JP3313983B2 - Recording device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a serial type printing apparatus for printing on a recording medium while reciprocatingly scanning a recording head, and more particularly, for adjusting the distance between the recording head and the recording medium. The present invention relates to a recording apparatus having an interval adjustment mechanism.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A serial type recording apparatus performs recording on a recording medium by driving the recording head while repeating reciprocal scanning of a carriage on which the recording head is mounted and conveyance of the recording medium at a predetermined pitch. . The position of the recording head is indirectly detected by the carriage position detecting means for detecting the position of the carriage in the moving direction, and the recording head is driven based on the detected position information.

Further, in a recording apparatus, the distance between a recording head and a recording medium is one of important factors for improving print quality. For example, in the case of an ink jet type recording apparatus, if the distance between the two is too small, the recording medium that has swollen by absorbing the ink ejected from the recording head may interfere with the recording head, or the recording head may become dirty due to the ink rebound. The problem that it becomes easy occurs. Conversely, if the distance between them is too large, the deviation of the landing position of the ink ejected from the recording head will increase. Also,
Even in the thermal type recording apparatus, the printing quality is greatly changed by the pressing force of the recording head on the recording medium, so that the interval between the recording head and the recording medium is important. It is also necessary to consider recording on a copy sheet, and the interval between the recording head and the recording medium is important. Therefore, a conventional recording apparatus is often provided with an interval adjusting mechanism for adjusting the interval between the recording head and the recording medium.

A conventional recording apparatus having the above-described position detecting means and interval adjusting mechanism will be described by taking an ink jet recording apparatus as an example.

FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of a conventional ink jet recording apparatus. In FIG. 10, the recording apparatus main body 1
At 07, two transport rollers 102 and 103 are pivotally supported. One of the transport rollers 103 has a pinch roller 10
4 is pressed, and a spur 105
Is pressed. The recording medium 101 is rotated by rotating each of the transport rollers 102 and 103 by a transport motor (not shown).
Is transported in the direction of arrow B while being sandwiched between the transport roller 103 and the pinch roller 104 and between the transport roller 102 and the spur 105.

The carriage 110 has a downstream end (hereinafter referred to as a front end) in the transport direction of the recording medium 101.
, Is slidably fitted to a main guide shaft 109 fixed to the recording apparatus main body 107, and is slidably mounted on a support shaft 108 at an upstream end (hereinafter, referred to as a rear end). ing. As a result, the carriage 110 moves
Reciprocating in the direction, and the main guide shaft 10
It is also rotatable around 9 turns. However, the position of the carriage 110 in the rotation direction is regulated by the support shaft 108, and the posture is maintained. The carriage 110 is reciprocally scanned in the direction of arrow A by driving a carriage motor (not shown).

The carriage 110 has a head cartridge 111 in which a recording head 111a for discharging ink and an ink tank 111b containing ink to be supplied to the recording head 111a are integrated. In particular,
Even while the carriage 110 is scanning, the recording head 111
In order to stably maintain the distance between a and the recording medium 101,
The recording head 111a is a main guide shaft 10 which is a part supported in a more stable state with respect to the recording apparatus main body 107.
9, that is, at the front end of the carriage 110.

The position of the carriage 110 is detected by a linear encoder serving as a carriage position detecting means. The linear encoder is disposed along the scanning direction of the carriage 110, and has a scale 114 in which the optical or magnetic state is changed at a predetermined pitch, and detects a change in the optical or magnetic state of the scale 114 to generate a pulse. And a detection head 113 that generates a pulse signal.
Detect the position of. The scale 114 is the recording device body 10
7, the detection head 113 is fixed to the front end of the carriage 110.

On the other hand, the recording head 111a and the recording medium 1
Adjustment of the interval with 01 is performed by rotating the carriage 110 around the main guide shaft 109. The mechanism will be described below with reference to FIG.

