JP2012213962A - Heater unit, and recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a heater unit and a recording device that can suppress the blowing of a foreign substance toward a medium.SOLUTION: The heater unit includes: an intake section 35 that takes in air via an intake opening 33; an air channel 36 in which the air taken in by the intake section 35 flows; a heating section 38 that heats the air and is positioned in the midway of the air channel 36; an outlet 34 that discharges the air heated by the heating section 38 from the downstream of the air channel 36; and an opening K that is positioned at a passage plane of the air channel 36 which plane is downside in the perpendicular direction.

Description

  The present invention relates to a heater unit and a recording apparatus.

In general, an ink jet recording apparatus is widely known as a recording apparatus that performs recording by attaching a liquid to a recording medium. In such a recording apparatus, a drying apparatus for drying the recording medium on which the ink (liquid) is adhered is provided on the recording medium conveyance path (for example, Patent Document 1).

This drying device includes a suction fan for taking in air from the outside, a heater for warming up the taken-in air, a blowout port for blowing out the warmed air (warm air) toward the recording medium in the middle of conveyance, And a circulation space that guides the warm air blown from the air outlet to the intake fan again. Then, the ink adhering to the recording medium is dried by circulating hot air and spraying it on the recording medium.

JP 2009-45861 A

By the way, in the recording apparatus of Patent Document 1, since the suction fan sucks air in the recording apparatus, there is a possibility that foreign matters such as paper dust and dust adhering to the recording medium are mixed in the sucked air. For this reason, there is a possibility that the foreign matter is blown along with the warm air on the recording medium.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a heater unit and a recording apparatus capable of suppressing the spraying of foreign matter on a medium.

In order to solve the above-described problems, a heater unit according to the present invention includes an inhalation unit that inhales air through an inhalation port, an air passage through which the air inhaled by the inhalation unit flows, and an air passage A heating means arranged in the middle for heating the air, a discharge port for discharging the air heated by the heating means from downstream of the air flow path, and a flow path surface on the lower side in the vertical direction of the air flow path And an opening provided.

According to the heater unit of the present invention, the air sucked by the suction means can flow out of the flow path through the opening. Therefore, foreign matter such as dust contained in the air supplied to the air flow path can be collected in the opening. Moreover, the foreign material dropped from the air supplied to the air flow path can be dropped directly into the opening on the lower side in the vertical direction. Therefore, the amount of foreign matter contained in the air discharged from the discharge port can be suppressed, and the amount of foreign matter sprayed on the object can be greatly reduced.

In the heater unit, the air flow path includes a first flow path forming member provided in the main body part, and a second flow path forming member provided integrally with the suction means attached to the main body part. Preferably, the opening is formed by a gap in the first flow path forming member and the second flow path forming member.
According to this configuration, the opening can be simply and reliably configured by the gap generated between the first flow path forming member and the second flow path forming member by attaching the suction means to the main body.

In the heater unit, it is preferable that the suction means is swingably attached to the main body.
According to this configuration, when the suction unit is driven, the suction unit can be swung with respect to the main body. Therefore, for example, when a foreign substance adheres to the second flow path forming member provided integrally with the suction means, the foreign substance can be recovered by dropping it into the gap.

In the heater unit, it is preferable that the opening communicates with a space flowing from the air flow path through the opening.
According to this structure, the foreign material contained in air can be deposited in space because the air which flowed through the opening part stagnates in the space. Therefore, the foreign matter contained in the air can be removed satisfactorily.

Further, in the heater unit, the air flow path has an inclined portion that is inclined toward the upper side in the vertical direction with respect to the opening surface of the opening on the downstream side of the flow path surface where the opening is provided. Is preferred.
According to this configuration, the air blown into the opening can collide with the inclined portion. Therefore, it is possible to positively generate air stagnation in the vicinity of the opening, and it is possible to efficiently collect foreign matter contained in the air in the opening.

The recording apparatus of the present invention is a recording apparatus having a recording head that ejects fluid to a recording medium, and a heater unit that dries the fluid on the recording medium, and the heater unit described above is used as the heater unit. It is characterized by having.

