG. 8, the pinch roller 53 moves to the clamping position, and the media clamp 54 approaches the platen 16. At this time, as shown in FIG. 7B, the locking member 64ab separates from the main body frame 19. When the loading lever 62a is pushed up in the direction of the arrow U1 and the shaft 61 is rotated in the direction of R1 shown in FIG. 8, the pinch roller 53 moves to the media insertion position and the media clamp 54 moves away from the platen 16. At this time, as shown in FIG. 7A, the locking member 64ab comes into contact with the main body frame 19. Therefore, at this time, the locking member 64ab prevents the first holding member 63 and the second holding member 64 from being raised and lowered by the lifting mechanism 60 (see FIG. 8). This makes it possible to prevent the media clamp 54 from interfering with the recording head 22.

According to the printer 10 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7B, the locking member 64ab contacts the lower end 19a of the main body frame 19 when the second holding member 64 rotates by the second angle α2 in the vertical direction. Here, the second insertion hole 64aa through which the shaft 61 is inserted has a shape in which the passing area required when the shaft 61 rotates by the first angle α1 in a side view is hollowed out. A gap 64ad is formed between the shaft 61 and the second insertion hole 64aa. The first angle α1 is greater than the second angle α2. Therefore, even if the shaft 61 is rotated by the second angle α2 and the locking member 64ab contacts the lower end 19a of the main body frame 19, the shaft 61 is still in a state in which it can rotate by the difference between the first angle α1 and the second angle α2. At this time, a part of the shaft 61 is disposed in a part of the place where the gap 64ad was located. Therefore, before the shaft 61 rotates by the first angle α1, the locking member 64ab reliably contacts the lower end 19a of the main body frame 19. In other words, a structure can be created in which the amount by which the shaft 61 can rotate does not match the amount by which the second holding member 64 can rotate. As a result, even if the amount by which the shaft 61 is rotated by the rotating means 62 changes, the amount by which the second holding member 64 can rotate can be kept constant as long as α1>α2 holds. Therefore, the distance between the media clamp 54 and the platen 16 at the media insertion position can be kept constant.

According to the printer 10 of this embodiment, the second holding member 64 is formed separately from the first holding member 63 and can be separated from the first holding member 63. The second holding member 64 is held by the shaft 61 independently from the first holding member 63. Therefore, the second holding member 64 slides on the shaft 61 independently from the first holding member 63 and moves in the main scanning direction Y. Therefore, the position of the media clamp 54 in the main scanning direction Y can be determined regardless of the position of the pinch roller 53 in the main scanning direction Y. For example, when the length of the media 5 in the main scanning direction Y changes and the position of the media clamp 54 in the main scanning direction Y is changed, the media clamp 54 can be positioned according to the length of the media 5, regardless of the position of the pinch roller 53 in the main scanning direction Y.

According to the printer 10 of this embodiment, the media clamp 54 includes a holding portion 54a, a rising portion 54b, and an extending portion 54c. The rising portion 54b and the extending portion 54c are formed as leaf springs. When the media clamp 54 is placed in the clamping position, the extending portion 54c is elastically deformed. The spring force generated at this time causes the extending portion 54c to press the platen 16 via the spacer 54d. This prevents the media clamp 54 from floating up from the platen 16. Therefore, the media 5 can be more reliably biased against the platen 16. In addition, when the media clamp 54 moves from the clamping position to the media insertion position, the spring force causes the holding portion 54a, the rising portion 54b, and a part of the extending portion 54c to move in a direction in which they rise up from the platen 16. Note that the extending portion 54c is connected to the rising portion 54b at its rear end, so that the amount of upward movement of the extending portion 54c increases toward the rear.

According to the printer 10 of this embodiment, a slit 54k is formed between the extension portion 54c and the clamp portion 54e. The extension portion 54c and the downward-hanging portion 54b are formed as a leaf spring. If the slit 54k was not formed and the extension portion 54c and the clamp portion 54e were formed integrally, the force of the leaf spring would apply an upward force to the clamp portion 54e. Therefore, the force applied is in the direction that weakens the force with which the clamp portion 54e urges the mounting surface 16A of the platen 16. However, as in this embodiment, by forming the slit 54k, it is possible to prevent the force with which the clamp portion 54e urges the mounting surface 16A of the platen 16 is weakened.

