Patent Grant
8833932
The present application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-079594, which was filed on Mar. 31, 2011, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus configured to record an image on a recording medium.
2. Description of Related Art
There is known a recording apparatus having a positioning mechanism including a guide pin (e.g. positioning pin) that extends along a prescribed direction and a guide hole (e.g. guide portion) with which the guide pin is to be engaged. In the recording apparatus, a relative position of a recording portion (e.g. recording unit) and a support portion (e.g. conveyer device) for supporting a recording medium is fixed by engagement of the guide pin and the guide hole.
If the above-described recording apparatus is configured such that the recording portion pivots relative to the support portion about a prescribed shaft for ensuring, between the recording portion and the support portion, a space in which a user performs a maintenance operation, the following problems may arise. That is, where the recording portion is pivoted relative to the support portion in a state in which the guide pin and the guide hole are held in engagement with each other, the guide pin interferes with the wall which defines the guide hole.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a recording apparatus which ensures positioning accuracy by engagement of a guide hole and a guide pin while restraining interference between the guide pin and a wall that defines the guide hole.
To attain the object indicated above, the present invention provides a recording apparatus, comprising:
a support portion configured to support a recording medium;
a recording portion configured to record an image on the recording medium supported by the support portion;
a first casing configured to hold the support portion;
a second casing connected to the first casing through a shaft and pivotable relative to the first casing about the shaft, the second casing being configured to be selectively positioned by a pivotal movement thereof at one of: a close position at which the second casing is positioned close to the first casing; and a separate position at which the second casing is positioned more distant from the first casing than when the second casing is positioned at the close position, the second casing being configured to hold the recording portion such that the support portion and the recording portion are opposed to each other when the second casing is positioned at the close position;
a positioning mechanism including a guide pin that extends in a prescribed direction and a guide hole which move relative to each other in association with the pivotal movement of the second casing, the positioning mechanism being configured to define a relative position of the recording portion and the support portion by engagement of the guide pin and the guide hole when the second casing is positioned at the close position; and
a restricting mechanism configured such that, when the second casing is positioned at the close position, the restricting mechanism can be selectively placed in one of: a restricted state in which the pivotal movement of the second housing is restricted; and a non-restricted state in which the pivotal movement of the second housing is not restricted, and
an interlocking mechanism configured to move one of the guide pin and the guide hole in the prescribed direction in conjunction with the restricting mechanism, such that the guide pin and the guide hole are selectively placed in one of: an engaged state in which the guide pin and the guide hole engage each other, when the restricting mechanism is in the restricted state; and a non-engaged state in which the guide pin and the guide hole do not engage each other, when the restricting mechanism is in the non-restricted state.
The above and other objects, features, advantages and technical and industrial significance of the present invention will be better understood by reading the following detailed description of an embodiment of the invention, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:
There will be explained one embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.
Referring first to
The printer 1 includes an upper casing 1a as a second casing and a lower casing 1b as a first casing both of which have a rectangular parallelepiped shape and are substantially identical in size. The lower surface of the upper casing 1a is open while the upper surface of the lower casing 1b is open. The upper casing 1a includes a frame 1a1 as a framework and a cosmetic cover 1a2 covering the frame 1a1. Similarly, the lower casing 1b includes a frame 1b1 as a framework and a cosmetic cover 1b2 covering the frame 1b1. The upper casing 1a is superimposed on the lower casing 1b so that the opening surfaces of the respective upper and lower casings 1a, 1b are closed, whereby a space is defined in the printer 1, as shown in
As shown in
On one side surface of the cover 1b2 of the lower casing 1b, namely, on the front right side in
The upper casing 1a accommodates: two heads 10, i.e., a pre-coat head 10 for ejecting a pre-treatment liquid and an ink-jet head 10 for ejecting black ink, which are arranged in this order from the upstream side in a sheet conveyance direction (indicated by the bold arrows in
The upper casing 1a further accommodates upper rollers of respective feed roller pairs 25, 26, an upper guide portion of a guide 29 disposed between the feed roller pairs 25, 26, feed roller pairs 27, 28, and two guides 29 disposed between the feed roller pairs 26, 28 along the sheet conveyance direction. In other words, when the upper casing 1a pivots from the close position to the separate position, these components accommodated in the upper casing 1a are moved together with the upper casing 1a.
