JPH10297039A - Recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suppress cockling as much as possible by disposing spurs located oppositely to a paper discharge roller on the opposite sides of a material to be recorded alternately at two different parallel axial positions. SOLUTION: First and second groups 36, 37 of spur are disposed in parallel with the axes of center of rotation being separated by a distance Y=1-3 mm in the carrying direction of a sheet P wherein the interval L2 of the spur can be set at 10-15 mm which is shorter than the elastic length L1. When the spurs are arranged alternately at two parallel axial positions, the interval of adjacent first and second groups 36, 37 is shorter than the elastic length of spur and the arranging density of spur can be increased without installing a paper discharge roller shaft additionally. According to the arrangement, cockling is suppressed as much as possible and contamination of a recording head can be reduced.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a recording apparatus having a recording head for forming an image on a recording medium.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A recording apparatus having functions such as a printer, a copying machine, a facsimile or the like, or a recording apparatus used as an output device of a composite electronic device or a workstation including a computer, a word processor, etc., is based on image information. It is configured to record an image on a recording material (recording medium) such as a plastic thin plate. The recording apparatus can be classified into an ink jet type, a wire dot type, a thermal type, a laser beam type and the like according to a recording method.

In a serial type recording apparatus employing a serial scanning system in which a main scan is performed in a direction intersecting a conveying direction (sub-scanning direction) of a recording material, a recording means mounted on a carriage which moves along the recording material. The image is printed (main scanning), a predetermined amount of paper is fed (pitch transport) after printing of one line is completed, and then the image of the next line is printed on the stopped recording material again. By repeating the operation of (main scanning), recording of the entire recording material is performed. On the other hand, in a line type recording apparatus that performs recording only in the sub-scanning direction of the recording material, the recording material is set at a predetermined recording position, and recording is performed for one line at a time. By performing the paper feed (pitch feed) and repeating the operation of collectively recording the next line, the entire recording material is recorded.

Among the above recording apparatuses, an ink jet type recording apparatus (ink jet recording apparatus) performs recording by discharging ink from a recording means (recording head) onto a recording material. It is easy, can record high-definition images at high speed, can record on plain paper without requiring special processing, running costs are low, and the non-impact method reduces noise, and It has the advantage that it is easy to record a color image using multicolor inks. Among them,
A line-type apparatus using a line-type recording unit in which a number of ejection ports are arranged in the paper width direction can further increase the recording speed.

[0005] In particular, an ink jet type recording means (recording head) for discharging ink by using thermal energy,
Etching, vapor deposition, through a semiconductor manufacturing process such as sputtering, electrothermal transducers formed on the substrate, electrodes,
By forming the liquid path wall, the top plate, and the like, it is possible to easily manufacture a device having a high-density liquid path arrangement (discharge port arrangement), and to further reduce the size. Also,
By utilizing the advantages of the IC technology and the micro-machining technology, it is easy to make the recording means longer and more planar (two-dimensional), and it is also easier to make the recording means full-multiplied and to achieve high-density mounting.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a conventional ink jet recording apparatus. In the ink jet recording apparatus, the recording material fed by the sheet feeding device 101 is applied to a platen 12 having a flat transport surface in a printing area.
2, and after the image is formed by the recording head 124, the sheet discharging means 13 provided on the downstream side in the transport direction
3 is discharged.

The paper discharging means 133 includes a paper discharging roller 134.
And a special paper-pressing member 136 (spur) which is opposed thereto and presses and conveys the recording material by point contact, and by rotating them, the recording medium to which unfixed ink has adhered immediately after printing. Convey the recording material.

The paper discharge roller 134 is wrapped with a rubber or sponge-like material having a high coefficient of friction to prevent slippage when a recording material is conveyed.

A spur with a circumferential portion having a blade-like shape as shown in FIG. 8 is widely used because it is difficult to leave imprints and ink marks on a recording material. The spur is mounted so as to rotate about an elastic axis, and the pressing force against the recording material is generated by the elastic axis.

[0010] The spur includes the recording density (duty).
When high-quality printing is performed, the recording material is prevented from waving (cockling) in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction to maintain print quality, and avoid contact between the recording head and the recording material. It has the effect of protecting the recording head.

A group of spurs formed by a plurality of spurs 136 of the paper discharging means 133 in the conventional ink jet recording apparatus is shown in the arrangement diagram of the spur group shown in FIG. 9 and the attached state diagram thereof shown in FIG. It is arranged as follows. As shown in these figures, in the conventional ink jet recording apparatus, the spurs 136 constituting the spur group are arranged in a line on the same axis, so that the spur interval L2 needs to be larger than the elastic axis length Ll. Was.

