The present application is based on, and claims priority from JP Application Serial Number 2020-090701, filed May 25, 2020, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
The present disclosure relates to a recording device provided with a transport unit that transports a medium, a medium supporting member that supports the medium, and a recording head that performs recording on the medium supported by the medium supporting member.
For example, JP-A-2016-160025 discloses a recording device provided with a transport unit that transports a medium in a transport direction along a transport path, a recording unit including a recording head that records an image on a medium being transported, and a medium supporting member that supports the medium at a position facing the recording unit in the transport path.
The recording device includes a transport roller pair disposed upstream of the recording unit in the transport direction, and a downstream wave-shaping mechanism disposed downstream of the recording unit in the transport direction. A downstream wave-shaping mechanism transports the medium in the transport direction and imparts a wave-like shape along a width direction to the medium on the medium supporting member. The downstream wave-shaping mechanism is provided with a discharge roller pair configured by a plurality of discharge rollers that clamp the medium and a plurality of spurs, and with a plurality of second spurs. The plurality of second spurs are in contact with the top surface of the medium transported by the discharge roller pair. As a result of the medium supporting member moving from a first position to a second position in resistance to an urging force of a first urging member, a wave shape is imparted in accordance with the rigidity of the medium.
However, in the recording device described in JP-A-2016-160025, when a rear end of the medium exits from a nip position of a transport roller pair, the rear end of the medium is kicked out by the transport roller pair. There is a problem in that a transport position accuracy of the medium is reduced due to this flipping up of the medium. For example, a reduction in the transport position accuracy of the medium leads to a deterioration in a recording position at which the recording is performed on the medium, which causes a deterioration in recording quality.
A recording device for solving the above-described problem is a recording device including a transport unit that transports a medium along a horizontal direction in a transport direction, a medium supporting member that includes a supporting surface supporting the medium, and a recording head that performs recording on the medium at a position facing the medium supporting member. The transport unit includes a transport roller pair formed of a transport driving roller and a transport driven roller provided upstream of the medium supporting member in the transport direction, a discharge roller pair formed by a discharge driving roller and a discharge driven roller provided downstream of the medium supporting member in the transport direction, and a guide roller provided downstream of the medium supporting member in the transport direction, and on the same upper side as the discharge driven roller with respect to a transport path of the medium, and driven to rotate by contact with the medium during transport. The guide roller is provided on both sides of the driven discharge roller in the transport direction or on both sides of the discharge roller pair in a width direction intersecting the transport direction, and a lower end of at least one of the guide rollers on the both sides of the discharge roller pair in the transport direction is positioned lower than an upper end of the discharge driving roller.
An embodiment will be described below with reference to the accompanying figures. In
The recording device 11 illustrated in
An operating panel 15 is provided on the front surface of the recording device 11. The operating panel 15 includes an operation unit (not illustrated) including an operation button or the like that is operated when issuing various types of command to the recording device 11, and a display unit (not illustrated) that displays various menus and an operating status or the like of the recording device 11. Further, a power button 16 is provided on the front surface of the device main body 12. Note that the display unit may be configured by a touch panel, and the operation unit may be configured by an operation function of the touch panel.
Further, a housing unit 18 that houses at least one (six in the embodiment) liquid supply source 17 (see
Further, a feed cover 20 is provided on the rear upper side of the recording device 11 so as to be openable and closeable. The feed cover 20 is opened and closed by rotating about the rear end thereof. In the device main body 12, a feed unit 21 is housed inside the feed cover 20 in a closed position illustrated in
As illustrated in
Further, a discharge cover 26 is provided on the lower portion of the front surface of the recording device 11 so as to be openable and closeable. The discharge cover 26 rotates about the lower end thereof. In the device main body 12, a stacker 27 (see
The recording device 11 is provided with a control unit 100 that performs various controls. The control unit 100 performs control of the carriage 24 and the recording head 25, transport control of the medium M, display control of the operating panel 15, power control, and the like.
Next, a detailed configuration of the recording device 11 will be described with reference to
As illustrated in
Further, the main frame 30 is provided with a linear encoder 34 extending along the scanning direction X. The linear encoder 34 is provided with a linear scale extending along the scanning direction and a sensor (not illustrated) attached to the carriage 24. The sensor detects the linear scale and outputs a pulse signal that includes a number of pulses proportional to a movement amount of the carriage 24.
A supply cover 18a that opens and closes a top portion of the housing unit 18 is provided on the housing part 18. When the user sees through the window 19 that there is the liquid supply source 17 with a small remaining amount, the user opens the cover 13 and the supply cover 18a, and injects the liquid from a liquid bottle into an inlet (not illustrated) of the liquid supply source 17.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The recording device 11 records characters or an image on the medium M by alternately repeating a recording operation in which the carriage 24 moves once and the recording head 25 performs recording for one pass, and a transport operation in which the medium M is transported to the next recording position. Here, as long as the transport position accuracy with which the transport unit 40 transports the medium and stops the medium at the next recording position is high, a high recording quality is secured. Note that the recording unit 23 may be a line recording type recording unit. The recording unit 23 of the line recording type is provided with the recording head 25 configured by a line head having a plurality of nozzles capable of discharging the liquid across the entire width of the medium M having the maximum width. Since the nozzles of the recording head 25 configured by the line head discharge the liquid across the entire width of the medium M onto the medium M that is transported at a constant velocity, high-velocity recording, such as of an image, is realized.