According to the recording apparatus of the present invention, for example, even when the suction unit sucks air containing foreign matter such as paper dust generated from the recording medium, the foreign matter can be removed by the opening. Therefore, the fluid can be satisfactorily dried by blowing warm air that does not contain foreign substances from the discharge port onto the recording medium.

1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a recording apparatus. The perspective view which shows the structure of a heater unit. FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of a recording apparatus. The perspective view which shows the principal part structure of a heater unit. The figure for demonstrating the effect | action of a heater unit.

Hereinafter, the present invention is an ink jet recording apparatus (hereinafter referred to as “recording apparatus”) which is a kind of recording apparatus.
Abbreviated. ) And an embodiment embodied in a drying device provided in the recording apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. In the drawings in the following description, an XYZ coordinate system may be used, and the direction in which the continuous paper on which recording is specifically performed is conveyed from the printer below the recording head to below the heater unit is defined as Y. The width direction of the continuous paper is indicated by the X direction. That is, the sheet conveyance surface in the conveyance device can be defined by the XY plane. Also, the direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying surface is Z
It shall be indicated by direction. In addition, in the arrows indicating the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction in the drawings,
Items marked with “•” in “○” (view of the tip of the arrow from the front) mean an arrow heading from the back of the page to the front, and “×” is written in “○”. Thing (view of arrow feathers from behind)
Means an arrow from the front to the back of the page.

As shown in FIG. 1, the recording apparatus 11 includes a substantially rectangular box-shaped main body case 12 that forms the outline of the recording apparatus 11.
It has. In the main body case 12, a feeding unit 13 that feeds a long continuous paper (recording medium) S, a recording unit 14 that performs recording by ejecting ink onto the fed continuous paper P, and a recording unit 14. A winding unit 15 is provided for winding the continuous paper P on which recording has been performed.

That is, in the main body case 12, the feeding unit 13 is disposed at a position near the rear side (−Y direction side) that is the upstream side in the transport direction of the continuous paper P, and the downstream side (+ Y).
A winding portion 15 is disposed at a position closer to the front side (direction side). A recording unit 14 is disposed in the middle of the conveyance path between the feeding unit 13 and the winding unit 15. A platen 16 capable of supporting the continuous paper P is provided at a position near the rear side in the recording unit 14.

As shown in FIG. 1, a winding shaft 17 extending in the X direction (a direction orthogonal to the paper surface) is rotatably provided in the feeding portion 13. The winding shaft 17 is supported so as to be rotatable integrally with the winding shaft 17 in a state in which the continuous paper P is previously wound in a roll shape. That is,
The continuous paper P is fed out of the winding shaft 17 by the rotation of the winding shaft 17 and is conveyed downstream in the conveying direction. Further, a first sheet for winding the continuous paper P fed from the winding shaft 17 and guiding it toward the recording unit 14 at a position on the oblique front side of the feeding unit 13.
The relay roller 18 is rotatably provided in a state extending in the X direction. Then, the continuous paper P fed from the winding shaft 17 is wound around the first relay roller 18 from the lower rear side, so that the conveyance direction of the continuous paper P is changed to the horizontal direction.

Further, on the front side of the platen 16, the first relay roller 1 on the upstream side across the platen 16 is disposed.
A second relay roller 19 that opposes 8 in the front-rear direction (Y direction) is provided to extend in the X direction in a manner parallel to the first relay roller 18. The positions of the first relay roller 18 and the second relay roller 19 are adjusted such that the top of each peripheral surface is at the same height as the support surface that is the upper surface of the platen 16. Therefore, the continuous paper P whose transport direction has been changed to the horizontal direction by the first relay roller 18 is transported to the front side which is the downstream side while being in sliding contact with the support surface of the platen 16, and then is moved upward to the second relay roller 19. , The conveying direction of the continuous paper P is converted from the horizontal direction to the front diagonally downward direction.

Further, a pair of transport rollers 20 and 21 are disposed at a position on the front side of the platen 16 and on the rear side of the second relay roller 19 with a gap therebetween. The conveying roller pairs 20 and 21 each extend in the X direction and are driven rollers 20a and 21a as roller members that contact a surface on which recording is performed on the continuous paper P, and a driven roller that contacts the other surface of the continuous paper P. 20
b and 21b. Then, in a state where the continuous paper P is held between the driving rollers 20a and 21a and the driven rollers 20b and 21b, the driven rollers 20b and 21b are driven to rotate and the continuous paper P is conveyed by the driven rotation of the driving rollers 20a and 21a. Is to be done.