In order to suppress cockling, it is ideal that the interval L2 between the spurs is narrowed and the recording material is pressed against the discharge roller with as many spurs as possible.

[0013]

In the conventional ink jet recording apparatus, an elastic shaft is used as a rotating shaft of a spur. Therefore, if the spurs are arranged in a line on the same shaft, the spur having a length equal to or longer than the elastic shaft length is required. An interval is required, and it has been difficult to narrow the arrangement interval of the spurs. In recent years, with the spread of color printers, the amount of ejected ink has increased. When performing high-density, high-definition color printing, ink may soak into a recording material and cause swelling of the recording material, which may cause cockling on the recording surface. In this case, ink droplets ejected from the recording head may cause a landing position shift on the recording material, causing printing unevenness and deteriorating image quality. Further, the recording material swelled in a direction away from the platen may come into contact with the recording head, thereby soiling the recording surface, or the recording material may damage the recording head.

[0014] Further, shortening the elastic axis length in order to narrow the spur interval makes it difficult to set an appropriate pressure on the spur. Therefore, the only way to realize this mode is to add a second paper ejection roller on a different axis from the paper ejection roller and a second spur group arranged opposite to the second paper ejection roller.
This hinders downsizing of the device.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances of the prior art,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a recording apparatus provided with a paper discharging means capable of increasing the density of the spurs without increasing the paper discharging roller shaft while keeping the pressing force of the spur at an appropriate pressure.

[0016]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a conveyance roller for conveying a recording material, and a recording apparatus which is located downstream of the conveyance roller in the conveyance direction and which records the recording material. In a recording apparatus comprising: a discharge roller for discharging to the outside; and a plurality of spurs positioned in a direction to sandwich the recording material opposite to the discharge roller, A first spur group and a second spur group are formed by alternately arranging a plurality of spurs at two different parallel axis positions.

In the above-mentioned recording apparatus, the spur rotates about an elastic axis and can move independently of each other with respect to the recording material. It is preferable that the interval between the spurs of the first spur group and the spurs of the second spur group that are urged to be pressed against each other is smaller than the length of the elastic shaft.

With this configuration, it is possible to increase the density of spurs without increasing the number of paper ejection roller shafts.
The cockling can be pressed down as much as possible, and at the same time, the recording material swollen in the direction away from the platen can be prevented from contacting the recording head.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the recording apparatus according to the first aspect, the rotation center of the discharge roller, the rotation center of the first spur group, and the rotation center of the second spur group. At least one of the lines connecting the recording medium has a predetermined angle with respect to a direction perpendicular to the conveyance surface of the recording material.

With this configuration, even after the trailing end of the recording material has passed through the transport roller, a force for pressing the recording material against the platen is generated, so that the distance between the recording material and the recording head can be kept constant. It is possible to prevent deterioration of Inu quality. Further, the lifting of the rear end can be prevented by the action of the pressing force, so that the recording head does not come into contact with the recording material to damage the ejection openings.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the recording apparatus according to the first aspect, at least one of the rotation center of the first spur group and the rotation center of the second spur group is provided.
One of them is provided upstream of the rotation center axis of the paper discharge roller in the transport direction of the recording material.

According to this configuration, an effect of further enhancing the effect of the second invention can be obtained.

In the above invention, it is preferable that the diameter of the discharge roller corresponding to the first spur group and the diameter of the discharge roller corresponding to the second spur group are the same. Preferably, the spurs forming the first spur group and the spurs forming the second spur group have the same shape.

Further, the recording apparatus according to any one of the above,
A plurality of spur cleaners rotating in contact with each of the spurs forming the spur group, and the first spur cleaner group and the second spur cleaner group are arranged alternately at two different shaft positions. May be formed. In this case, it is preferable that the spur cleaner forming the first spur cleaner group and the spur cleaner forming the second spur cleaner group have the same shape.

Further, in the recording apparatus according to any one of the above, a surface for supporting the recording material facing the recording head;
It is preferable from the viewpoint of improving the sheet discharge alignment that the platen has a platen configured to extend in the direction away from the recording head toward the downstream side in the transport direction.

In the above-described recording apparatus, the recording head includes an electrothermal transducer, and discharges ink from the ink discharge ports by using thermal energy generated by the electrothermal transducer.

[0027]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following, an ink jet recording apparatus will be described as an example of the recording apparatus.