The recording device 11 is provided with a gap adjustment mechanism 37 that adjusts a gap between the recording unit 23 and the medium supporting member 50. The gap adjustment mechanism 37 is a mechanism for adjusting the gap by changing a height position of the recording head 25. The control unit 100 controls the gap adjustment mechanism 37 and adjusts the gap to a value corresponding to the type of the medium M. When the medium M is the sheet, for example, the type of the medium M may be normal paper (thin paper, cardboard), photographic paper, an envelope, a CD-recordable disk (CDR), or the like. Note that the medium M that is the normal paper or the like is a first medium having a low rigidity, and the medium M that is the photographic paper or the like is a second medium having a rigidity greater than that of the first medium.
The carriage 24 illustrated by a two-dot chain line in
The maintenance device 60 cleans nozzles of the recording head 25 to eliminate or prevent this type of discharge failure. The maintenance device 60 is provided with a suction pump 63 that is communicated with the cap 61 through a tube (not illustrated). The maintenance device 60 drives the suction pump 63 under a capping condition in which the cap 61 is in contact with the nozzle surface 25A of the recording head 25 in a state of surrounding the nozzle. When the suction pump 63 is driven, negative pressure is introduced into a closed space formed in a state of communication with the nozzles between the nozzle surface 25A and the cap 61, thereby forcibly suctioning and discharging the liquid from the nozzles. By forcibly suctioning and discharging the thickened liquid, the air bubbles, or the foreign matter such as the paper powder from the nozzle, the nozzle recovers from the discharge failure.
Further, the recording unit moves to the home position HP at a regular or irregular timing during the recording operation in which the recording is performed on the medium M, and performs empty discharge (flushing) of droplets that are not related to the recording from all of the nozzles toward the cap 61, thus preventing the discharge failure during recording. The liquid (waste liquid) discharged from the nozzles by the cleaning and the empty discharge is pumped through a waste liquid tube 64 to a waste liquid tank 65 by driving the suction pump 63.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The recording device 11 according to the embodiment includes a label recording function for performing recording on a label surface of a disk, such as the CDR and the like. When the disk is the medium M and the label recording is performed that performs the recording on the label surface thereof, the user sets the disk on a plate-shaped dedicated tray (not illustrated), and inserts the dedicated tray from the discharge port 75. The dedicated tray is nipped by the transport roller pair 41 and the discharge roller pair 42. In this way, the disk is transported to the recording position where the recording by the recording unit 23 is possible. The recording unit 23 records an image and the like on the label surface of the disk.
As illustrated in
The first support portion 51 is provided with a plurality of first ribs 54 protruding upward while being arranged at intervals in the width direction X. The second support portion 52 includes a plurality of second ribs 55 protruding upward while being arranged at intervals in the width direction X. The third support portion 53 includes a plurality of third ribs 56 projecting upward while being arranged at intervals in the width direction X. The first ribs 54, the second ribs 55, and the third ribs 56 are disposed at the same positions in the width direction X. Therefore, the second ribs 55 are positioned in positions downstream of the first ribs 54 in the transport direction Y0, and the second ribs 55 are positioned in positions upstream of the third ribs 56 in the transport direction Y0. One each of the second ribs 55 is additionally provided on either side, further to the outside than a range over which the first ribs 54 are disposed. Therefore, the number of second ribs 55 is two more than the number of first ribs 54. Note that the position in the width direction X of each of the ribs 54 to 56 is set in accordance with the width size of the medium M so as to be capable of supporting both end portions in the width direction X of the medium M, when supporting the medium M of a prescribed size. Thus, whatever the size of the medium M of the prescribed size, both end portions in the width direction X are supported by the ribs 54 to 56 positioned corresponding to the respective width dimensions.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
Here, a force required to curve the medium M into the wave-like shape is less at sections near side ends in the width direction X that are free ends of the medium M. On the other hand, a central portion separated from the free ends in the width direction X of the medium M is a position at which it is difficult to curve the medium M using the pressing member 81. Further, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
Further, a discharge mechanism 70 that transports the section of the medium M after the recording is provided at a position downstream of the medium supporting member 50 in the transport direction Y0. The discharge mechanism 70 includes the discharge roller pairs 42. The discharge mechanism 70 includes first rollers 48 positioned upstream of the discharge roller pairs 42 in the transport direction Y0, and second rollers 49 positioned downstream of the discharge roller pairs 42 in the transport direction Y0. Further, a transport mechanism 90 that transports the tray on which the disk is placed when performing the label recording that performs the recording on the label surface of the disk, such as the CDR, DVD, or the like, is assembled to a supporting member 38 in a position downstream of the discharge mechanism 70 in the transport direction Y0. The transport mechanism 90 transports the tray on which the disk is placed from the front side of the recording device 11 toward the recording region of the recording head 25, and, when the label recording ends, the tray is discharged to the front side of the recording device 11. A plurality of transport members 90A that configure the transport mechanism 90 are assembled to the supporting member 38.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The first guide surface 816 is an inclined surface that is inclined at an acute angle with respect to the first transport direction Y1 such that when the tip end of the medium M comes into contact with the first guide surface 816, the first guide surface 816 rotates the pressing member 81 upward as a result of a force received from the medium M. Further, the second guide surface 817 is an inclined surface that is inclined at an acute angle with respect to the second transport direction Y2 such that when the rear end Mb of the medium M comes into contact with the second guide surface 817, the second guide surface 817 rotates the pressing member 81 upward as a result of a force received from the medium M.
As illustrated in
In a course of being transported from the start of the recording to the end of the recording, the medium M passes through a first transport process in which, of the transport roller pairs 41 and the discharge roller pairs 42, the medium M is only nipped by the transport roller pairs 41, a second transport process in which the medium M is nipped by both the transport roller pairs 41 and the discharge roller pairs 42, and a third transport process in which the medium M is nipped only by the discharge roller pairs 42.
