JP2012206368A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

In an image forming apparatus, a recording medium is curled and conveyed upward, and the image quality is prevented from being deteriorated by touching a print head or the like.
In the image forming apparatus, when the recording medium P is curled and conveyed upward, the recording surface side of the recording medium P is pushed down to the platen 20 side by the gas blown out from the air blowing port 58. It can prevent the image quality from being impaired.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as described in Patent Document 1, for example, an inkjet printer having a structure in which a recording medium that absorbs ink and curls upward from a discharge roller is pushed down by a star wheel has been known.

JP-A-10-129910

  However, the inkjet printer described in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that the star wheel touches the recording surface of the recording medium and the ink attached to the recording surface of the recording medium is peeled off.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and can be realized as the following forms or application examples.

  Application Example 1 An image forming apparatus according to this application example includes a blowing unit having an air intake port, an air blowing port, and a blower pipe connecting the air intake port and the air blowing port. The air outlet is disposed in a direction to be pushed down from the recording surface side of the recording medium to the platen side by the gas blown out from the air outlet.

  According to this application example, since the recording surface of the recording medium is pushed down by the gas, it is possible to prevent the recording surface of the recording medium from being damaged. Therefore, an image forming apparatus with higher image quality can be provided.

  Application Example 2 In the image forming apparatus according to the application example described above, it is preferable that the air blowing port is installed so that the gas is directed downstream in the conveyance direction of the recording medium.

  According to this application example, it is possible to prevent the gas from coming into contact with the print head, and it is possible to prevent disturbance of ink discharge, thereby providing an image forming apparatus with higher image quality.

  Application Example 3 In the image forming apparatus according to the application example, the air blowing unit includes a suction pipe, a pump that takes in the gas from the air intake port and the suction pipe, and the platen It is preferable that a suction port connected to the suction pipe is provided, and the recording medium is sucked from the suction port by the pump.

  According to this application example, by adsorbing the recording medium from the platen, it is possible to avoid the recording medium from curling and touching the print head, and it is possible to avoid deterioration in image quality. Further, since the suction of the suction port and the intake of the gas from the air intake port can be combined with the pump of the air blowing means, the device configuration can be simplified and the device cost can be reduced. Become.

  Application Example 4 In the image forming apparatus according to the application example described above, the air blowing unit further includes a heat source installed in the air blowing pipe, and the gas is blown out from the air blowing port. It is preferable to be heated by the heat source.

  According to this application example, since the gas is a warmed gas, drying of the ink after printing can be promoted, and deterioration of image quality can be prevented even when the printing is repeated after printing. It becomes possible to do. Accordingly, it is not necessary to remove the printed matter every time printing is completed, and an image forming apparatus with improved convenience can be provided.

  Application Example 5 In the image forming apparatus described in the application example, it is preferable that the heat source also serves as a heat source for heating the recording medium.

  According to this application example, the heat source does not need to be newly installed to warm the gas, and can also serve as a heat source for warming the recording medium. Thus, a small image forming apparatus can be provided.

  Application Example 6 The image forming apparatus described in the application example described above preferably includes an electric board for driving the image forming apparatus, and the air intake port is provided in the vicinity of the electric board. .

  According to this application example, by sucking the gas containing heat radiated from the electric board from the air intake port, not only the heat radiation efficiency from the electric board is increased, but also the heat contained in the gas is taken. By using it for promoting the drying of the recording medium, an image forming apparatus with improved convenience can be provided.

1 is a perspective view of an ink jet printer according to a first embodiment of the present invention viewed from the upper surface side. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an inkjet printer according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention as viewed from the side. Sectional drawing which looked at the inkjet printer which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention from the side. The perspective view which looked at the inkjet printer which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention from the upper surface side. The perspective view which looked at the inkjet printer which concerns on Embodiment 4 of this invention from the upper surface side. The perspective view which looked at the inkjet printer which concerns on Embodiment 5 of this invention from the upper surface side.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, the scale of each layer and each member is made different from the actual scale so that each layer and each member can be recognized.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the ink jet printer 100 according to the first embodiment as viewed from the upper surface side. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the inkjet printer 100 according to the first embodiment when viewed from the side.
First, a schematic configuration of an inkjet printer 100 as an image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment will be described.