(First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a perspective view for explaining the structure of an ink jet recording apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the paper discharging means of the ink jet recording apparatus shown in FIG. FIG.
FIG. 4 is an arrangement diagram of a group of spurs of the sheet discharging means shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;
FIG. 4 is a mounting state diagram of the spur group. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view for explaining the arrangement of the spurs with respect to the discharge rollers shown in FIG.

The ink jet recording apparatus of the present embodiment
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the recording apparatus (hereinafter referred to as a sheet) is a recording apparatus in which a feeding apparatus 1 is integrated. Paper part 33,
A recording unit 25, a cleaning unit 40, and the like are provided. Hereinafter, these configurations will be described.

First, the structure of the sheet feeding apparatus 1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the sheet feeding apparatus 1 is attached to the main body of the apparatus at an angle of 30 ° to 60 °. P is configured to be horizontally discharged after recording.

The recording head 24 is for recording a character image by ink on the sheet P conveyed by the conveying roller 14 and the pinch roller 15. As a recording unit in this apparatus, an ink jet recording system for discharging ink from the recording head 24 for recording is used. That is,
The recording head includes a fine liquid discharge port (orifice), a liquid path, an energy action section provided in a part of the liquid path, and an energy generation means for generating droplet forming energy to act on the liquid in the action section. Have.

As shown in FIG. 1, the recording section 25 includes a carriage 26 to which the recording head 24 is attached,
A guide shaft 27 for reciprocally scanning the sheet 6 in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction; a guide 28 for holding the rear end of the carriage 26 to maintain a distance between the recording head 24 and the sheet P; Drive the carriage 26
Belt 30, the idle pulley 31 on which the timing belt 30 is stretched, and the recording head 2
Fourth, a flexible board 32 for transmitting a head drive signal from the electric board is provided. The recording head 24 is a replaceable recording head integrally formed with the ink tank, and is scanned integrally with the carriage 26 to thereby convey the sheet P conveyed on the platen 22.
A character image is recorded with ink.

As shown in FIG. 1, the cleaning unit 40 includes a pump 41 for cleaning the recording head 24.
And a cap 42 for suppressing drying of the recording head 24.
And a drive switching arm 44 for switching the driving from the transport roller 14 to the sheet feeding device 1 and the pump 41. The drive switching arm 44 is at the position shown in FIG. 1 except during feeding and cleaning, and fixes a planetary gear (not shown) that rotates around the axis of the transport roller 14 at a predetermined position. The drive of 14 is not transmitted to the pump 41 and the sheet feeding device 1. When the drive switch arm 44 is moved in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1 by moving the carriage 26, the planetary gears move in accordance with the forward and reverse rotation of the transport roller 14, and the sheet feed is performed when the transport roller 14 rotates forward. The drive is transmitted to the feeding device 1,
The drive is transmitted to the pump 41 at the time of reverse rotation.

As shown in FIG. 2, the paper discharge section 33 includes a paper discharge roller 34, a transmission roller 35 for transmitting the drive of the transport roller 14 to the paper discharge roller 34, and a first paper discharge assisting sheet P. A spur group 36, a second spur group 37, and the like are provided. The discharge roller 34 and the first and second spur groups 3
The sheet is discharged without soiling the recording surface of the sheet after the recording by 6, 37. Further, the diameter of the discharge roller 34 corresponding to the first spur group 36 and the discharge roller 34 corresponding to the second spur group 37
And the diameter is the same.

In the paper discharge section 33, the paper discharge roller 34 is constituted by a single shaft, and the drive of the paper discharge roller 34 is obtained from the paper feed roller 14 of the paper feed section 13 via the transmission roller 35. I have.

The spurs of the first and second spur groups 36 and 37 are formed of spurs having a circumferential portion having a blade shape as shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, the spurs of the first spur group 36 and the spurs of the second spur group 37 have the same shape. Each spur is mounted so as to rotate about the elastic axis and to independently move opposite to the sheet P.

The spur blade is made of SUS having a thickness of about 0.1 mm.
Is formed by pressing or etching. The spur has an outer diameter of about 10 mm and is provided with 40 to 50 projecting blades. This blade is integrated by press-fitting or outsert molding into the holder. The elastic shaft is formed by winding a wire such as SUS into a coil. When the sheet P is sandwiched between the paper discharge roller 34 and the spur groups 36 and 37, the spurs are configured to apply a pressure of about 5 to 20 g per spur.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the rotation center axis of the first spur group 36 and the second spur group 3
7 is a distance y with respect to the conveying direction of the sheet P.
= 1 to 3 mm apart and arranged in parallel, the elastic axis length L1 is about 17 to 22 mm, and the spur interval L2 is about 10 to 1
It is set to 5 mm. With this configuration, the spur interval L
2 can be set smaller than the elastic axis length L1. That is, the first spur group 36 and the second spur group 37 are formed by alternately disposing the spurs having the above-mentioned shape at two different axial positions, and the adjacent first spur group is formed. The interval between the spur of the group 36 and the spur of the second spur group 37 is smaller than the elastic axis length of the spur. As a result, the spur arrangement density can be increased without increasing the number of paper ejection roller shafts. As a result, the cockling can be pressed down as much as possible, and the stain on the recording head can be reduced.