When the medium M is pressed downward by the pressing member 81, the medium M receives a frictional force from a section in contact with the pressing member 81, which is in contact with the surface of the medium M at a predetermined contact pressure. This frictional force is a braking force that causes the transport position of the medium M to shift to a negative side in the transport direction Y0. Thus, the transport of the medium M is controlled such that the medium M can stop in a target position, taking into account this braking force.
As illustrated in
Furthermore, as illustrated in
Furthermore, when the medium M is pressed downward by the contact portion 815 of the pressing member 81, the medium M curves, and when the curvature is restored to an original state in the moment at which the rear end Mb of the medium M separates from the contact portion 815, the medium M is pushed out in the transport direction Y0 as a reaction to the rear end Mb of the medium M pushing the second guide surface 817, and this becomes part of the kicking force. This kicking force causes the transport position of the medium M to shift to the positive side. In this way, when the medium M during recording transitions from the second transport process to the third transport process, the medium M is subject to the kicking phenomenon twice, once when the rear end Mb of the medium M is released from the nip state of the transport roller pair 41, and once when the rear end Mb of the medium M is released from the pressing member 81.
Further, since a nip force of the discharge roller pair 42 is smaller than that of the transport roller pair 41, the medium M that is subject to the kicking force is likely to slip at the nip position of the discharge roller pair 42. This is also a cause of the deterioration in the transport position accuracy due to the kicking of the medium M. A serrated roller is used as the discharge driven roller 44 of the discharge roller pair 42, in order to reduce a contact area with the recording surface of the medium M. Thus, if the force with which the discharge roller pair 42 nips the recorded medium M is too strong, the medium M is susceptible to damage by the teeth of the discharge driven roller 44. Further, when the transport amount by which the transport roller pair 41 transports the medium M differs from the transport amount by which the discharge roller pair 42 transports the medium M, slippage occurs at one of the roller pairs 41 and 42. The slippage of the medium M at the transport roller pair 41 causes the deterioration in the transport position accuracy of the medium M.
Thus, the nip force of the transport roller pair 41 is caused to be stronger than the nip force of the discharge roller pair 42. At this time, when the transport amount of the discharge roller pair 42 is greater than the transport amount of the transport roller pair 41, a force is generated with which the discharge roller pair 42 pulls the medium M downstream in the transport direction Y0, which causes the deterioration in the transport position accuracy of the medium M to the positive side. Thus, strictly speaking, the transport amount of the discharge roller pair 42 is made smaller than the transport amount of the transport roller pair 41, and the slippage of the medium M is caused to occur at the nip location of the discharge roller pair 42. Thus, the nip force of the discharge roller pair 42 is caused to be weaker than the nip force of the transport roller pair 41. Note that the transport amount of both the roller pairs 41 and 42 may be set as appropriate.
The recording device 11 according to the embodiment includes the discharge mechanism 70 illustrated in
The discharge mechanism 70 is provided with the supporting member 38 that supports the first rollers 48, the discharge driven rollers 44, and the second rollers 49. The first rollers 48, the discharge driven rollers 44, and the second rollers 49 are rotatably supported in a state in which the first rollers 48, the discharge driven rollers 44, and the second rollers 49 can be displaced upward while resisting the urging force. The first rollers 48 and the second rollers 49 are disposed on both sides of the discharge roller pairs 42, so as to sandwich the roller pairs 42 in the transport direction Y0. In the embodiment, the first roller 48 and the second roller 49 configure an example of a guide roller. Note that the first roller 48 and the second roller 49 are also referred to as guide rollers 48 and 49. The guide rollers 48 and 49 are provided downstream of the medium supporting member 50 in the transport direction Y0, and on the same side as the discharge driven rollers 44 with respect to the transport path of the medium M, that is, above the transport path of the medium M. In other words, the guide rollers 48 and 49 are provided downstream of the recording head 25 in the transport direction Y0, and on the same upper side as the discharge driven rollers 44 with respect to the transport path of the medium M.
The first rollers 48 are provided in positions between the recording head 25 and the discharge roller pairs 42 in the transport direction Y0. The first rollers 48 are positioned above the transport path of the medium M, in positions further downstream, in the transport direction Y0, than a scanning path along which the recording head 25 moves in the scanning direction X. As a result of the first rollers 48 coming into contact with the recording surface of the medium M that is trying to float upward, which is a direction from the transport path approaching the recording head 25, the floating of the medium M is suppressed. The first roller 48 is a guide roller that is rotated by being driven by the movement of the medium M, as a result of coming into contact with the medium M during transport. Then, the first rollers 48 come into contact with the medium M and guide the medium M so that the medium M does not deviate from the transport path. The first roller 48 is, for example, a serrated roller having a plurality of pointed teeth at a constant pitch on the outer circumference thereof. Therefore, even when the first roller 48 comes into contact with the recording surface of the medium M, a failure such as ink smearing or the like is less likely to occur. Note that, in a position downstream of the medium supporting member 50 in the transport direction Y0, on a section further downstream, in the transport direction Y0, than a position facing the first roller 48, a guide surface 50B is disposed that guides the medium M to the nip position of the discharge roller pair 42.
As illustrated in
In a side view illustrated in
The greater the distance from the upper end TP of the discharge driving roller 420 to each of the lower end of the first roller 48 and the lower end of the second roller 49, the greater the winding amount of the medium M with respect to the outer circumferential surface 420A. If the winding amount is too large, the medium M becomes less likely to slip at the nip location of the discharge roller pair 42 due to the excessive contact friction resistance, which causes a deterioration in the transport position accuracy of the medium M. The deterioration in the transport position accuracy of the medium M causes a recording position shift failure. Therefore, the overlap amount Lz between the second roller 49 and the discharge driving roller 420 is adjusted so that the winding amount of the medium M with respect to the outer circumferential surface 420A is not excessive.