The inkjet printer 100 includes a print head 10, a print head support shaft 15, a platen 20, a transport mechanism 25, a blower mechanism 30, a frame 60, and the like.
The print head 10 has a structure that ejects ink while reciprocating along the print head support shaft 15 in a direction Y that intersects the conveyance direction X of the recording medium P.
The platen 20 is a support for transporting the recording medium P horizontally.
The transport mechanism 25 is a structure for transporting the recording medium P in the transport direction.
The blower mechanism 30 includes an air intake port 50, a blower pipe 55 as a blower path, an air blower port 58, and a pump (not shown). The blower mechanism 30 has a structure in which the gas taken in from the air intake port 50 using a pump is blown downward (in the direction toward the recording medium P) from the air blowout port 58 via the blower tube 55. A plurality of air blowing ports 58 are provided so that the blown air hits substantially the entire Y direction of the recording medium P, and is arranged in the blowing tube 55 along the extending direction of the blowing tube 55.

As described above, according to the inkjet printer 100 according to the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
Since the recording medium P can be pressed against the platen 20 by the gas blown from the air blowing port 58, the recording medium P that is discharged while absorbing ink and curling upward without using the star wheel is printed head 10. Further, it is possible to prevent the ink discharged from the recording medium P from being peeled off by touching the frame 60 or the recording surface of the recording medium P from being scratched to deteriorate the image quality.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the inkjet printer 200 according to the second embodiment when viewed from the side.
An ink jet printer 200 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to this drawing. In addition, about the component same as Embodiment 1, the same number is used and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted.

  In the second embodiment, the method of the recording medium P when the air blowing port 58 is located at a position facing the air blowing port 58 so that the gas blown from the air blowing port 58 flows downstream in the conveyance direction of the recording medium. It differs from the first embodiment in that it is inclined from the line.

As described above, according to the ink jet printer 200 according to the present embodiment, in addition to the effects in the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
It is possible to prevent the gas blown out from the air blowing port 58 from hitting the ink discharge port of the print head 10 and drying the ink at the ink discharge port of the print head 10 to cause clogging. Further, it is possible to prevent the gas ejected from the air ejection port 58 from hitting the ink ejected from the ink ejection port of the print head 10 to bend the flight direction of the ejected ink and shift the ink landing position. it can.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the ink jet printer 300 according to the third embodiment as viewed from the upper surface side.
An ink jet printer 300 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to this drawing. In addition, about the component same as Embodiment 1, the same number is used and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted.

The third embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that a suction port 70 is provided in the platen 20 and a recording medium is sucked from the back side of the print surface through the suction port 70.
Here, the suction port 70 is connected to the suction pipe 80 provided in the blower mechanism 30 on the surface opposite to the surface on which the recording medium P of the platen 20 is supported, and is illustrated in the blower mechanism 30. The recording medium is sucked from the suction port 70 at the same time as the gas is taken in from the air intake port 50 by the pump that does not.

As described above, according to the ink jet printer 300 according to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained in addition to the effects of the first embodiment.
By sucking the recording medium P onto the platen 20, it is possible to assist the pressing of the recording medium P against the platen 20 with the gas blown out from the air blowing port 58, and the recording medium discharged while absorbing ink and curling upward. It is possible to prevent the P from touching the print head 10 or the frame 60 to remove the ink ejected to the recording medium P, or to damage the recording surface of the recording medium P to deteriorate the image quality.

(Embodiment 4)
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the ink jet printer 400 according to the fourth embodiment as viewed from the upper surface side.
Hereinafter, the inkjet printer 400 according to the fourth embodiment will be described. In addition, about the component same as Embodiment 1, the same number is attached | subjected and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted.