The support shaft 108 has a long hole 107 a at each end thereof provided on both side walls of the recording apparatus main body 107.
The recording medium 101 is provided so as to be displaceable in a direction perpendicular to the conveying surface of the recording medium 101. Further, the recording apparatus main body 107
A shaft position adjusting plate 116 for adjusting the position of the support shaft 108 is provided on both side walls of the recording device main body 107 so as to be rotatable around a shaft 107b integrally provided on the side wall of the main body 107 of the recording apparatus. . The shaft position adjusting plate 116 is formed with an arc-shaped cam groove 116a having a center different from the center of rotation, and the end of the support shaft 108 penetrates the long hole 107a of the main body 107 of the recording apparatus. It is fitted in the groove 116a. The shaft position adjusting plate 116 is fixed to the recording apparatus main body 107 by screws 117.

Based on the above configuration, for example, the recording head 11
When it is desired to increase the distance between the recording medium 1a and the recording medium 101,
The screw 117 is loosened, and the shaft position adjusting plate 116 is rotated in the direction of the arrow as shown in FIG. Then, the slot 107a of the recording apparatus main body 107 and the cam groove 1 of the shaft position adjusting plate 116 are moved.
16a is shifted from the overlapping position, and the support shaft 1
08 is displaced upward in the figure. Thereby, the carriage 1
The rear end of the recording head 111a is lifted, and the recording head 111a is displaced away from the recording medium 101. When the interval between the recording head 111a and the recording medium 101 becomes a predetermined interval, the shaft position adjusting plate 116 is fixed by the screw 117, and the support shaft 108 is fixed. Recording head 11
When the distance between the recording medium 1a and the recording medium 101 is reduced, the shaft position adjusting plate 116 may be rotated in the opposite direction.

[0012]

However, in the above-described conventional recording apparatus, the detection head constituting the carriage position detecting means for detecting the position of the carriage is fixed to the carriage, while the scale is fixed to the main body of the recording apparatus. Therefore, if the posture of the carriage is changed to change the distance between the recording head and the recording medium, the relative position between the detection head and the scale is shifted as shown in FIGS.

If the relative position between the detection head and the scale is displaced, an error occurs in the position information. If the displacement is extremely large, an output signal cannot be obtained. High-print-quality, high-resolution recording devices require higher resolution and higher accuracy in the position information detected by the carriage position detecting means, and errors in position information due to this relative displacement cannot be ignored. Become.

[0014] Further, when an attempt is made to perform position detection with higher resolution, the clearance between the detection head and the scale tends to be narrower. Some of the sensors of the detection head with high resolution have a clearance of several tens of μm from the scale.
In many cases, a sliding positioning portion is provided in a part of the detecting head to enable positioning while sliding on the scale. In this case, the displacement of the relative position between the scale and the sensor increases the sliding force between them, and consequently affects the drive control system of the carriage. Further, even if the increase in the sliding force is subtle, the durability of the carriage position detecting means is reduced in a long term, and the life of the recording apparatus is reduced.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a recording apparatus which does not cause a relative displacement between the scale and the detection head constituting the carriage position detection means even when the distance between the recording head and the recording medium is adjusted. Aim.

[0016]

In order to achieve the above object, a recording apparatus according to the present invention comprises a carriage mounted with a recording head and reciprocally moved, and a carriage for detecting the position of the carriage in the scanning direction. A recording apparatus comprising: a scale unit disposed along a movement direction; a carriage position detecting unit including a detecting head for detecting the scale unit; and an interval adjusting mechanism for adjusting an interval between the recording head and a recording medium. In the apparatus, both ends of the carriage are variably spaced from a recording medium, and both ends are side walls of a recording apparatus main body.
A first guide member supported through a long hole provided in the recording device main body, and a second guide member fixed at both ends to a side wall of the recording apparatus main body. Attached to both side walls of the recording apparatus main body so that the position can be adjusted , and the first guide member penetrates the longitudinal direction of the elongated hole.
Is a position adjusting member formed with a guide hole having a different direction, and the elongated hole and the guide hole of the first guide member.
A hole is formed to fit a portion penetrating through the
A holding member movably supported in the same direction as the longitudinal direction of the long hole , wherein the carriage position detecting means comprises:
The scale means is configured to move the first guide member relative to the first guide member;
It is characterized in that the detection head is fixed to the carriage while being held by the holding member at a side opposite to the side where the second guide member is located .