When the medium M is pressed downward by the lower end of the second roller 49 to a position lower than the upper end TP of the discharge driving roller 420, a see-saw phenomenon occurs in which, with the upper end TP of the discharge driving roller 420 as a fulcrum, a section of the medium M upstream of the upper end TP is lifted up. In particular, in the second medium M that has the high rigidity, such as the photographic paper, a floating amount of the medium M due to this see-saw phenomenon increases. As a result, there is an increased possibility that the section of the medium M that has floated may come into contact with the nozzle surface 25A of the recording head 25.
In other words, if the overlap amount Lz is too large, due to the see-saw phenomenon, the section of the medium M upstream of the upper end TP is significantly lifted up, and there is a possibility that this section may come into contact with the nozzle surface 25A. When the medium M comes into contact with the nozzle surface 25A, the surface of the medium M is contaminated with the ink, or the ink on the surface of the medium M mixes with the ink of the nozzle, causing color mixing. Further, since the recording head 25 is a component including built-in precision electronic components, such as piezoelectric elements, and is relatively vulnerable to impact, there is a possibility that recording head 25 may be damaged by the medium M coming into contact with the nozzle surface 25A.
The floating amount of the medium M due to the see-saw phenomenon tends to increase as the overlap amount Lz increases. Thus, the overlap amount Lz is suppressed to a predetermined dimension or less.
However, in order to gain the winding amount, a dimension may be made large of a section, in a vertical direction Z1, of the discharge driving roller 420 that is positioned above a virtual line joining, in a straight line, the lower end of the first roller 48 and the lower end of the second roller 49. To do so, the overlap amount Lz may be increased, but, since there is concern over the contact between the medium M that has floated due to the above-described see-saw phenomenon, and the nozzle surface 25A, there is demand to keep the overlap amount Lz small.
Thus, in the embodiment, the lower end of the first roller 48 is disposed lower than the upper end TP (see
On the other hand, if the position of the lower end of the first roller 48 is excessively lower than the upper end TP of the discharge driving roller 420, the first roller 48 firmly presses the medium M. This causes the recording surface of the medium M to be damaged. Therefore, in order to avoid excessively lowering the lower end of the first roller 48, in the embodiment, a difference in dimensions, in the vertical direction Z1, between the lower end of the first roller 48 and the lower end of the second roller 49 is set to be equal to or less than the overlap amount Lz. In particular, in the present example, the lower end of the first roller 48 and the lower end of the second roller 49 are disposed at the same height position in the vertical direction Z1. As a result, the required winding amount can be secured with the small overlap amount Lz, and also, since the first roller 48 and the second roller 49 are inhibited from pressing the medium M with an excessive force, the recording surface of the medium M is less likely to be damaged.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
Further, as illustrated in
Further, as illustrated in
Here, the first urging force of the first roller 48 is F1, the second urging force of the second roller 49 is F2, and the third urging force of the discharge driven roller 44 is F3. The first urging force F1 of the first roller 48 and the second urging force F2 of the second roller 49 are smaller than the third urging force F3 of the discharge driven roller 44. In other words, F1 is smaller than F3 and F2 is smaller than F3. The first urging force F1 of the first roller 48 and the second urging force F2 of the second roller 49 are the same (F1 is equal to F2). Note that the first urging force F1 and the second urging force F2 may be different from each other.
As illustrated in
The reason for the discharge driven roller 44 being urged downward in the state in which the discharge driven roller 44 can be displaced upward is so that the discharge roller pair 42 can nip the medium M having a different thickness. Further, the reason for the first roller 48 being urged downward in the state in which the first roller 48 can be displaced upward is so that the first medium M that has the low rigidity is pressed downward and the floating of the medium M is thus suppressed, and, with respect to the second medium M that has the high rigidity and that is less likely to float, the reason is so that an unnecessary load is not applied to the medium M that does not significantly displace downward and deformation or the like is thus not caused.
Also, the reason for the second roller 49 being urged downward in the state in which the second roller 49 can be displaced upward is as follows. The first medium M having the low rigidity is pressed by a necessary displacement amount that is relatively large, and thus the necessary contact friction force between the medium M and the discharge driving roller 420 can be obtained. On the other hand, for the second medium M having the high rigidity, the required contact friction force is obtained between the second medium M and the outer circumferential surface 420A even when the displacement amount in the downward direction is small. Therefore, for the second medium M having the high rigidity, the required contact friction force can be obtained between the second medium M and the outer circumferential surface 420A by pressing the medium M by the small displacement amount, without applying a load that would cause unnecessary deformation or the like to the medium M.
In
The longer the second distance D2, the greater the overlap amount Lz needed to secure the required winding amount. In the embodiment, the second distance D2 is shorter than the first distance D1, thus making it possible to reduce the overlap amount Lz compared to a case in which the second distance D2 is the same as the first distance D1. For example, it is possible to avoid excessively pressing the second medium M with the high rigidity by the second roller 49. Specifically, although the second roller 49 can be displaced upward against the second urging force F2 of the rod spring 49S, the displacement amount thereof has an upper limit, and if the second roller 49 still excessively presses the second medium M even when displaced as far as the upper limit, the load is applied to the medium M. In the embodiment, by reducing the overlap amount Lz, the load is prevented from being applied to the second medium M having the high rigidity in this way.
The control unit 100 illustrated in
As an output system, the feed motor 35, the transport motor 71, the carriage motor 32, the recording head 25, and the gap adjustment mechanism 37 are electrically coupled to the control unit 100. The control unit 100 controls the feed motor 35, the transport motor 71, the carriage motor 32, the recording head 25, and the gap adjustment mechanism 37. Further, as an input system, the medium detector 76, the linear encoder 34, and the rotary encoder 74 are electrically coupled to the control unit 100.