As shown in FIG. 4, in the present embodiment, the spur groups 36 and 37 are provided with the spur holding member 3 together with the elastic shaft.
9 and a spur cleaner 38 is attached to each spur. That is, the spur cleaner 38 is disposed so as to rotate in contact with the circumferential blade portion of the spur, removes ink and dust attached to the spur, and removes the sheet P
Prevents adhesion of contact marks of spurs. Spur cleaner 38
Are composed of a porous body of open cells, and are configured to easily absorb ink and the like. Further, the spur cleaner 38 is disposed so as to be in contact with each spur of the first spur group 36 and the second spur group 37 arranged on two different parallel axes, so that two different spur groups are arranged in parallel. A first spur cleaner group and a second spur cleaner group arranged on the axis are formed. The spur cleaner forming the first spur cleaner group and the spur cleaner forming the second spur cleaner group have the same shape.

The spur holding member 39 is attached so as to press the first and second spur groups 36 and 37,
The elastic axis of the spur of the spur group 36 and the spur cleaner corresponding to the spur, and the second spur cleaner on the axis different from that of the first spur group 36
The spur group 37 also has a function of holding down the elastic axis of the spur and a spur cleaner corresponding to the spur.

As shown in FIG. 5, the first spur group 3
The first spur group 36 and the second spur group so that both the rotation center of the second spur group 6 and the rotation center of the second spur group 37 are located upstream of the rotation center axis of the paper discharge roller 34 in the sheet conveying direction. 37 are provided. In the present embodiment, the line connecting the rotation center of the rotation axis of the paper discharge roller 34 and the rotation center of the first spur group 36 is located upstream in the sheet conveyance direction with respect to the direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance surface. The line connecting the rotation center of the rotation axis of the paper discharge roller and the rotation center of the second spur group 37 is at an angle of 10.5 ° with respect to the direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance surface in the sheet conveyance direction. At an angle of 1.8 ° on the upstream side.

As a result, even after the trailing end of the sheet P has passed through the conveyance roller 14, the first spur group 36 generates a force for pressing the sheet P against the platen 22, so that the distance between the sheet P and the recording head 24 is increased. Can be kept constant, and deterioration of print quality can be prevented. Further, the lifting of the rear end can be prevented by the action of the pressing force, so that the recording head 24 and the sheet P do not come into contact with each other and the ejection openings of the recording head 24 (not shown) are not damaged.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the platen 22 has a surface that supports the sheet P facing the recording head and a surface that extends in a direction away from the recording head 24 toward the downstream side in the transport direction. Therefore, the effect of preventing the rear end of the sheet P from rising can be further expected.

(Second Embodiment) FIG. 6 shows a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged view for explaining an arrangement configuration of spurs with respect to a discharge roller of a discharge unit of the ink jet recording apparatus according to the embodiment. In this figure, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and only the portions different from those in the first embodiment will be described below.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, a line connecting the rotation center of the rotation shaft of the paper discharge roller 34 and the rotation center of the first spur group 36 is a direction orthogonal to the conveying surface of the sheet P. Is an angle of 10.5 ° on the upstream side in the sheet conveying direction, and a line connecting the rotation center of the rotation shaft of the discharge roller 34 and the rotation center of the second spur group 37 is a sheet P
Is also at an angle of 10.5 ° on the downstream side in the sheet conveying direction with respect to the direction orthogonal to the conveying surface of the sheet. With this configuration, the first spur group 36, like the first embodiment,
The rear end of the sheet P is prevented from rising. And the second
The spur group 37 generates a force that pushes the leading end of the sheet P toward the discharge tray (not shown) after printing is completed and the discharged sheet P is discharged. Therefore, in such a recording apparatus, the sheet discharge alignment can be improved.