In the present invention configured as described above, the carriage changes the position of the first guide member so as to change the position of the second guide member.
About the support portion with the guide member, thereby changing the distance between the recording head and the recording medium. The adjustment of the distance between the two is performed by adjusting the position of the position adjusting member to be attached to the recording apparatus main body and holding the first guide member at a predetermined position. At this time, the detection head fixed to the carriage also moves with the carriage, but the scale means is formed on the side plate of the recording apparatus main body.
Penetrates the guide hole formed in the slot and the position adjustment member
Further, the first guide member is fitted into the hole, and
Can be moved in the same direction as the longitudinal direction of the long hole on the side plate of the device body
Since the first guide member is held by the holding member supported by the first guide member , the first guide member is moved while maintaining the attitude with respect to the first guide member , and as a result, the relative position with respect to the detection head does not change. Is displaced. Therefore, even if the distance between the recording head and the recording medium is adjusted, the carriage position detecting means can detect the accurate position of the carriage.

In the above-described recording apparatus, the carriage has a recording head mounted near the first guide member, so that the displacement amount of the first guide member becomes substantially equal to the displacement amount of the recording head. In addition, the amount of displacement of the carriage required for adjusting the distance between the recording head and the recording medium is minimized.

Further, by constituting the holding member by an elastic member and applying tension to the scale means to hold the scale means, an error in an output signal due to vibration of the scale means can be suppressed. In this case, at least one of the holding members is
By having a spring portion for applying tension to the scale means and holding the scale means, and a positioning portion for positioning and holding the scale means, the position is positioned while the tension is applied to the scale means. You.

Further, as the carriage position detecting means,
A magnetic linear encoder or an optical linear encoder can be used.

[0021]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a recording apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the recording apparatus shown in FIG. It is a block diagram.
Here, an ink jet recording apparatus that performs recording by discharging ink will be described as an example of the recording apparatus.

In the present embodiment, a transport system for the recording medium 1
That is, the two transport rollers 2 and 3, the pinch roller 4, the spur 5, and the like are the same as those in the transport system of the conventional recording apparatus shown in FIG.

The carriage 10 on which the head cartridge 11 is mounted has a front end slidably fitted to the main guide shaft 9 and a rear end mounted on the support shaft 8 and slidably supported. I have. This causes the carriage 10 to move in the direction indicated by the arrow A.
It can reciprocate in the direction, and can also rotate around the main guide shaft 9. However, the carriage 10
The position in the rotation direction is regulated by the support shaft 8, and the posture is maintained. The carriage 10 is reciprocally scanned in the direction of arrow A by driving a carriage motor (not shown).

The head cartridge 11 includes a recording head 11a for discharging ink and an ink tank 11b for storing ink to be supplied to the recording head 11a. In particular, in order to stably maintain the interval between the recording head 11a and the recording medium 1 even during the scanning of the carriage 10, the recording head 11a is a portion supported in a more stable state with respect to the recording apparatus main body 7. It is arranged near a certain main guide shaft 9, that is, at the front end of the carriage 10. The recording head 11a has an electrothermal converter (not shown) that generates thermal energy by applying a voltage, and causes the ink to cause film boiling by the thermal energy generated by the electrothermal converter, thereby discharging the ink. It is.

The position of the carriage 10 is detected by a linear encoder serving as a carriage position detecting means. The linear encoder includes a scale 14 disposed along the scanning direction of the carriage 10 and a detection head 13 provided on the scale 14 for detecting magnetic or optical scales and generating a pulse. The position of the carriage 10 is detected by counting the pulses generated in step (1). The scale 14 is fixed to a scale holder 18 described later, and the detection head 13 is fixed to a front end of the carriage 10.