The control unit 100 takes, as a origin position, a position of the medium M when the tip end of the medium M fed by the feed unit 21 is detected by the medium detector 76, and, by counting up a number of pulse edges of a detection signal input from the rotary encoder 74, counts a value corresponding to the position of the tip end or the rear end of the medium M. The control unit 100 controls the motors 35 and 71 of the transport system based on the counted position of the tip end or the rear end of the medium M, and controls the feed, transport, and discharge of the medium M. The recorded medium M is discharged from the discharge port 75 and placed on the stacker 27.
The control unit 100 takes, as the origin position, a time at which the carriage 24 comes into contact with an end position on the home position HP side, and, by counting up a number of pulse edges of a detection signal input from the linear encoder 34, acquires a carriage position, which is a position in the scanning direction X using the origin position of the carriage 24 as a reference. The control unit 100 controls the carriage motor 32 based on the count value of the carriage position, to perform velocity control and position control of the carriage 24.
The control unit 100 stores, in the memory, reference data indicating a correspondence relationship between the medium type and the gap. When the control unit 100 receives recording data, the control unit 100 acquires medium type information included in the recording data. By referring to the recording data, the control unit 100 acquires a target gap based on the medium type information. The control unit 100 controls the carriage 24 and causes the carriage 24 to perform gap switching control, thus adjusting the gap between the nozzle surface 25A of the recording head 25 and the support surface 50A of the medium supporting member 50 to the target gap.
Next, actions of the recording device 11 will be described. For example, when the recording is performed on the medium M, the medium M fed by the feed unit 21 is transported in the transport direction Y0 by the transport roller pairs 41, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
As a result, the tip portion or the rear end portion of the medium M are prevented from coming into contact with the recording head 25. When the tip portion or the rear end portion of the medium M comes into contact with the nozzle surface 25A of the recording head 25, the medium M is contaminated with the ink, or jamming of the medium M occurs. In contrast, in the embodiment, the floating of the tip portion or the rear end portion of the medium M is suppressed, and it is thus possible to avoid the contamination and jamming of the medium M caused by the tip portion or the rear end portion of the medium M coming into contact with the nozzle surface 25A of the recording head 25.
Further, for example, the medium M having the relatively high rigidity, such as the photographic paper, lifts the pressing heads 812 while resisting the urging force of the elastic member 83 as a result of the tip end Ma coming into contact with the first guide surface 816. As a result, the medium M having the high rigidity, such as the photographic paper, is less likely to deform. As a result, a high resolution image is recorded on the photographic paper.
In the course of being transported from the start of the recording to the end of the recording, the medium M passes through the first transport process in which, of the transport roller pairs 41 and the discharge roller pairs 42, the medium M is only nipped by the transport roller pairs 41, the second transport process in which the medium M is nipped by both the transport roller pairs 41 and the discharge roller pairs 42, and the third transport process in which the medium M is nipped only by the discharge roller pairs 42.
As illustrated in
Furthermore, as illustrated in
When transitioning from the second transport process to the third transport process, a section of the medium M downstream of the recording region is nipped by the discharge roller pair 42 that configures the discharge mechanism 70. The lower end of the first roller 48 and the lower end of the second roller 49 are positioned lower than the upper end TP on the outer circumferential surface 420A of the discharge driving roller 420. Thus, the medium M guided in contact with the lower end of the first roller 48 and the lower end of the second roller 49 is pressed against the outer circumferential surface 420A of the discharge driving roller, and is wound around the region near the upper end on the outer circumferential surface 420A. The contact area between the medium M and the outer circumferential surface 420A increases in accordance with the winding amount of the medium M. This increase in contact area increases the contact friction resistance between the medium M and the outer circumferential surface 420A. The contact friction resistance acts as a braking force on the medium M transported in the transport direction Y0. As a result, even if the rear end Mb of the medium M is kicked out by the transport roller pair 41 and the pressing member 81, the deterioration in the transport position accuracy of the medium M is suppressed.
Further, in the second transport process, the positions of the pressing members 81 and the discharge driving rollers 420 in the width direction X are the same, so the positions in the width direction X at which the ridge portions are formed are the same in a section of the medium M upstream of the recording region and a section of the medium M downstream of the recording region. Further, the positions in the width direction X of the first rollers 48 and the second rollers 49 are the same, and the positions in the width direction X of both the rollers 48 and 49 correspond to the recessed regions 59. Thus, the positions in the width direction X at which the valley portions are formed are the same in the section of the medium M upstream of the recording region and the section of the medium M downstream of the recording region.
Furthermore, in the third transport process, as illustrated in
This undulating wave-like shape in the width direction X imparts tension to the medium M in the transport direction Y0. As a result of this tension, the floating of the rear end portion of the medium M is suppressed. Thus, in the third transport process, the rear end portion of the medium M is prevented from coming into contact with the recording head 25. As a result, the ink contamination and jamming of the medium M can be avoided in the third transport process also.