The lower casing 1b accommodates or holds the support portion 60, wiper units, two waste-liquid discharge trays 65, and the sheet supply unit 1c. The lower casing 1b further accommodates a sheet sensor 32, feed roller pairs 22, 23, and two guides 29 disposed between the sheet supply unit 1c and the feed roller pair 23 along the sheet conveyance direction.
The cartridges respectively store the pre-treatment liquid and the black ink (hereinafter collectively referred to as the “liquid” where appropriate) to be supplied to the respective heads 10. The pre-treatment liquid has a function of preventing ink spreading and ink strikethrough, a function of improving a color development property of ink and a quick-drying property of ink, etc. The cartridges are connected to the corresponding heads 10 via respective tubes (not shown) and respective pumps 34 (
Each head 10 is line-type head that has a long dimension in the main scanning direction and has a substantially rectangular parallepiped contour. The two heads 10 are supported by the frame 3 so as to be spaced apart from each other in the sub scanning direction. In each head 10, a joint to which the tube is attached is provided on its upper surface, and a multiplicity of ejection openings are open in its lower surface functioning as the ejection surface 10a. In the inside of each head 10, there are formed liquid passages through which the liquid supplied from the cartridge flows to the ejection openings. The frame 3 is provided with enclosure members 40 each of which encloses or surrounds a lower end portion of the periphery of the corresponding head 10. The structure of the enclosure member 40 will be explained in detail.
The head elevating and lowering mechanism 33 is configured to elevate and lower the frame 3 in the vertical direction (as a prescribed direction) so as to move the two heads 10 between a recording position and a retracted position (as a second position), when the upper casing 1a is positioned at the close position. At the recording position, the two heads 10 are opposed to the support portion 60, more specifically, the respective support surfaces 61a in a first state that will be explained, with a distance suitable for recording interposed therebetween. The recording position includes: a first recording position (as a first position) at which recording is performed on the sheet P with relatively small thickness such as plain paper; and a second recording position (as a third position) at which recording is performed on the sheet P such as thick paper and at which a distance from the support surfaces 61a is larger than a distance from the support surfaces 61a at the first recording position. The controller 1p controls the head elevating and lowering mechanism 33 depending upon the type of the sheet P on which the image is to be recorded, such that the heads 10 are disposed at a corresponding one of the two recording positions (
The sheet supply unit 1c includes a sheet tray 20 and a sheet supply roller 21. The sheet tray 20 is attachable to and detachable from the lower casing 1b in the sub scanning direction. The sheet tray 20 is a box opening upward and is capable of accommodating a plurality of kinds of the sheet P. The sheet supply roller 21 is rotated under the control of the controller 1p so as to supply an uppermost one of the sheets P accommodated in the sheet tray 20. The sheet P supplied by the sheet supply roller 21 is fed to the support portion 60 while being guided by the guides 29 and held or nipped by the rollers of the respective feed roller pairs 22, 23.
The support portion 60 is disposed so as to be opposed to the recording portion 9 in the vertical direction. The support portion 60 includes: two rotary members 63 opposed to the respective heads 10; two platens 61 and two opposable members (each as an opposable portion) 62, the platen 61 and the opposable member 62 being fixed to the circumferential surface of the corresponding rotary member 63; and a frame 11 rotatably supporting the two rotary members 63. Each rotary member 63 has a shaft extending in the main scanning direction and is configured to rotate about the shaft under the control of the controller 1p. The frame 11 also rotatably supports a lower roller of the feed roller pair 24.
Each platen 61 and each opposable member 62 have a size in the main scanning direction and in the sub scanning direction slightly larger than the ejection surface 10a. The platen 61 and the opposable member 62 are disposed on one and the other of opposite sides of the rotary member 63 in the vertical direction.
The surface of the platen 61 functions as the support surface 61a for supporting the sheet P while facing the ejection surface 10a. The surface of the platen 61 is formed of a suitable material or suitably processed, for enabling the sheet P to be held thereon. For instance, a low-tack silicone layer may be formed on the support surface 61a, or a multiplicity of ribs may be formed on the surface of the platen 61 along the sub scanning direction, whereby the sheet P placed on the support surface 61a is prevented from floating. The platen 61 is formed of a resin.