A winding portion 15 is disposed on the front side of the second relay roller 19, and the winding shaft 2 is positioned at a position below the winding portion 15 (an obliquely lower front side of the second relay roller 19).
2 is rotatably provided. The leading end that is the downstream end in the conveyance direction of the continuous paper P is wound around the winding shaft 22. As described above, the feeding unit 13, the recording unit 14, the winding unit 15, and the conveyance roller pairs 20 and 21 constitute a conveyance unit that conveys the continuous paper P that is a recording medium along the conveyance path.

As shown in FIG. 1, a line head type recording head 23 is provided above the recording unit 14 and at a position facing the platen 16. The lower surface of the recording head 23 is a horizontal nozzle forming surface in which a plurality of nozzles (not shown) that eject ink are opened. The recording head 23 extends in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the continuous paper P in the horizontal direction, and the length in the longitudinal direction corresponds to the maximum paper width of the continuous paper P. The recording head 2
No. 3 performs recording by ejecting ink in the middle of the conveyance path to the recording area of the continuous paper P to be conveyed.

Furthermore, as a drying unit that performs a drying process on the continuous paper P to which the ink ejected from the recording head 23 is attached at a position in front of the recording head 23 that is downstream of the recording unit 14 in the conveyance direction of the continuous paper P. A mounting portion 5 to which the heater unit 24 can be attached and detached is provided. A controller 25 is electrically connected to the heater unit 24, and the controller 25
Thus, the temperature of the heater unit 24 is controlled.

As shown in FIG. 1, an opening 26 is formed at a position corresponding to the mounting portion 5 of the heater unit 24 on the upper surface 12 a of the main body case 12, and a lid capable of covering the opening 26. A body 27 is provided. The lid 27 is displaced between a cover position that covers the opening 26 (position shown by a solid line in FIG. 1) and a non-cover position that opens the opening 26 (position shown by a two-dot broken line in FIG. 1). As described above, the lid 27 is supported so as to be rotatable with respect to the main body case 12 via a rotary shaft 27a provided on the rear side. That is, the lid 27
Is adapted to rotate in the direction indicated by arrow A in FIG.

In addition, an opening 27b (see FIG. 2) into which a fingertip can be inserted is provided in the approximate center of the lid 27, and the surface on the inner surface side of the body case 12 in the lid 27 is omitted so as to cover the opening 27b. See FIG. 2 in which a U-shaped intrusion 27c is formed. That is, the opening 27b and the indented portion 27c serve as a handle for the user to insert the fingertip and rotationally displace the lid 27. Then, by displacing the lid 27 from the cover position to the non-cover position, the heater unit 24 can be attached to and detached from the mounting portion 5 in the main body case 12 through the opened opening 26. .

The heater unit 24 is located on the front side (downstream side) of the recording head 23 and includes a pair of transport rollers 2.
It is disposed at a position between 0 and 21 and extends in the horizontal direction in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the continuous paper P, and the length in the longitudinal direction corresponds to the maximum paper width of the continuous paper P. Yes.

Next, the heater unit 24 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the heater unit 24, and FIG. 3 is an enlarged schematic sectional view of the recording apparatus. As shown in FIG. 2, the heater unit 24 has a main body 31 having a substantially rectangular shape in plan view. The main body 31 is made of, for example, a resin such as modified polyphenylene ether, and the outer surface of the main body 31 forms an outer shell of the heater unit 24.

A plurality of suction ports 33 for taking in air are regularly formed at predetermined intervals on the side of the main body 31 on one side in the short side direction (+ Y side). On the downstream side of the plurality of suction ports 33, fans (suction means) 35 for sucking air through the suction ports 33 are respectively arranged (see FIG. 3). A gripping member 32 is provided on the top of the main body 31. The gripping member 32 is configured to be rotatable at a substantially right angle from a substantially horizontal plane (XY plane) around an axis extending in the longitudinal direction (predetermined direction, X-axis direction).