According to the embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) The recording device 11 is provided with the transport unit 40 that transports the medium M in the transport direction Y0, the medium supporting member 50 including the support surface 50A that supports the medium M, and the recording head 25 that performs the recording on the medium M at the position facing the medium supporting member 50. The transport unit 40 is provided with the transport roller pairs 41 and the discharge roller pairs 42. The transport roller pair 41 is formed by the transport driving roller 410 and the transport driven rollers 43, which are provided upstream of the medium supporting member 50 in the transport direction Y0. The discharge roller pair 42 is formed by the discharge driving roller 420 and the discharge driven rollers 44 provided downstream of the medium supporting member 50 in the transport direction Y0. Furthermore, the transport unit 40 includes the guide rollers 48 and 49 that are provided downstream of the medium supporting member 50 in the transport direction Y0, and on the same upper side as the discharge driven rollers 44 with respect to the transport path of the medium M. The guide rollers 48 and 49 are driven to rotate as a result of the medium M coming into contact therewith. The guide rollers 48 and 49 are provided on either side of the discharge roller pair 42 so as to sandwich the discharge roller pair 42 in the transport direction Y0, and the lower end of at least one of the guide rollers 48 and 49 on either side is positioned lower than the upper end TP of the discharge driving roller 420. Thus, the lower end of at least one of the plurality of guide rollers 48 and 49 is positioned lower than the upper end TP of the discharge driving roller 420, and thus the medium M is pressed firmly against the outer circumferential surface 420A of the discharge driving roller 420. As a result, the winding amount of the medium M wound around the portion of the outer circumferential surface 420A of the discharge driving roller 420 increases and the contact area with the outer circumferential surface 420A increases, and thus, the contact friction resistance with the outer circumferential surface 420A is increased. Thus, even when the rear end Mb of the medium M is kicked out in the moment the rear end Mb is released from the transport roller pair 41, a deterioration in a transport position accuracy of the medium is suppressed by the increased frictional force (the braking force) resulting from the section of the medium M in contact with the discharge driving roller 420 being pressed against the outer circumferential surface 420A.
(2) The guide rollers are provided on either side with respect to the discharge roller pair 42 in the transport direction Y0 and include the first roller 48 provided upstream of the discharge roller pair 42 in the transport direction Y0, and the second roller 49 provided downstream of the discharge roller pair 42 in the transport direction Y0. The lower end of the second roller 49 is positioned lower than the upper end TP of the discharge driving roller 420. Thus, of the first roller 48 and the second roller 49 positioned on both sides of the discharge driving roller 420 in the transport direction Y0, the lower end of the second roller 49 is positioned lower than the upper end TP of the discharge driving roller 420, and thus, the section of the medium M clamped between the discharge roller pair 42 is firmly pressed against the outer circumferential surface 420A of the discharge driving roller 420. Thus, even if the rear end Mb of the medium M is kicked out by the transport roller pair 41 when the rear end Mb is released from the transport roller pair 41, the deterioration in the transport position accuracy of the medium M is suppressed by the increased frictional force (the braking force) resulting from the fact that the medium M is pressed against the outer circumferential surface 420A.
(3) The lower end of the first roller 48 is positioned lower than the upper end TP of the discharge driving roller 420. Thus, the lower end of the first roller 48 and the lower end of the second roller 49 are both positioned lower than the upper end TP of the discharge driving roller 420, and thus the medium M is pressed more firmly against the outer circumferential surface 420A of the discharge driving roller 420. Thus, even if the rear end Mb of the medium M is kicked out by the transport roller pair 41, the deterioration in the transport position accuracy of the medium M is suppressed by the increased frictional force (the braking force) resulting from the medium M being pressed against the outer circumferential surface 420A.
(4) The difference in dimensions, in the vertical direction, between the lower end of the first roller 48 and the lower end of the second roller 49 is set to be equal to or less than the overlap amount between the second roller 49 and the discharge driving roller 420 in the vertical direction. Thus, since the medium M can be firmly pressed against the outer circumferential surface 420A of the discharge driving roller 420 by the lower end of the first roller 48 and the lower end of the second roller 49, the necessary winding amount is secured, and, as a result, failures caused by the medium M being excessively pressed downward by the first roller 48 and the second roller 49 can be suppressed. For example, if the first roller 48 is positioned too far downward, marks and scratches easily occur on the recording surface of the medium M. Further, if the second roller 49 is positioned too far downward, the section of the medium M upstream of the discharge roller pair 42 is lifted up, and the possibility of the rear end portion of the medium M coming into contact with the recording head 25 increases. In contrast, according to this configuration, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of marks and scratches on the recording surface of the medium M, and to suppress the rear end portion of the medium M from floating and coming into contact with the recording head 25. Thus, the deterioration in the transport position accuracy of the medium M due to the kicking phenomenon of the medium M can be suppressed, and thus, failures caused by the medium M being excessively pressed downward by the first roller 48 and the second roller 49 can be suppressed.
(5) The second rollers 49 are disposed in positions corresponding to the positions between the discharge driven rollers 44 in the width direction X. Thus, the wave-like shape is formed in the medium M such that the section that rests on the discharge driving roller 420 is the ridge portion and the portion that is pressed downward by the second roller 49 is the valley portion. Thus, the rear end portion, which is the upstream end portion of the medium M in the transport direction Y0, can be inhibited from floating and coming into contact with the recording head 25.
(6) The first rollers 48 and the second rollers 49 have the same positions in the width direction X. Thus, the medium M is formed in the wave-like shape such that the section resting on the discharge driving roller 420 is the ridge portion, and the sections pressed downward by the first roller 48 and the second roller 49 are the valley portions. Thus, the rear end portion of the medium M can be inhibited from floating and coming into contact with the recording head 25.
(7) The first roller 48 is urged downward by the first urging force F1 in the state in which the first roller 48 can be displaced upward. The second roller 49 is urged downward by the second urging force F2 in the state in which the second roller 49 can be displaced upward. The discharge driven roller 44 is urged downward toward the discharge driving roller 420 by the third urging force F3 in the state in which the discharge driven roller 44 can be displaced upward. The first urging force F1 of the first roller 48 and the second urging force F2 of the second roller 49 are smaller than the third urging force F3 of the discharge driven roller 44. Thus, since the first urging force F1 of the first roller 48 and the second urging force F2 of the second roller 49 are smaller than the third urging force F3 of the discharge driven roller 44, it is possible to suppress the generation of the excessive frictional force due to the medium M being firmly pressed against the outer circumferential surface 420A of the discharge driving roller 420. For example, the overlap amount between the first roller 48 or the second roller 49 and the discharge driving roller 420 changes in accordance with the rigidity of the medium M. As a result, it is possible to suppress the medium M having the high rigidity from being wound by an excessive amount around the outer circumferential surface 420A of the discharge driving roller 420. Thus, it is possible to suppress the deterioration in the transport position accuracy of the medium M caused by the excessive frictional force between the medium M and the discharge roller pair 42 when the medium M is transported.