The opposable member 62 is formed of a material that inhibits or hardly inhibits transmission of an aqueous component therethrough. The surface of the opposable member 62 is smooth and functions as the opposable face 62a to be opposed to the ejection surface 10a of the corresponding head 10.
By rotation of the rotary members 63, there are selectively established: the first state (
Each waste-liquid discharge tray 65 is disposed below the corresponding rotary member 63, etc., and is held in communication with a waste-liquid tank (not shown). The liquid dropped from the above in the purging operation or the wiping operation is received by and accumulated in the corresponding waste-liquid discharge tray 65 and is discharged to the waste-liquid tank.
Each wiper unit has a wiper 67a (
Referring next to
As shown in
The interlocking mechanism 15 includes: a movable portion 16 configured to move within the recess 14 in the vertical direction; and two springs (each as a biasing portion) 17 biasing the movable portion 16 upward. The two springs 17 are disposed so as to be spaced apart from each other in the sub scanning direction. While, in the present embodiment, the coil springs 17 are employed as the biasing portion, the biasing portion may be constituted by an elastic member other than the coil spring, as long as the elastic member is capable of biasing the movable portion 16 in the direction described above.
The movable portion 16 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape and has substantially the same size, in plan view, as the opening 14a of the recess 14. On the upper surface of the movable portion 16, there are formed guide pins 4, 5 that extend upward in the vertical direction (as the prescribed direction, i.e., a direction perpendicular to the ejection surfaces 10a). The two guide pins 4, 5 are disposed at one and the other of opposite end portions of the movable portion 16 in the sub scanning direction, in the vicinity of two corner portions of the frame 11. The guide pins 4, 5 are configured to be opposed to respective guide holes 12, 13 (that will be explained later) in the vertical direction. Each of the guide pins 4, 5 is formed of a tapered cylindrical member.
An elongate hole 11b communicating with the recess 14 is formed in the side surface of the frame 11 (i.e., the side surface of the frame 11 on the front right side in
Referring next to
The frame 3 supports the two heads 10 and an upper roller of the feed roller pair 24. The frame 3 also supports the enclosure members 40 such that the enclosure members 40 are elevated and lowered. On the lower surface of the frame 3, the two guide holes 12, 13 with which the respective guide pins 4, 5 are to engage are formed. The guide pins 4, 5 are inserted into the respective guide holes 12, 13 when the upper casing 1a is located at the close position and the heads 10 (the recording portion 9) are located at the recording position (the first or the second recording position). The guide pins 4, 5 are inserted into the respective guide holes 12, 13, whereby the guide pins 4, 5 and the guide holes 12, 13 come into engagement with each other. The guide pins 4, 5 and the guide holes 12, 13 constitute a positioning mechanism configured to position the recording portion 9 and the support portion 60 relative to each other in the horizontal direction. That is, the guide pins 4, 5 have a length for enabling the guide pins 4, 5 to be engaged with or insertable into the respective guide holes 12, 13 when the upper casing 1a is located at the close position, the heads 10 are located at the recording position, and the locking mechanism 70 is in a restricted state that will be explained. Further, the length of the guide pins 4, 5 is determined such that the guide pins 4, 5 are disengaged from the respective guide holes 12, 13 when the locking mechanism 70 is in a state midway between the restricted state and a non-restricted state, as shown in
The two guide holes 12, 13 are formed so as to be arranged in the sub scanning direction. The guide holes 12, 13 are configured to be opposed to the respective guide pins 4, 5 in the vertical direction when the upper casing 1a is located at the close position and the heads 10 are located at the recording position. The guide hole 12 has a circular shape in plan view and has an inside diameter which is substantially the same or slightly larger than an outside diameter of the guide pin 4. Further, a conical tapered portion is formed in the vicinity of the opening of the guide hole 12, thereby facilitating insertion of the guide pin 4 into the guide hole 12.
Like the guide hole 12, the guide hole 13 has a circular shape in plan view and has an inside diameter which is substantially the same or slightly larger than an outside diameter of the guide pin 5. Further, a conical tapered portion is formed in the vicinity of the opening of the guide hole 13, thereby facilitating insertion of the guide pin 5 into the guide hole 13.