By grasping the gripping member 32 and lifting it upward, the heater unit 24 can be attached to and detached from the mounting portion 5 in the main body 31 (see FIG. 3). Further, the operator can easily carry the heater unit 24 by replacing the heater unit 24 by holding the holding member 32.

As shown in FIG. 3, a substantially rectangular air outlet (discharge port) 34 along the longitudinal direction of the main body 31 is located at the upstream side (−Y side) of the lower surface 31 c which is the lower side of the main body 31. An opening is formed toward the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the continuous paper P.

A fan unit 45 for taking in air outside the main body 31 through the suction port 33 is provided in the main body 31 at a position facing the suction port 33. Furthermore, an air flow path 36 for guiding the air taken in from the suction port 33 to the blowout port 34 is provided inside the main body 31.

A first sheet metal (first flow path forming member) 41 that constitutes a part of the air flow path 36 is attached to the inside of the main body 31. A second sheet metal (second flow path forming member) 42 that constitutes a part of the air flow path 36 is attached to the inside of the main body 31. The second sheet metal 42 is for holding a plurality of fans 35, and the plurality of fans 35 are fixed to the main body 31 via the second sheet metal 42.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of a fan unit 45 as a main configuration of the heater unit 24. The second sheet metal 42 has a substantially rectangular plate shape in plan view, and the fans 35 are regularly arranged at a predetermined interval. Note that the interval at which the fan 35 is disposed coincides with the suction port 33 provided in the main body 31. Further, the second sheet metal 42 is provided with a fixing portion 42 a fixed to the main body portion 31 on the side opposite to the mounting surface to which the fan 35 is attached.

Returning to FIG. 3, the first sheet metal 41 has a pair of bending members 41a and 41b. The bending members 41a and 41b have one end from the upstream side toward the downstream side, extending obliquely to the lower left in the figure and then curved obliquely to the lower right. The curved members 41 a and 41 b are connected at their downstream ends to the air outlets 34 provided on the bottom surface of the main body 31. Further, the bending member 41 a is configured such that the upstream end is in contact with the second sheet metal 42. The fan unit 45 is attached to the main body 31 via a fixing part 42 a of the second sheet metal 42.
In addition, an elastic member (not shown) is provided at an attachment portion between the fixing portion 42a and the main body portion 31,
As a result, the fan unit 45 can swing with respect to the main body 31 as will be described later.

Note that a resin member (not shown) is provided at a contact portion of the bending member 41a with the second sheet metal 42 so that the bending member 41a and the second sheet metal 42 are brought into close contact with each other. The air flow path 36 through which air flows in the main body 31 is defined by both side surfaces (not shown) of the main body 31 and the first sheet metal 41 and the second sheet metal 42.

A heater (heating means) 38 is provided in the air flow path 36 at a position downstream of the fan 35 in the air blowing direction and upstream of the air outlet 34. Further, as described above, the curved members 41a and 41b constituting the air flow path 36 below the heater 38 are inclined so that the upstream side is upward from the upstream side toward the downstream side.

The second sheet metal 42 includes a holding portion 43 that holds a plurality of fans, a convex portion 43a that protrudes in the + Y direction at the upper end in the Z direction of the holding portion 43, and a −Y direction at the lower end in the Z direction of the holding portion 43. And a protruding convex portion 43b.

Based on such a configuration, the heater unit 24 rotates the fan 35 in a state where the heater 38 generates heat, so that the air taken in from the suction port 33 is heated by the heater 38 and then warmed air (warm air). Are blown from the air outlet 34 provided at the bottom to the continuous paper P from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transport direction.

By the way, in the space where the mounting unit 5 to which the heater unit 24 is attached / detached is provided, the continuous paper P is sequentially conveyed, so that foreign matters such as paper dust and dust adhered to the continuous paper P are scattered. ing. Therefore, if foreign matter such as paper dust is included in the air taken in by the fan 35 of the heater unit 24 from the suction port 33, there is a possibility that the foreign matter is blown against the continuous paper P from the outlet 34.