(8) The second distance between the second roller 49 and the upper end TP of the discharge driving roller 420 in the transport direction Y0 is shorter than the first distance between the first roller 48 and the upper end TP of the discharge driving roller 420 in the transport direction Y0. Thus, it is possible to prevent the second roller 49 from being positioned too far downward. As a result, it is possible to keep small the amount by which the upstream section of the medium M in the transport direction Y0 is lifted up, with the upper end TP of the discharge driving roller 420 as the fulcrum, when the second roller 49 presses the medium M. For example, it is possible to suppress the upstream section of the medium M from being lifted up and coming into contact with the recording head 25.
(9) The medium supporting member 50 alternately includes the ribs 54 and 55 including the support surface 50A that supports the medium M, and the recessed regions 59 formed in the regions other than the ribs 54 and 55 in the width direction X. The positions of the second rollers 49 in the width direction X are the same as those of the recessed regions 59. Thus, the medium M is formed in the wave-like shape in which the section supported by the rib 54 is the ridge portion and the section corresponding to the recessed region 59 and the second roller 49 is the valley portion. Thus, the rear end portion of the medium M can be inhibited from floating and coming into contact with the recording head 25.
(10) The pressing members 81 that press the medium M to a position lower than the support surface of the supporting member of the medium M are provided in positions upstream of the recording position of the recording unit in the transport direction Y0. The second rollers 49 are disposed in positions that are the same, in the width direction X, as those of the pressing members 81. Thus, the medium M is formed in the wave-like shape in which the ridge portions and the valley portions are repeated in the width direction X, such that the sections of the medium M supported by the support surface and the discharge driving rollers 420 are the ridge portions, and the sections of the medium M pressed by the pressing members 81 and the second rollers 49 are the valley portions. As a result, the rigidity of the medium M is increased, and thus, it is possible to inhibit the tip portion of the medium M from floating and coming into contact with the recording head 25, and to inhibit the rear end portion of the medium M from floating and coming into contact with the recording head 25.
(11) The second roller 49, which is an example of the guide roller, is provided on both sides of the discharge driving roller 420 in the width direction X, and the lower ends of the guide rollers 48 and 49 are positioned lower than the upper end TP of the discharge driving roller 420. Thus, the medium M is pressed against the outer circumferential surface 420A of the discharge driving roller 420 by the guide rollers 48 and 49 positioned on both sides of the discharge driving roller 420 in the width direction X. Thus, even if the rear end Mb of the medium M is kicked out by the transport roller pair 41, the deterioration in the transport position accuracy of the medium M can be suppressed by the frictional force (the braking force) resulting from the medium M being pressed against the outer circumferential surface 420A.
Note that the above-described embodiment may be modified, as in the following modified examples. Furthermore, the above-described embodiment and the modified examples described below can be combined as appropriate and used as further modified examples, or combinations of the following modified examples can be combined as appropriate and used as further modified examples.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
Note that in the configuration illustrated in
Hereinafter, technical concepts and effects thereof that are understood from the above-described embodiment and modified examples will be described.
(A) A recording device is a recording device including a transport unit that transports a medium along a horizontal direction in a transport direction, a medium supporting member that includes a supporting surface supporting the medium, and a recording head that performs recording on the medium at a position facing the medium supporting member. The transport unit includes a transport roller pair formed of a transport driving roller and a transport driven roller provided upstream of the medium supporting member in the transport direction, a discharge roller pair formed by a discharge driving roller and a discharge driven roller provided downstream of the medium supporting member in the transport direction, and a guide roller provided downstream of the medium supporting member in the transport direction, and on the same upper side as the discharge driven roller with respect to a transport path of the medium, and driven to rotate by contact with the medium during transport. The guide roller is provided on both sides of the discharge roller pair in the transport direction or on both sides of the driven discharge roller in a width direction intersecting the transport direction, and a lower end of at least one of the guide rollers on the both sides is positioned lower than an upper end of the discharge driving roller.
According to this configuration, the lower end of at least one of the plurality of guide rollers is positioned lower than the upper end of the discharge driving roller, and thus the medium is pressed firmly against the outer circumferential surface of the discharge driving roller. As a result, a winding amount of the medium wound around a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the discharge driving roller increases and a contact area with the outer circumferential surface increases, and thus, contact friction resistance with the outer circumferential surface is increased. Thus, even when the rear end of the medium is kicked out at the moment the rear end is released from the transport roller pair, a deterioration in a transport position accuracy of the medium is suppressed by the increased frictional force (braking force) resulting from the section of the medium in contact with the discharge driving roller being pressed against the outer circumferential surface.
(B) The guide roller may be provided on both sides of the discharge roller pair in the transport direction, and the guide roller may be a first roller disposed upstream of the discharge roller pair in the transport direction, and a second roller provided downstream of the discharge roller pair in the transport direction. A lower end of the second roller may be positioned lower than the upper end of the discharge driving roller.
According to this configuration, of the first roller and the second roller positioned on either side of the discharge driving roller in the transport direction, the lower end of the second roller is positioned lower than the upper end of the discharge driving roller, and thus, a section of the medium clamped between the discharge roller pair, is firmly pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the discharge driving roller. Thus, even when the rear end of the medium is kicked out at the moment the rear end is released from the transport roller pair, the deterioration in the transport position accuracy of the medium is suppressed by the increased frictional force (braking force) resulting from the medium being pressed against the outer circumferential surface.