Thus, the engagement of the guide holes 12, 13 and the guide pins 4, 5 permits positioning of the frame 3 and the frame 11 relative to each other in the main scanning direction and in the sub scanning direction. That is, the frame 3 and the frame 11 slightly move relative to each other in the horizontal direction when the guide holes 12, 13 and the guide holes 4, 5 come into engagement with each other, whereby the frame 3 and the frame 11 are positioned relative to each other in the main scanning direction and in the sub scanning direction, namely, the relative position of the frame 3 and the frame 11 in the main scanning direction and in the sub scanning direction is fixed. Further, two pairs of the guide pin (4; 5) and the guide hole (12; 13) are provided, whereby the positioning with respect to the relative rotational position of the frame 3 and the frame 11 along the horizontal plane is conducted.
Next, the locking mechanism 70 will be explained with reference to
As shown in
The non-restricted state of the locking mechanism 70 is a state in which the upper casing 1a is located at the close position and the hook 72 is located at the non-restricted position at which the hook 72 does not rest on or does not engage with the engaging pin 73, namely, at a position at which the upper casing 1a can be pivoted from the close position to the separate position. When the hook 72 is located at the non-restricted position, the engaging pin 73 is not in contact with the concave portion 72c of the hook 72, as shown in
The lower side surface of the hook 72 is kept in engagement or in contact with the protruding portion 16a, whereby the hook 72 is configured to be biased by the springs 17 of the interlocking mechanism 15 toward the restricted position. In other words, in conjunction with the hook 72, the protruding portion 16a and the movable portion 16 are elevated or lowered. That is, the movable portion 16 moves between the engaged position and the non-engaged position in conjunction with the hook 72, so that the guide pins 4, 5 and the guide holes 12, 13 are selectively placed in one of an engaged state in which the guide pins 4, 5 and the guide holes 12, 13 engage each other and a non-engaged state in which the guide pins 4, 5 and the guide holes 12, 13 do not engage each other.
In the structure described above, in a state in which the upper casing 1a is located at the close position and the heads 10 are located at the recording position, when the user turns the lever 71a so as to pivot the hook 72 from the restricted position shown in
As described above, when the restriction of the pivotal movement of the upper casing 1a by the locking mechanism 70 is canceled or released, the movable portion 16 is located at the non-engaged position. Accordingly, even if the upper casing 1a is pivoted from the close position to the separate position in this state, it is possible to prevent interference between the guide pins 4, 5 and the inner walls of the guide holes 12, 13 because the guide pins 4, 5 and the guide holes 12, 13 have been disengaged from each other. In the present embodiment, when the upper casing 1a is pivoted from the close position to the separate position, the guide holes 12, 13 move such that a moving locus of each of the guide holes 12, 13 is an arc, as shown in
When the user releases the lever 71 in a state in which the upper casing 1a is located at the separate position, the movable portion 16 moves upward and returns to the engaged position owing to the biasing forces of the springs 17. In this instance, the hook 72 is biased to the restricted position by the springs 17 via the protruding portion 16a. That is, the hook 72 automatically returns from the non-restricted position to the restricted position. Thereafter, when the user moves the upper casing 1a that is located at the separate position so as to pivot to the close position, the engaging pin 73 and the upper side surface of the hook 72 come into contact with each other, as shown in
Next, the enclosure members 40 will be explained with reference to
Each enclosure member 40 is formed of an elastic material such as rubber and has a short sleeve-like shape in plan view, so as to enclose or surround the periphery of the ejection surface 10a of the corresponding head 10. The enclosure member 40 has, at its lower end, a protruding portion 40a having an inverted triangular cross sectional shape.