Here, both ends of the main guide shaft 9 are slidably fitted into long holes 7a formed in the main body 7 of the recording apparatus, and the main guide shaft 9 extends in a direction perpendicular to the conveying surface of the recording medium 1. It can be displaced. On the other hand, the support shaft 8 is
Therefore, the carriage 10 is rotatable within the sliding range of the main guide shaft 9 around the support portion of the support shaft 8. By adjusting the posture of the carriage 10 by this rotation, the distance between the recording head 11a and the recording medium 1 is adjusted.

A mechanism for adjusting the distance between the recording head 11a and the recording medium 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. Pins 7 b are integrally provided on both side walls of the recording apparatus main body 7, and an axial position adjusting plate 16 is provided on the pins 7 b so as to be slidable in a direction parallel to the transport direction of the recording medium 1. . The shaft position adjusting plate 16 is fixed to the recording apparatus main body 7 with screws 17 at an arbitrary position within the sliding range. A long hole 16a whose longitudinal direction is inclined with respect to the long hole 7a of the recording apparatus main body 7 is formed in the shaft position adjusting plate 16, and the end of the main guide shaft 9 is formed with these long holes 7a, 16a.
a. The width of each of the long holes 7a and 16a is substantially equal to the diameter of the main guide shaft 9, and the main guide shaft 9 is positioned at a portion where the two overlap each other.
By fixing 6 to the recording apparatus main body 7, the position of the main guide shaft 9 is fixed to the recording apparatus main body 7.

A portion of the main guide shaft 9 which penetrates the long hole 16 a of the shaft position adjusting plate 16 and protrudes from the shaft position adjusting plate 16 is fitted into a hole provided in the scale holder 18.
Thereby, both ends of the main guide shaft 9 are connected to the scale holder 18.
, And the main guide shaft 9 is attached to the recording apparatus main body 7. In addition to the holes, the scale holder 18 is provided with a pin 7 integrally provided on the outer wall of the recording apparatus main body 7.
An elongated hole 18a that slidably fits with the hole c is provided.
The long hole 18a has a longitudinal direction corresponding to that of the long hole 7 of the main body 7 of the recording apparatus.
The scale holder 18 is formed in the same direction as “a”, and can be displaced with the displacement of the main guide shaft 9 while maintaining the attitude with respect to the main guide shaft 9. Further, the scale holder 18 is provided with projecting scale supporting claws 18b. The scale supporting claws 18b are fitted into holes provided at both ends of the scale 14 as shown in FIG. Is fixed.

Based on the above configuration, ink is ejected from the recording head 11a based on a recording signal while repeating conveyance of the recording medium 1 by the conveyance rollers 2, 3 and the like at a predetermined pitch and reciprocating scanning of the carriage 10. Then, recording is performed on the recording medium 1. At this time, the position of the recording head 11a in the scanning direction is determined by the linear encoder composed of the scale 14 and the detection head 13 described above.
Is detected indirectly by detecting the position of.

For example, when it is desired to increase the distance between the recording head 11a and the recording medium 1, the screw 17 is loosened,
As shown in FIG. 5, the shaft position adjusting plate 16 is moved in the direction of arrow C. Then, the long hole 7a of the recording apparatus main body 7 and the long hole 16a of the shaft position adjusting plate 16 serve as a cam groove, and the main guide shaft 9 is displaced upward in the figure. As a result, the front end of the carriage 10 is lifted, and the recording head 11a is displaced away from the recording medium 1. Further, with the upward displacement of the main guide shaft 9, the scale holder 18 is displaced upward, and the scale 14 is also displaced upward.

When the interval between the recording head 11a and the recording medium 1 reaches a predetermined interval, the shaft position adjusting plate 16 is fixed to the recording apparatus main body 7 with screws 17 and the main guide shaft 9 is fixed. When the distance between the recording head 11a and the recording medium 1 is reduced, the shaft position adjusting plate 16 may be moved in the opposite direction.