On the other hand, in this embodiment, the opening K is provided in the flow path surface of the air flow path 36 on the lower side in the vertical direction. Specifically, when the second sheet metal 42 is attached to the main body 31, the convex part 43 b is designed to have a gap S between the curved member 41 b of the first sheet metal 41. That is, the opening K is constituted by a gap S generated between the first sheet metal 41 and the second sheet metal 42. In this way, the opening K is simply and reliably formed by using the gap S generated between the first sheet metal 41 and the second sheet metal 42. The opening K is provided in the vicinity of the fan 35 in the air flow path 36.

Further, the bending member 41b has an inclined surface 41c that is inclined obliquely upward leftward toward the upper side in the vertical direction (+ Z direction side) with respect to the convex portion 43b of the second metal plate 42. That is, the inclined surface 41
c is provided in the vicinity of the opening K.

Further, inside the main body 31 of the heater unit 24, there are a front side surface 31 b and a lower surface 31.
c, Independent space portions (spaces) 39 defined by both side surfaces and the bending member 41b are formed. The space 90 communicates with the air flow path 36 through the opening K. This space part 3
9 is for letting air flow in from the air flow path 36 through the opening K. Stagnation occurs in the air that flows into the space 39 from the air flow path 36.

A filter 44 is provided in the space 39. This filter 44 is for capturing foreign substances contained in the air flowing into the space 39. For example, if the filter 44 has a structure capable of capturing foreign substances such as paper dust while allowing air to pass through, the filter 44 is appropriately employed. Can do.
As an example of the filter 44, for example, a porous member such as a sponge can be used.
As a result, foreign matter (paper dust or foreign matter) contained in the air flowing into the space 39 can be reliably captured.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the heater unit 24 is accurately attached to the attachment unit 5, the continuous paper P between the transport roller pairs 20 and 21 by the lower surface 31 c of the main body 31 in the heater unit 24. The upper part of the recording area is covered from above. Then, the hot air blown from the blower outlet 34 of the heater unit 24 toward the continuous paper P is retained by the surface of the continuous paper P, the lower surface 31c of the main body 31 and the conveying roller pair 20, 21, and the continuous paper P A drying region D for drying ink is formed. That is, dry region D
Drive roller 20a, 21 in which the upstream and downstream regions in the transport direction of the continuous paper P in the drying region D abut the surface of the continuous paper P.
It is covered with a. In this regard, the main body 3 in the heater unit 24
The lower surface 31c of No. 1 functions as an extending surface portion that is formed so as to cover the transport path from above from the air outlet 34 toward the downstream side in the transport direction of the continuous paper P.
As described above, in this embodiment, the feeding unit 13, the recording unit 14, the transport roller pair 20,
A drying device for forming a drying region D for drying the continuous paper P transported by the transport unit 21 and the winding unit 15 and the heater unit 24 is configured.

In addition, the heater unit 24 is configured such that the lower surface 31 c of the main body 31 is formed in a planar shape, and the center of gravity is at the center of the heater unit 24. Therefore, when the heater unit 24 is taken out from the mounting portion 5, the heater unit 24 alone can be directly placed on the floor or a desk in the mounted posture.

Next, the operation of the recording apparatus 11 configured as described above will be described by focusing attention on the drying process of the continuous paper P in the drying region D.
For example, when the recording process is started in the recording apparatus 11, the heater 38 of the heater unit 24 generates heat and the fan 35 is driven to start blowing hot air, and the continuous paper P is fed out from the feeding unit 13 and is conveyed in the transport direction. From the upstream side to the downstream side. Subsequently, when the continuous paper P is conveyed to the recording unit 14, the continuous paper P sliding on the platen 16 in the recording unit 14.
Ink is ejected from the recording head 23 onto the surface of the continuous paper P. Then, the continuous paper P to which the ink is attached is further conveyed and passes through the drying region D. In the dry area D,
The air outlet 34 of the heater unit 24 located upstream from the surface of the continuous paper P being conveyed.
Hot air is blown toward the downstream side.