The enclosure members 40 are configured to be elevated and lowered by a cap elevating and lowering mechanism 41 in the vertical direction. The cap elevating and lowering mechanism 41 includes a plurality of gears 41G and drive motors 41M (
The controller 1p controls the cap elevating and lowering mechanism 41 (the drive motors 41M) to drive the gears 41G, such that the enclosure members 40 are positioned at the lowered position for capping the corresponding ejection surfaces 10a and such that the enclosure members 40 are positioned at the elevated position when the ejection surfaces 10a need not be capped. During capping, each ejection surface 10a is hermetically sealed by abutting contact of the tip of the protruding portion 40a with the opposable face 62a, as shown in
Referring next to
The controller 1p includes a Central Processing Unit (CPU) 101 as an arithmetic processing unit, a Read Only Memory (ROM) 102, a Random Access Memory (RAM) 103 including a nonvolatile RAM, an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) 104, an Interface (I/F) 105, an Input/Output Port (I/O) 106, etc. In the ROM 102, programs to be executed by the CPU 101 and various fixed data are stored. In the RAM 103, data necessary when the programs are executed is temporarily stored. In the ASIC 104, rewriting and sorting of image data such as signal processing and image processing are executed. The I/F 105 transmits and receives data to and from an external device such as a personal computer (PC) connected to the printer 1. The I/O 106 carries out an input/output of detection signals of various sensors.
The controller 1p is connected to a sheet supply motor 21M, feed motors 22M-28M, the sheet sensor 32, the head elevating and lowering mechanism 33, the wiper moving mechanisms 68, control circuit boards of the heads 10, etc. The controller 1p is connected further to the pumps 34, rotation motors 63M, and the drive motors 41M. While the pump 34, the rotation motor 63M, and the drive motor 41M are provided for each of the two heads 10, only one pump 34, one rotation motor 63M, and one drive motor 41M of one head 10 are shown in
The control executed by the controller 1p will be next explained with reference to
As shown in
When the controller 1p receives the purge command (F1: YES), the controller 1p judges whether the rotary members 63 are in the second state or not (Step 2: F2). Where it is judged in Step 2 that the rotary members 63 are in the first state, Step 3 (F3) is implemented. Where it is judged in Step 2 that the rotary members 63 are in the second state, Step 4 (F4) is implemented. In Step 3, the controller 1p drives the rotation motors 63M so as to rotate the rotary members 63, whereby the rotary members 63 are placed in the second state.
In Step 4, the controller 1p drives the pumps 34 such that a predetermined amount of the liquids are discharged onto the respective opposable faces 62a from all of the ejection openings as shown in
After Step 5, the controller 1p controls the wiper moving mechanisms 68 to move the respective wipers 67a from the standby position in the main scanning direction, so that the ejection surfaces 10a and the opposable faces 62a are wiped, namely, the wiping operation is carried out (Step 6: F6). Thus, the liquid adhering to the ejection surface 10a and the opposable face 62a of each head 10 is removed therefrom.
After Step 6, the controller 1p controls the head elevating and lowering mechanism 33 to move the heads 10 from the wiping position to the retracted position (Step 7: F7). Subsequently, the controller 1p controls the wiper moving mechanisms 68 to return the respective wipers 67a to the standby position (Step 8: F8). In this instance, the wipers 67a again wipe only the corresponding opposable faces 62a. After Step 8, the controller 1p controls the head elevating and lowering mechanism 33 to move the heads 10 from the retracted position to the recording position as shown in
Thereafter, the controller 1p judges whether or not the record command is received before a predetermined time elapses. Where the record command is not received before the predetermined time elapses, the capping operation is carried out. That is, the controller 1p drives the drive motors 41M to move the respective enclosure members 40 from the elevated position to the lowered position, thereby establishing a capping state in which the ejection space V1 is separated from the external space V2, namely, in which drying of the liquid in the vicinity of the ejection openings of each ejection surface 10a is restrained. The controller 1p then maintains the capping state until next record command or purge command is received.
As explained above, since the heads 10 are located at the capping position in the capping state, the guide pins 4, 5 are in engagement with the respective guide holes 12, 13. In this instance, even if the upper casing 1a is moved by the user from the close position to the separate position, the interlocking mechanism 15 operates in conjunction with the locking mechanism 70 so that the movable portion 16 is moved to the non-engaged position. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent interference between the inner walls of the guide holes 12, 13 and the guide pins 4, 5 while ensuring positioning of the recording portion 9 and the support portion 60 relative to each other in the main scanning direction and in the sub scanning direction.
On the other hand, where the record command is received before the predetermined time elapses, the controller 1p judges whether the rotary members 63 are in the first state or not. Where the rotary members 63 are in the second state, the controller 1p drives the rotation motors 63M so as to rotate the rotary members 63, whereby the rotary members 63 are placed in the first state. Where the rotary members 63 are in the first state, on the other hand, the first state is maintained. Thereafter, the controller 1p permits execution of the image recording operation on the basis of the received record command.