  The fourth embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the heater 35 is arranged in the middle of the blower pipe 55.

  According to the ink jet printer 400 according to the fourth embodiment, in addition to the effects in the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. That is, the gas blown out from the air blowing port 58 is warmed by the heater 35 provided in the blower pipe 55 before being blown out from the air blowing port 58 and blown toward the recording surface of the recording medium P, whereby the recording medium The drying of the ink discharged to P can be promoted.

(Embodiment 5)
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the ink jet printer 500 according to the fifth embodiment as viewed from the upper surface side. Hereinafter, the inkjet printer 500 according to the fifth embodiment will be described. In addition, about the component same as Embodiment 1, the same number is attached | subjected and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted.

The fifth embodiment is different from the fourth embodiment in that an air intake port that sucks in to blow out from the air blowing port 58 is disposed in the vicinity of the electric substrate 40 for driving the inkjet printer 500.
In the present embodiment, an air intake portion 90 connected to the electric substrate 40 by the air blowing mechanism 30 and the suction pipe 80 is provided, and an air intake port (not shown) is provided on the side of the air intake portion 90 facing the electric substrate 40 (up to the foregoing). This corresponds to the air intake 50 in the embodiment.).

  According to the ink jet printer 500 according to the fifth embodiment, in addition to the effects in the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. That is, the heat generated in the electric substrate 40 is sucked by the air intake port 50 to promote heat dissipation of the electric substrate 40, and the heat sucked from the air intake port 50 is released from the air blowing port 58 to thereby record the recording medium P. It is possible to promote drying of the ink discharged onto the ink.

In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the recording medium is a cut sheet, and the operation of moving the print head relative to the recording medium (main scanning) and the operation of transporting the recording medium in the direction intersecting the moving direction of the print head (sub-scan However, the present invention is not limited to this, but is not limited to this, a so-called large format printer that prints on continuous paper, or a line type print head in which a plurality of nozzles are arranged across the width of the recording medium A so-called line printer that forms an image by ejecting ink from a plurality of nozzles to the recording medium when passing under the line type print head while transporting the recording medium in a direction crossing the paper width direction The present invention can be applied to a printer that performs printing using dots. The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, various additions and changes can be made within the scope of the present invention, such as combining the first to fifth embodiments as appropriate.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Print head, 7 ... Star wheel, 15 ... Print head support shaft, 20 ... Platen, 25 ... Conveyance mechanism, 30 ... Blower mechanism, 35 ... Heater, 40 ... Electric board, 50 ... Air intake port, 55 ... Blower pipe , 58 ... air blowing port, 60 ... frame, 70 ... suction port, 80 ... suction pipe, 90 ... air intake, P ... recording medium, X ... recording medium transport direction, Y ... print head scanning direction

Claims (6)

In an image forming apparatus, comprising: a recording medium conveying unit; a platen that supports the recording medium; and a print head that forms an image on the recording medium.
Providing air blowing means having an air intake opening, an air blowing opening, and a blower pipe connecting the air intake opening and the air blowing opening;
The air blowing port is disposed downstream of the print head in the conveyance direction of the recording medium, and the recording medium is moved to the recording medium by the gas blown from the air blowing port by the air blowing port. An image forming apparatus, wherein the image forming apparatus is installed so as to be pushed down from a recording surface side to the platen side.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the air blowing port is provided so that the gas is directed downstream in a conveyance direction of the recording medium. The blowing means has a suction pipe, a pump for taking in the gas from the air intake port and the suction pipe,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the platen has a suction port connected to the suction pipe, and the recording medium is sucked from the suction port by the pump. The blower means further includes a heat source installed in the blower pipe,
4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gas is heated by the heat source before being blown from the air blowing port. 5.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heat source also serves as a heat source for heating the recording medium.   6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an electric substrate for driving the image forming apparatus, wherein the air intake port is disposed in the vicinity of the electric substrate. The image forming apparatus described.

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