[0046]

As described above, according to the present invention, the spurs located in the direction sandwiching the recording material opposite to the paper discharge roller are alternately arranged at two different axial positions. A first spur group and a second spur group are formed, and an interval between an adjacent spur of the first spur group and a spur of the second spur group is smaller than the length of the elastic shaft. It is a recording device. With this configuration, it is possible to increase the density of spurs without increasing the number of paper ejection roller shafts.
It is possible with a simple and low-cost configuration to press down the cock ring as much as possible and at the same time prevent the sheet swollen away from the platen from contacting the recording head.

Further, at least one of the lines connecting the rotation center of the discharge roller, the rotation center of the first spur group, and the rotation center of the second spur group is orthogonal to the conveying surface of the recording material. It has a predetermined angle with respect to the direction of the movement. With this configuration, even after the trailing edge of the sheet has passed through the transport roller, a force is generated that presses the sheet against the platen.
It is possible to keep the distance between the sheet and the recording head constant, and it is possible to prevent deterioration of the printing quality. Further, the lifting of the rear end can be prevented by the action of the pressing force, so that the recording head and the sheet do not come into contact with each other, and the ejection openings are not damaged. Such an effect is at least one of the rotation center of the first spur group and the rotation center of the second spur group.
In the case where the recording medium is provided on the upstream side in the transport direction of the recording material with respect to the rotation center axis of the paper discharge roller, the height can be further increased.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of an ink jet recording apparatus according to a first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a paper discharging unit of the inkjet recording apparatus illustrated in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an arrangement diagram of a group of spurs of the paper discharging means shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is an attached state diagram of a group of spurs of the sheet discharging means shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view for explaining the arrangement of spurs with respect to the paper discharge roller shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view illustrating an arrangement of a spur with respect to a discharge roller of a discharge unit of an ink jet recording apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a conventional recording apparatus.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the spur shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an arrangement diagram of a group of spurs of the sheet discharging means shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an attachment state of a group of spurs of the sheet discharging means shown in FIG. 7;

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 sheet feeding device 13 paper feed unit 14 transport roller 15 pinch roller 22 platen 24 recording head 25 recording unit 26 carriage 27 guide shaft 28 guide 29 carriage motor 30 timing belt 31 idle pulley 32 flexible substrate 33 paper discharge unit 34 paper discharge roller 35 transmission roller 36 first spur group 37 second spur group 38 spur cleaner 39 spur pressing member 40 cleaning unit 41 pump 42 cap 44 drive switching arm

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Noboru Shimoyama 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Inside Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Hideaki Kawakami 3-30-2 Shimomaruko 3-chome, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inside the corporation

Claims (10)

[Claims] A transport roller configured to transport a recording material; a discharge roller positioned downstream of the transport roller in a transport direction to discharge the recording material to the outside of a recording apparatus; A plurality of spurs positioned in a direction sandwiching the recording material, wherein the plurality of spurs are alternately arranged at two different parallel shaft positions on one discharge roller. A first spur group and a second spur group. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the spur rotates about an elastic axis and is independently movable with respect to the recording material, and the spur is moved by the elastic axis. It is urged to press against the discharge roller,
A recording apparatus, wherein an interval between adjacent spurs of the first spur group and spurs of the second spur group is smaller than a length of the elastic axis. 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of a line connecting a rotation center of the discharge roller, a rotation center of the first spur group, and a rotation center of the second spur group. A recording apparatus having a predetermined angle with respect to a direction perpendicular to a conveying surface of the recording material. 4. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the rotation center of the first spur group and the rotation center of the second spur group is located at a position closer to the rotation center axis of the paper discharge roller. The recording apparatus, wherein the recording apparatus is also provided on the upstream side in the transport direction of the recording material. 5. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a diameter of the discharge roller corresponding to the first spur group is the same as a diameter of the discharge roller corresponding to the second spur group. A recording device, characterized in that: 6. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the spurs forming the first spur group and the spurs forming the second spur group have the same shape. 7. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of spur cleaners rotating in contact with each of the spurs forming the spur group, wherein the spur cleaner comprises two spur cleaners. A recording apparatus, wherein a first spur cleaner group and a second spur cleaner group are formed by being alternately arranged at three different axial positions. 8. The recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the spur cleaner forming the first spur cleaner group and the spur cleaner forming the second spur cleaner group have the same shape. Recording device. 9. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a surface supporting the recording material facing the recording head and a direction away from the recording head downstream in the transport direction. A recording apparatus having a platen configured with a surface extending to F. 10. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording head includes an electrothermal converter, and the thermal energy generated by the electrothermal converter causes the ink to be ejected from an ink discharge port. A recording apparatus that performs ejection.