In the image recording operation, the controller 1p controls the head elevating and lowering mechanism 33 to dispose the heads 10 at one of the first and the second recording positions and drives the sheet supply motor 21M (
When the sheet P is being conveyed on the basis of the record command or when the sheet P is jammed in the midst of conveyance of the sheet P on the basis of the record command, the guide pins 4, 5 and the guide holes 12, 13 are in engagement with each other since the heads 10 are located at the recording position. In those instances, even where the upper casing 1a is moved by the user from the close position to the separate position, for instance, the interlocking mechanism 15 operates in conjunction with the locking mechanism 70 so that the movable member 16 is moved to the non-engaged position. Therefore, it is possible to prevent interference between the inner walls of the guide holes 12, 13 and the guide pins 4, 5 while ensuring positioning of the recording portion 9 and the support portion 60 relative to each other in the main scanning direction and in the sub scanning direction.
As explained above, in the printer 1 according to the present embodiment, the guide pins 4, 5 and the guide holes 12, 13 are in the non-engaged state when the locking mechanism 70 is in the non-restricted state, whereby the interference between the guide pins 4, 5 and the inner walls of the guide holes 12, 13 can be prevented even if the upper casing 1a is pivoted. Further, it is possible to ensure a high degree of positioning accuracy by the engagement of the guide holes 12, 13 and the guide pins 4, 5.
Since the positioning mechanism is constituted by the guide pins 4, 5 and the guide holes 12, 13, the recording portion 9 and the support portion 60 can be positioned relative to each other in the main scanning direction and in the sub scanning direction, and the positioning with respect to the relative rotational position of the recording portion 9 and the support portion 60 along the horizontal plane can be conducted. If the guide pins 4, 5 and the guide holes 12, 13 are configured not to interfere with each other when the upper casing 1a is pivoted from the close position to the separate position, by forming each guide hole 12, 13 into an elongate shape that is long in the sub scanning direction, without providing the interlocking mechanism 15 operable in conjunction with the locking mechanism 70, the recording portion 9 and the support portion 60 cannot be positioned relative to each other in the sub scanning direction. If the relative position of the recording portion 9 and the support portion 60 in the sub scanning direction cannot be fixed, the recording portion 9 and the support portion 60 may be shifted relative to each other in the sub scanning direction, and the heads 10 and the opposable faces 62a may be shifted relative to each other. In those instances, there may be a risk that the position of the sheet P at which the image is formed may be shifted from an intended position and a risk that the ejection surfaces 10a cannot be capped by the enclosure members 40. For enabling the ejection surfaces 10a to be capped even where the recording portion 9 and the support portion 60 are shifted relative to each other in the sub scanning direction, it is needed to enlarge the size of the opposable faces 62a, undesirably resulting in an increase in the size of the printer 1 per se. In the present invention, however, when the upper casing 1a is pivoted from the close position to the separate position, the guide pins 4, 5 and the guide holes 12, 13 are placed in the non-engaged state by the interlocking mechanism 15 operable in conjunction with the locking mechanism 70, thereby avoiding the problems described above.
In the present embodiment, the locking mechanism 70 configured to inhibit or allow the pivotal movement of the upper casing 1a is constituted by the hook 72 and the engaging pin 73, simplifying the structure of the locking mechanism 70. Further, the interlocking mechanism 15 is constituted by the movable portion 16 and the springs 17, and the springs 17 bias the hook 72 toward the restricted position via the movable portion 16, whereby it is not needed to additionally provide a biasing mechanism for biasing the locking mechanism 70 and the hook 72 to the restricted position, resulting in a simplified structure.
Since the present printer 1 is equipped with the head elevating and lowering mechanism 33, the recording portion 9 and the support portion 60 can be relatively moved toward and away from each other between the recording position and the retracted position (the wiping position) without a need of pivoting the upper casing 1a. Further, the recording portion 9 can be moved to the first recording position and the second recording position by the head elevating and lowering mechanism 33, the position of the heads 10 can be changed depending upon the thickness of the sheet P. Moreover, the present printer 1 is equipped with the capping mechanism constructed as described above, the ejection surfaces 10a can be capped at the recording position. The capping mechanism constructed as described above eliminates a need of largely moving the recording portion 9 or the support portion 60 for capping, thereby eliminating provision of a space in which the recording portion 9 or the support portion 60 is retracted. Accordingly, the printer 1 can be downsized. In addition, the user can freely pivots the upper casing 1a to the separate position even when the ejection surfaces 10a are in the capping state.