In the printer 10 of this embodiment, the media clamp 54 has an insertion portion 54f. The insertion portion 54f is connected to the rear end of the clamp portion 54e. The insertion portion 54f extends rearward and upward. Therefore, the vertical distance H2 between the platen 16 and the insertion portion 54f is wider than the vertical distance H3 between the platen 16 and the clamp portion 54e. Therefore, when an operator places the media 5 so that it passes under the clamp portion 54e, the presence of the insertion portion 54f makes it easier for the media 5 to pass through.

The technology disclosed here can be applied to various types of printers. In addition to the roll-to-roll type printer shown in the above embodiment, it can also be applied to so-called flatbed type printers, in which the media is fixed on a table and the table is transported in the sub-scanning direction X. It can also be applied to so-called gantry type printers, in which the media is placed on a table and the carriage is moved in the main scanning direction Y and the sub-scanning direction X relative to the table.

5 Media 10 Printer 16 Platen 50 Transport mechanism 51 Grit roller 53 Pinch roller 54 Media clamp 54e Clamp unit 60 Lifting mechanism

Claims (6)

a platen having a mounting surface on which a medium is placed;
a transport mechanism that transports the medium placed on the platen in a first direction;
a main body frame disposed above the platen and extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction in a plan view;
a recording head configured to be movable in the second direction and positioned on one side of the first direction with respect to the main body frame, the recording head discharging ink onto the medium;
The transport mechanism includes:
a grit roller provided on the platen and configured to drive the medium to transport in the first direction;
a pinch roller disposed above the grit roller, the pinch roller moving toward or away from the grit roller between a pinch position where the pinch roller pinches the medium together with the grit roller and a spaced position where the pinch roller is spaced from the grit roller;
a media clamp that is disposed above the platen and includes a clamp portion that urges the media toward the placement surface, the media clamp being at least partially disposed below the recording head and configured to be movable toward and away from the platen;
a lifting mechanism for lifting and lowering the pinch roller and the media clamp,
The lifting mechanism includes:
a shaft extending in the second direction and disposed below the main body frame;
A rotating means for rotating the shaft;
a first holding member that is held by the shaft and holds the pinch roller;
a second holding member that is held by the shaft and that holds the media clamp,
the first holding member includes a locking member configured to be capable of coming into contact with and being separated from the main body frame as the shaft rotates,
an inkjet printer configured such that when the shaft is rotated in one direction around the second direction by the rotating means, the pinch roller is moved to the clamping position, the media clamp approaches the platen, and the locking member is moved away from the main body frame, and when the shaft is rotated in the other direction around the second direction by the rotating means, the pinch roller is moved to the separated position, the media clamp is moved away from the platen, and the locking member contacts the main body frame. the second holding member includes an insertion hole through which the shaft is inserted in the second direction,
the insertion hole has a shape of a passage area when the shaft is rotated by a first angle as viewed in the second direction,
the locking member is configured to be able to come into contact with and separate from the main body frame by the second holding member being rotated in a vertical direction by a second angle,
The inkjet printer of claim 1 , wherein the second angle is less than the first angle. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein the second holding member is held by the shaft so as to be movable in the second direction independently of the first holding member. The media clamp is
A holding portion held by the second holding member;
an extension portion disposed next to the clamp portion in the second direction and pressing the platen;
a connection portion that connects the holding portion and the extension portion,
The inkjet printer according to claim 1 , wherein the extension and the connection are formed as a leaf spring. The inkjet printer according to claim 4, wherein the media clamp has a slit located between the extension and the clamp. the media clamp includes an insertion portion connected to an end of the clamp portion that is on an upstream side of transport of the media in the first direction,
The inkjet printer according to claim 1 , wherein the insertion portion extends upward from an upstream end of the medium in the transport direction.

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