At this time, the heater unit 24 drives each fan 35 of the fan unit 45 and takes in air outside the main body 31 through the suction port 33. At this time, the air taken in from the suction port 33 contains foreign matters such as paper dust. Foreign matter contained in the air taken into the air flow path 36 falls down in the vertical direction due to gravity and is collected in the opening K. Since the opening K is provided in the air flow path 36 in the vicinity of the fan 35, foreign matter can be efficiently recovered from the air immediately after being taken in by the fan 35. A part of the air taken into the air flow path 36 flows into the space 39 through the opening K. Therefore, the foreign matter falling toward the opening K can be actively drawn into the space 39 as described above.

Further, the air taken into the air flow path 36 by the fan 35 collides with an inclined surface 41 c provided in the vicinity of the opening K. Thereby, it is possible to positively generate air stagnation in the vicinity of the opening K, and it is possible to efficiently collect foreign matter contained in the air in the opening K.

The air that has flowed into the space 39 through the opening K flows into a wide space (space 39) from a narrow space (opening K) at one end, so that a large stagnation occurs. Accordingly, the foreign matter contained in the air that has entered the space 39 through the opening K falls onto the filter 44 provided in the space 39 and is reliably captured. Further, when the air that has entered the space 39 through the opening K passes through the filter 44, the foreign matter contained in the air is reliably captured by the filter 44. Therefore, since the foreign matter drawn into the space 39 from the opening K is reliably captured by the filter 44, it is possible to reliably prevent the occurrence of a problem that the foreign matter scatters from the opening K to the air flow path 36 again. it can.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the heater unit 24.
Here, foreign matter that has not been successfully drawn into the opening K may adhere to the convex portion 43b of the second sheet metal 42 that defines the opening K. On the other hand, in the heater unit 24 according to the present embodiment, the fan unit 45 is attached to the main body 31 so as to be swingable. Unit 45
The second sheet metal 42 that constitutes is rocked with respect to the main body 31. Therefore, the second sheet metal 42
The foreign matter I adhering to the convex portion 43b formed in the step can be dropped into the opening K by vibration.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, even when foreign matter is contained in the air taken into the air flow path 36 from the suction port 33, the space 39 is opened through the opening K. By taking in air, foreign substances contained in the air can be almost recovered. Therefore, since the foreign matter is hardly contained in the air heated by the heater 38, the amount of the foreign matter blown together with the warm air from the outlet 34 to the surface of the continuous paper P can be greatly reduced.

Note that the upper side (ceiling surface) of the drying region D and the upstream and downstream side surfaces along the conveyance direction of the continuous paper P are covered with the lower surface 31c of the heater unit 24 and the driving rollers 20a and 21a. The hot air blown out from 34 efficiently stays in the drying region D. Further, in the drying region D, the hot air is blown from the upstream side toward the downstream side, so that the hot air is blown over a wide range and for a long time on the continuous paper P conveyed downstream,
Drying of the ink adhering to the surface of the continuous paper P is promoted. Then, the continuous paper P is conveyed to the winding unit 15 in a state where the ink on the surface is dried, and is wound by the winding shaft 22.

Further, the entire upper portion of the drying region D is the lower surface 31c of the main body 31 in the heater unit 24.
Therefore, there is no gap between the lower surface 31c of the main body 31 and another member at the top of the drying region D. Therefore, it is possible to suppress warm air from leaking out of the drying region D, and it is possible to suppress a decrease in drying efficiency in the drying region.

Further, a pair of transport rollers 20, 2 disposed on the upstream side and the downstream side of the heater unit 24.
Since the upstream drive area and the downstream area along the transport path of the continuous paper P in the drying area D are covered by the one drive roller 20a, 21a, it is possible to suppress the escape of warm air along the transport path. it can. Therefore, it is possible to further suppress a decrease in drying efficiency in the drying region.

Further, the heater unit 24 can blow warm air over the wide range on the continuous paper P that is conveyed toward the downstream side in the conveyance direction so as to be in a normal wind. Therefore, the continuous paper P can be efficiently dried in the drying region D.

In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, In the range which does not deviate from the meaning of invention, it can change suitably. For example, the recording medium is not limited to the continuous paper P but may be a continuous film or the like. Further, the continuous paper P may be cut into a predetermined length during the conveyance. Further, the recording medium is not limited to a long one but may be a cut sheet formed in a predetermined size.