In the present embodiment, the guide pins 4, 5 are formed on the side of the support portion 60 that is not elevated and lowered by the head elevating and lowering mechanism 33 as the moving mechanism, and the guide pins 4, 5 are moved by the interlocking mechanism 15. Where the moving mechanism elevates and lowers the support portion 60 (including the guide pins), the interlocking mechanism needs to additionally move the moving mechanism, undesirably complicating the structure. In the present invention, however, the interlocking mechanism 15 moves the guide pins 4, 5 formed on the side of the support portion 60 that is not elevated and lowered by the head elevating and lowering mechanism 33, so that the structure of the interlocking mechanism 15 is simplified. Moreover, because the interlocking mechanism 15 does not need to additionally move the head elevating and lowering mechanism 33, it is possible to reduce a load when the locking mechanism 70 is operated via the interlocking mechanism 15.
While the embodiment of the invention has been described, it is to be understood that the present invention may be embodied with various other changes and modifications, which may occur to those skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the attached claims.
For instance, only one pair of the guide pin and the guide hole may be provided as the positioning mechanism. Two pairs of the guide pin (4; 5) and the guide hole (12; 13) may be disposed so as to be arranged in a direction that intersects the sub scanning direction and the main scanning direction or may be disposed at respective positions at which respective distances from the shaft 1h are mutually the same, such that the two pairs are arranged in the main scanning direction. Three or more pairs of the guide pin and the guide hole may be provided. The guide pin may have a length that enables engagement thereof with the guide hole when the upper casing 1a is located at the close position even where the heads are located at the wiping position. The guide holes 12, 13 may be provided in the support portion 60 while the guide pins 4, 5 may be provided in the recording portion 9. The guide holes 12, 13 may be formed so as to penetrate the frame 11. The recording portion may be constituted only by the heads 10. In this instance, the guide pin or the guide hole may be formed directly in the heads 10.
The interlocking mechanism may be configured to move the guide holes 12, 13 in the extension direction of the guide pins 4, 5, in place of the guide pins 4, 5. In this instance, the guide holes 12, 13 may be formed at the movable portion 16 while the guide pins 4, 5 may be formed at the frame 3. The interlocking mechanism may be configured to move the guide pin or the guide hole provided on the side of the recording portion 9. In this instance, the moving mechanism (in the form of the head elevating and lowering mechanism 33 in the illustrated embodiment) is preferably configured to elevate and lower the support portion 60. The interlocking mechanism may be configured to move the guide pin or the guide hole provided on the side of the recording portion 9 or the support portion 60 that is elevated and lowered by the moving mechanism, together with the moving mechanism. Further, the interlocking mechanism 15 may be configured not to bias the hook 72 toward the restricted position via the movable portion 16. In this instance, the locking mechanism 70 may be configured to have a biasing mechanism for biasing the hook 72 toward the restricted position.
The moving mechanism may not be provided. Unlike the head elevating and lowering mechanism 33 in the illustrated embodiment, the moving mechanism may be configured to elevate and lower the support portion 60 or may be configured to elevate and lower both of the recording portion 9 and the support portion 60. The recording position may include only the first recording position. The capping mechanism may be configured to hermetically seal the ejection surfaces 10a by bringing the enclosure members 40 into abutting contact with the support surfaces 61a. The capping mechanism may be eliminated.
The present invention is applicable to both of a serial type and a line type, and is applicable to a facsimile machine and a copying machine other than the printer. The present invention is applicable to recording apparatus configured to carry out recording by ejecting a liquid other than the ink. The present invention is applicable to recording apparatus other than the ink-jet type, such as a laser type and a thermal type. The recording medium is not limited to the sheet P, but may be various recordable media.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-079594 | Mar 2011 | JP | national |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20120249709 A1 | Oct 2012 | US |