As described above, when adjusting the distance between the recording head 11a and the recording medium 1, the carriage 1
Since the zero and the scale 14 are moved together, the relative position between the detection head 13 and the scale 14 is maintained. As a result, no error or change occurs in the position information detected by the linear encoder, and the position of the carriage 10 can be detected with high resolution and high accuracy. Furthermore, even when the clearance between the scale 14 and the detection head 13 is small, they do not come into contact with each other, and the load when the detection head 13 moves does not increase. Has no effect.

In this embodiment, the distance between the recording head 11a and the recording medium 1 is adjusted by using the displacement of the main guide shaft 9 disposed at the front end of the carriage 10. As shown in FIG. 5, the largest displacement when adjusting the distance between the recording head 11a and the recording medium 1 is at the front end of the carriage 10. For example, the distance between the recording head 11a and the recording medium 1 is changed from H0 to H1. , The amount of displacement at the front end of the carriage 10 is
H3 is substantially equal to the displacement amount of a. On the other hand, in the conventional recording apparatus shown in FIG. 10, as shown in FIG. 13, the recording head 111a and the recording target are utilized by using the range of the support shaft 108 supporting the rear end of the carriage 110. In order to adjust the distance from the medium 101, the recording head 1
If the distance between the recording medium 11a and the recording medium 101 is increased from H0 to H1, the maximum displacement of the carriage 110 is H2, which is much larger than the displacement of the recording head 111a.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the recording head 11a
The space required for adjusting the distance between the recording medium 1 and the recording medium 1 can be minimized, and the overall size of the recording apparatus can be reduced. this is,
The amount of ink used increases and the ink tank 11b
This is extremely advantageous in the current situation where the size of the ink tank 11b tends to increase in size in order to reduce the number of replacements. Further, the width of the carriage 10 in the reciprocating scanning direction does not become so large as compared with the width shown in FIG. 10 because only the plate-shaped scale holder 18 is added.

Further, the recording head 11a and the recording medium 1
Since it is not necessary to move the support shaft 8 for adjusting the distance between the support shaft 8 and at least the support shaft 8, at least the support shaft 8 can be used as a structural member of the recording apparatus. The support shaft 8 has high rigidity because it is necessary to support the weight of the carriage 10 and suppress deformation. The fact that this member can be fixed to the recording apparatus main body 7 is effective in improving the rigidity of the entire apparatus. Both the main guide shaft 9 and the support shaft 8 may be structural members, but in consideration of the assemblability of the carriage 10 which is a later process in assembling the recording apparatus and the disassembly at the time of repair, only the support shaft 8 is used as a structural member in the recording apparatus. It is preferable that the main guide shaft 9 is detachably fixed to the main body 7.

Further, an elastic member may be used for the scale holder 18 so that an appropriate tensile force can be applied to the scale 14. When the mounting tension of the scale 14 is weak, an error may occur in an output signal due to vibration. In order to suppress this vibration, a tension generating member is conventionally provided. In that case, by integrating with the scale holder 18, the function can be incorporated without increasing the cost. In the case where a structure having the same function is provided by using an elastic member that is separate from the scale holder 18, the scale holder 18 and the elastic member need not be integrated. If the position information detection range of the scale 14 is sufficiently away from the scale holder 18, the scale 1
The mechanism for giving tension to 4 may be provided only on one side thereof.

Further, the recording head 11 shown in this embodiment
The mechanism for adjusting the distance between the recording medium 1a and the recording medium 1 is not limited to the assembling order as shown in FIG. The configuration of the long holes 7a, 16a may be configured as long as a similar function can be obtained.

A linear encoder serving as a carriage position detecting means is a magnetic encoder in which a position information recording member magnetized at a constant pitch on a base member such as a metal member or a film member magnetically coated and a magnetic detection sensor are combined. An optical system in which an optical sensor is combined with a position information recording member that has an optical transmission part or a shielding part at a constant pitch on the base member or a position information recording member that combines optical phenomena such as reflection and refraction instead of simple transmission. Any object that can determine the relative position between two members, such as the one described above, can be used in the present invention. It is also possible to extend the present invention to attach another sensor such as an absolute position reference sensor, an electrical system, and a lead wire to the scale holder 18 so as to move integrally with the carriage 10.