(C) The lower end of the first roller may be positioned lower than the upper end of the discharge driving roller.
According to this configuration, the lower end of the first roller and the lower end of the second roller are both positioned lower than the upper end of the discharge driving roller, and thus, the medium is even more firmly pressed against the outer circumferential surface of the discharge driving roller. Thus, even when the rear end of the medium is kicked out by the transport roller pair, the deterioration in the transport position accuracy of the medium is suppressed by the increased frictional force (braking force) resulting from the medium being pressed against the outer circumferential surface.
(D) A difference in dimensions, in the vertical direction, between the lower end of the first roller and the lower end of the second roller may be no greater than an overlap amount, in the vertical direction, between the second roller and the discharge driving roller.
According to this configuration, since the lower end of the first roller and the lower end of the second roller press the medium firmly against the outer circumferential surface of the discharge driving roller, the necessary winding amount is secured, and, as a result, failures caused by the medium being excessively pressed downward by the first roller and the second roller can be suppressed. For example, if the first roller is positioned too far downward, marks and scratches easily occur on a recording surface of the medium. Further, if the second roller is positioned too far downward, the section of the medium upstream of the discharge roller pair is lifted up, and a possibility of the rear end portion of the medium coming into contact with the recording head increases. In contrast, according to this configuration, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of marks and scratches on the recording surface of the medium, and to suppress the rear end portion of the medium from floating and coming into contact with the recording head. Thus, the deterioration in the transport position accuracy of the medium due to the kicking phenomenon of the medium can be suppressed, and thus, failures caused by the medium being excessively pressed downward by the first roller and the second roller can be suppressed.
(E) A position of the second roller in the width direction may be disposed corresponding to a position between the discharge driven rollers.
According to this configuration, a wave-like shape is formed in the medium such that the section resting on the discharge driving roller is a ridge portion and a section pressed downward by the second roller is a valley portion. Thus, the rear end portion, which is an upstream end portion of the medium in the transport direction, can be inhibited from floating and coming into contact with the recording head.
(F) Positions of the first roller and the second roller may be the same in the width direction.
According to this configuration, the medium is formed in the wave-like shape such that the section resting on the discharge driving roller is the ridge portion and the sections pressed down by the first roller and the second roller are the valley portions. Thus, the rear end of the medium can be inhibited from floating and coming into contact with the recording head.
(G) The first roller may be urged downward by a first urging force while being upwardly displaceable, and the second roller may be urged downward by a second urging force while being upwardly displaceable. The discharge driven roller may urged downward toward the discharge driving roller by a third urging force while being upwardly displaceable. The first urging force of the first roller and the second urging force of the second roller may be smaller than the third urging force of the discharge driven roller.
According to this configuration, the first urging force of the first roller and the second urging force of the second roller are smaller than the third urging force of the discharge driven roller, and thus, it is possible to suppress generation of an excessive frictional force due to the medium being firmly pressed against the outer circumferential surface of the discharge driving roller. For example, an overlap amount between the first roller, the second roller, and the discharge driving roller changes in accordance with the rigidity of the medium. As a result, it is possible to suppress the medium having the high rigidity from being wound by an excessive amount around the outer circumferential surface of the discharge driving roller. Thus, it is possible to suppress a deterioration in the transport position accuracy of the medium caused by the excessive frictional force between the medium and the discharge roller pair when the medium is transported.
(H) A second distance, in the transport direction, between the second roller and the upper end of the discharge driving roller may be shorter than a first distance, in the transport direction, between the first roller and the upper end of the discharge driving roller.
According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent the second roller from being positioned too far downward. Thus, it is possible to keep small an amount by which an upstream section of the medium, in the transport direction, is lifted up, with the upper end of the discharge driving roller acting as a fulcrum, when the second roller presses the medium. For example, it is possible to suppress the upstream section of the medium from being lifted up and coming into contact with the recording head.
(I) The medium supporting member may alternately include ribs and recessed regions in the width direction, the ribs including the supporting surface supporting the medium and the recessed regions being formed in regions other than the ribs, and a position of the second roller in the width direction may be the same as a position of the recessed region.
According to this configuration, the medium is formed in the wave-like shape in which the section supported by the rib is the ridge portion and the section corresponding to the recessed region and the second roller is the valley portion. Thus, the rear end of the medium can be inhibited from floating and coming into contact with the recording head.
(J) The recording device may include a pressing member configured to press the medium to a position lower than the supporting surface of the medium supporting member, at a position upstream of a recording position of the recording head in the transport direction. A position of the second roller in the width direction may be the same as a position of the pressing member.
According to this configuration, the medium is formed in the wave-like shape in which the ridge portions and the valley portions are repeated in the width direction X, such that the sections of the medium supported by the support surface and the discharge driving roller are the ridge portions, and the sections of the medium pressed by the pressing member and the second roller are the valley portions. As a result, the rigidity of the medium is increased, and thus, it is possible to inhibit a tip portion of the medium from floating and coming into contact with the recording head, and to inhibit the rear end portion of the medium from floating and coming into contact with the recording head.
(K) the guide roller may be provided on both sides of the discharge driving roller in the width direction, and a lower end of the guide roller may be positioned lower than an upper end of the discharge driving roller.
According to this configuration, the medium is pressed against the outer circumferential surface of the discharge driving roller by the guide rollers positioned on both sides of the discharge driving roller in the width direction. Thus, even when the rear end of the medium is kicked out from the transport roller pair, the deterioration in the transport position accuracy of the medium can be suppressed by the frictional force (the braking force) resulting from the medium being pressed against the outer circumferential surface.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2020-090701 | May 2020 | JP | national |