The heater unit 24 is not limited to the detachable one, and may be fixedly provided in the main body case 12 of the recording apparatus 11. The recording head 23 is not limited to the line head type, and a short recording head may be moved in a direction crossing the conveying direction of the continuous paper P to perform recording on the full width of the continuous paper P.

The blowing direction of the warm air is not limited to the oblique direction toward the downstream side in the transport direction of the continuous paper P, and may be a downward direction in the vertical direction with respect to the continuous paper P, for example. Drive roller 20a
, 21a is not limited to a long one, but may be divided into a plurality of parts in the width direction. Further, the driven rollers 20b and 21b may not be provided. Furthermore, the driving roller 20 is placed in the drying area D.
a and 21a may not be provided.

In the above embodiment, the recording apparatus is embodied in the ink jet recording apparatus 11.
A recording apparatus that ejects or discharges liquid other than ink may be employed. The present invention can be used for various liquid ejecting apparatuses including a liquid ejecting head that ejects a minute amount of liquid droplets. The droplet means a state of the liquid ejected from the recording apparatus, and includes a liquid having a granular shape, a tear shape, or a thread shape. The liquid here may be any material that can be ejected by the recording apparatus. For example, it may be in a state when the substance is in a liquid phase,
Liquids with high or low viscosity, sol, gel water, other inorganic solvents, organic solvents, solutions, liquid resins, liquid metals (metal melts), and liquids as a state of matter ,
Examples include particles in which functional material particles made of solid materials such as pigments and metal particles are dissolved, dispersed or mixed in a solvent. Further, representative examples of the liquid include ink and liquid crystal as described in the above embodiment. Here, the ink includes general water-based inks and oil-based inks, and various liquid compositions such as gel inks and hot melt inks. Specific examples of the recording apparatus include, for example, a liquid containing an electrode material or a color material used for manufacturing a liquid crystal display, an EL (electroluminescence) display, a surface emitting display, or a color filter in a dispersed or dissolved form. It may be a recording device that injects a bio-organic matter used for biochip manufacturing, a recording device that is used as a precision pipette and injects a liquid as a sample, a textile printing device, a micro dispenser, or the like. In addition, a transparent resin liquid such as ultraviolet curable resin is used to form a recording device that injects lubricating oil pinpointed into precision machines such as watches and cameras, and micro hemispherical lenses (optical lenses) used in optical communication elements. You may employ | adopt the recording apparatus which injects etching liquid, such as a recording device sprayed on a board | substrate, and an acid, an alkali, etc. in order to etch a board | substrate. The present invention can be applied to any one of these recording apparatuses.

S ... continuous paper (recording medium), K ... opening, S ... gap, 11 ... recording device, 23 ... recording head,
24 ... heater unit (drying means), 31 ... main body, 33 ... suction port, 34 ... outlet (discharge port), 35 ... fan (suction means), 36 ... air flow path, 38 ... heater (heating means), 3
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 9 ... Space part (space), 41 ... 1st sheet metal (1st flow-path formation member), 41c ... Inclined surface, 42 ... 2nd sheet metal (2nd flow-path formation member), 44 ... Filter

Claims (6)

Inhalation means for inhaling air through the inlet;
An air flow path through which the air sucked by the suction means flows;
A heating means disposed in the air flow path for heating the air;
A discharge port for discharging the air heated by the heating means from the downstream side of the air flow path;
A heater unit comprising: an opening provided on a flow path surface on a lower side in the vertical direction of the air flow path. The air flow path is composed of a first flow path forming member provided in a main body part and a second flow path forming member provided integrally with the suction means attached to the main body part,
2. The heater unit according to claim 1, wherein the opening includes a gap in the first flow path forming member and the second flow path forming member. The heater unit according to claim 2, wherein the suction unit is swingably attached to the main body. The heater unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the opening communicates with a space that flows from the air flow path through the opening. The said air flow path has the inclination part which inclines toward the perpendicular direction upper side with respect to the opening surface of the said opening part in the downstream of the said flow-path surface in which the said opening part was provided. ~ 4
The heater unit according to any one of the above. A recording apparatus comprising: a recording head that ejects fluid to a recording medium; and a drying unit that dries the fluid on the recording medium.
A recording apparatus comprising the heater unit according to claim 1 as the drying unit.

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