(Second Embodiment) FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of a recording apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

In the present embodiment, the shape of the shaft position adjusting plate 36 and the structure for attaching the shaft position adjusting plate 36 to the recording apparatus main body 27 are different from those of the first embodiment. Shaft position adjusting plate 3 used in this embodiment
Reference numeral 6 is the same as the shaft position adjusting plate 116 used in the conventional recording apparatus shown in FIG. That is, the shaft position adjusting plate 36 of the present embodiment is rotatably provided around a shaft 27a integrally provided on the outer wall of the recording apparatus main body 27. Is formed with an arc-shaped cam groove 36a having a different center.
The end of the main guide shaft 29 is an elongated hole 27a of the recording device main body 27.
And fitted in the cam groove 36a. The shaft position adjusting plate 36 is fixed to the recording apparatus main body 27 by screws 37 at an arbitrary tilt position within the rotation range. Other configurations are the same as in the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.

When adjusting the distance between the recording head 31a and the recording medium 1, the screw 37 is loosened and the shaft position adjusting plate 3 is adjusted.
6 is rotated in accordance with the direction of displacement of the recording head 31a.
Then, similarly to the one shown in FIG.
Is rotated about a support portion with the support shaft 28, whereby the distance between the recording head 31a and the recording medium 1 changes. Further, the scale 34 is connected to the main guide shaft 29.
Since it is held by the scale holder 38 fitted to both ends of the carriage 30, it is displaced integrally with the carriage 30 as in the first embodiment. Therefore, no relative displacement between the scale 34 and the detection head 33 occurs.

(Third Embodiment) FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view of a recording apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a recording head and a recording medium of the recording apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a main part for describing a mechanism for adjusting a distance between the main body and the main body.

In this embodiment, the scale holders 58, 59
In this case, a tensile force is applied to both ends of the scale 54, and the shape of one of the two scale holders 58, 59 is different from that of the first embodiment. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted.

The scale holder 59 is made of an elastic member and has a U-shaped spring portion 59a for applying a tensile force. The tip of the spring portion 59a is a scale 5
4 is inserted into a hole provided at the end of the recording apparatus main body 47. In this state, the spring 54a
The scale 54 is held while being pulled. At this time, since the distal end of the spring portion 59a is designed to easily generate elasticity, the position of the distal end of the spring portion 59a itself becomes unstable, and a high-precision positioning is achieved simply by hooking the scale on the spring portion 59a. This contradicts the gist of the present invention.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the scale holder 5
9 is provided with a function of high-precision positioning together with generation of elastic force. That is, the scale holder 59 is provided with two positioning protrusions 59b for holding the scale 54 in the width direction, and the scale 54 is fitted and held between the positioning protrusions 59b. As a result, the vertical position of the scale 54 is accurately fixed between the positioning protrusions 59b, and the scale 54 is pressed against the positioning portions 59c between the positioning protrusions 59b by the outward urging force of the spring portions 59a. The recording medium 1 is positioned in the transport direction. With the above configuration, a tensile force can be applied to the scale 54 while the scale holder 59 has a highly accurate positioning function of the scale 54.

[0047]

As described above, the recording apparatus of the present invention supports the carriage on which the recording head is mounted, and the holding member is provided on the first guide member which is displaced when adjusting the distance between the recording head and the recording medium. By holding the scale means through the interface, it is possible to prevent a relative displacement between the scale means and the detection head when the distance between the recording head and the recording medium is adjusted. As a result, the position of the carriage can be detected with high resolution and high accuracy. Furthermore, even when the clearance between the scale means and the detection head is small, they do not come into contact with each other, and the influence on the drive control system of the carriage can be eliminated.

Further, since the carriage has the recording head mounted near the first guide member, the space required for adjusting the interval between the recording head and the recording medium is minimized, and the recording apparatus is compact. Is achieved.

Further, by constituting the holding member with an elastic member and applying tension to the scale means to hold the scale means, an error in an output signal due to vibration of the scale means can be suppressed. In this case, at least one of the holding members has a spring portion for applying tension to the scale means to hold the scale means, and a positioning portion for positioning and holding the scale means, so that tension force is applied to the scale means. , The position can be accurately positioned.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a recording apparatus according to a first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of the recording apparatus shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from a side.

3 is an exploded perspective view of a main part for describing a mechanism for adjusting a distance between a recording head and a recording medium of the recording apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of the recording apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of the recording apparatus shown in FIG. 1, showing a state where an interval between a recording head and a recording medium is increased.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a displacement of a carriage when a distance between a recording head and a recording medium is increased in the recording apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of a second embodiment of the recording apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view of a recording apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

9 is an exploded perspective view of a main part for describing a mechanism for adjusting a distance between a recording head and a recording medium of the recording apparatus illustrated in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of a conventional recording apparatus.

11 is a schematic side view of the recording device shown in FIG.

FIG. 12 is a schematic side view of the recording apparatus shown in FIG. 10, showing a state where an interval between a recording head and a recording medium is increased.

13 is a diagram illustrating a displacement of a carriage when a distance between a recording head and a recording medium is increased in the recording apparatus illustrated in FIG. 10;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Recording medium 2, 3 Conveyance roller 4 Pinch roller 5 Spur 7, 27, 47 Recording device main body 8, 28 Support shaft 9, 29 Main guide shaft 10, 30 Carriage 11 Head cartridge 11a, 31a Recording head 11b Ink tank 13, 33 Detection head 14, 34, 54 Scale 16, 36 Axis position adjusting plate 17, 37 Screw 18, 38, 58, 59 Scale holder

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B41J 25/308 B41J 25/312 B41J 25/316 B41J 25/34 B41J 19/18

Claims (8)

(57) [Claims] 1. A carriage on which a recording head is mounted and reciprocated, a scale means disposed along a moving direction of the carriage for detecting a position of the carriage in a scanning direction, and the scale means are detected. In a printing apparatus comprising: a carriage position detecting unit having a detection head; and an interval adjusting mechanism for adjusting an interval between the recording head and a recording medium, wherein the carriage variably adjusts an interval between the recording medium and both ends. A first guide member whose section is supported through an elongated hole provided in a side wall of the recording apparatus main body, and a second guide member whose both ends are fixed to the side wall of the recording apparatus main body, The interval adjustment mechanism is attached to both side walls of the recording apparatus main body so as to be adjustable , and the first guide member penetrates.
A guide hole having a direction different from the longitudinal direction of the long hole is provided.
And formed positioning member, said first guide member
The hole into which the long hole and the part passing through the guide hole fit is formed.
And transferred to the side wall in the same direction as the longitudinal direction of the slot.
The carriage position detecting means, the scale means ,
There is the second guide member with respect to the first guide member
A recording device, wherein the detection head is fixed to the carriage while being held by the holding member at a side opposite to the side . 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the carriage mounts the recording head near the first guide member. 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the holding member is formed of an elastic member, and holds the scale means by applying a tension to the scale means in a longitudinal direction thereof. 4. At least one of the holding members,
The recording apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising: a spring unit that applies tension to the scale unit to hold the scale unit; and a positioning unit that positions and holds the scale unit. 5. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said carriage position detecting means is a magnetic linear encoder. 6. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said carriage position detecting means is an optical linear encoder. 7. The recording head according to claim 1, wherein the recording head performs recording by discharging ink onto a recording medium, and includes an electrothermal converter for generating thermal energy used for discharging the ink. The recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: 8. The recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the recording head discharges the ink by utilizing film boiling generated in the ink by thermal energy applied by the electrothermal transducer.