Carriage

Abstract

This disclosure is directed to securing, with a simple structure, a head to a position in a carriage without having to fasten screws so as to prevent possible loss of a desired printing quality. A carriage is provided that includes a main housing mounted to a printing unit body, an eccentric cam rotatably disposed in the main housing, a sub housing that holds a head that ejects ink droplets. The sub housing makes contact with a cam face of the eccentric cam and is movable upward and downward relative to the main housing in response to rotation of the eccentric cam. The carriage further includes a rotation regulator that regulates rotation of the sub housing around a rotating shaft of the eccentric cam.

Claims

1. A carriage, contained in a printing unit body and moving in a reciprocating motion along a guide rail in a main scanning direction, comprising: a main housing provided as a part of the carriage; an eccentric cam rotatably disposed in the main housing; a sub housing that holds a head that ejects ink droplets, the sub housing making contact with a cam face of the eccentric cam and being movable upward and downward relative to the main housing in response to rotation of the eccentric cam; a rotation regulator that regulates rotation of the sub housing around a rotating shaft of the eccentric cam, wherein the rotation regulator is disposed in at least one position in either the main housing or the sub housing; and a sliding regulator that regulates a motion of the sub housing relative to the main housing in a direction along the rotating shaft of the eccentric cam when the eccentric cam rotates, wherein the sliding regulator is an energizer that has one end attached to the main housing and another end attached to the sub housing, and the sliding regulator extends in the direction along the rotating shaft of the eccentric cam to energize the sub housing, and the energizer of the sliding regulator enables the sub housing being movable upward and downward relative to the main housing in response to rotation of the eccentric cam and has an energizing force that suppresses the motion in the direction along the rotating shaft of the eccentric cam when the carriage moving in the reciprocating motion in the main scanning direction.

2. The carriage according to claim 1, wherein the rotation regulator is disposed on a wall surface of a side of the sub housing adjacent to the main housing or on a wall surface of a side of the main housing adjacent to the sub housing, the rotation regulator is disposed at a position opposite to contact plate parts of the sub housing, at which the sub housing contacts the eccentric cam, such that the rotating shaft of the eccentric cam is disposed between the rotation regulator and the contact plate parts, wherein the rotation regulator disposed on the wall surface of the side of the sub housing contacts the main housing which is opposite to the sub housing, and the rotation regulator disposed in the wall surface of the side of the main housing contacts the sub housing which is opposite to the main housing.

3. The carriage according to claim 2, wherein the sub housing has an energizer that pushes the sub housing in a direction of rotation of the sub housing around the rotating shaft of the eccentric cam.

4. The carriage according to claim 2, further comprising an operating part that allows the eccentric cam to axially rotate.

5. The carriage according to claim 1, wherein the rotation regulator is disposed in the main housing and protrudes into a rotational trajectory of the sub housing to contact the sub housing.

6. The carriage according to claim 5, wherein the sub housing has an energizer that pushes the sub housing in a direction of rotation of the sub housing around the rotating shaft of the eccentric cam.

7. The carriage according to claim 5, further comprising an operating part that allows the eccentric cam to axially rotate.

8. The carriage according to claim 1, wherein the sub housing has an energizer that pushes the sub housing in a direction of rotation of the sub housing around the rotating shaft of the eccentric cam.

9. The carriage according to claim 8, wherein the energizer has one end attached to the main housing and another end attached to the sub housing, and extends in a direction intersecting with a perpendicular passing through center of the rotating shaft of the eccentric cam to energize the sub housing.

10. The carriage according to claim 1, further comprising an operating part that allows the eccentric cam to axially rotate.

11. A carriage, contained in a printing unit body and moving in a reciprocating motion along a guide rail in a main scanning direction, comprising: a main housing provided as a part of the carriage; an eccentric cam rotatably disposed in the main housing; a sub housing that holds a head that ejects ink droplets, the sub housing making contact with a cam face of the eccentric cam and being movable upward and downward relative to the main housing in response to rotation of the eccentric cam; a rotation regulator that regulates rotation of the sub housing around a rotating shaft of the eccentric cam, wherein the rotation regulator is disposed in at least one position in either the main housing or the sub housing; and a sliding regulator that regulates a motion of the sub housing relative to the main housing in a direction along the rotating shaft of the eccentric cam when the eccentric cam rotates, wherein the cam face of the eccentric cam includes a plurality of planes which are continuous and differ in distance to a rotational center of the cam face, and the sub housing has a contact plate that makes face contact with any one of the plurality of planes on the cam face.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an image forming apparatus.

(2) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a carriage mounted with a head.

(3) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the carriage after the head is removed.

(4) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an adjusting cam.

(5) FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the carriage from a lateral side.

(6) FIG. 6 is a perspective view in cross section of a rotation regulator (stopper).

(7) FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a rotation regulator (stopper).

(8) FIG. 8 is a side view of a rotation regulator (protrusion).

(9) FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a main housing from its back side.

(10) FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a sliding regulator.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT

(11) An embodiment of the carriage disclosed herein is hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Hereinafter, an image forming apparatus is described, and the description includes detailed description of the carriage, a component of the image forming apparatus.

(12) [Image Forming Apparatus]

(13) As illustrated in FIG. 1, an image forming apparatus 100 is an inkjet printer that forms an image on a recording medium M using a plurality of color inks. The image forming apparatus 100 includes a body unit 10, a printing unit 20, and a control unit 40.

(14) The recording medium M may be any one selected from different media (either permeable or non-permeable) using various materials including paper, unwoven fabric, vinyl chloride, synthesized chemical fiber, polyethylene, polyester, tarpaulin, and acrylic plates. Examples of usable inks may include solvent-based inks (typically, photo-curable inks), aqueous inks (typically, dye inks, pigment inks), and solid inks.

(15) <Body Unit, Control Unit>

(16) As illustrated in FIG. 1, the body unit 10 includes a base 11 having legs, and a platen 12 disposed at a position above the base 11. The recording medium M is set on the upper surface of the platen 12.

(17) The base 11 supports and holds the platen 12 from below and keeps the upper surface of the platen 12 in a substantially horizontal position. The platen 12 is adjustable in height and inclination.

(18) As illustrated in FIG. 1, the control unit 40 is disposed at a position on a lateral side of the printing unit 20, i.e., a position being in the upper direction of the recording medium M and being remotely displaced from the recording medium M. The control unit 40 includes a controller 40a and an operating part 40b. The controller 40a controls a printing operation carried out by the printing unit 20, specifically, ink ejection control for the head, drive control for the carriage, transport control for the recording medium M, and cleaning control for the head. The operating part 40b may include a touch-panel display, a speaker, and buttons. A user inputs printing instructions using the operating part 40b.

(19) <Printing Unit>

(20) As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 10, the printing unit 20 is equipped with heads 3 having nozzles through which ink droplets are ejected, head holders 4 that hold the heads 3, a guide rail (Y bar) 5, and a carriage 6 movable in Y direction along the guide rail 5.

(21) The printing unit 20, while moving the carriage 6 in reciprocating motion in a main scanning direction (Y direction), ejects ink droplets repeatedly toward the same position (image region with a predetermined width) on the recording medium M to complete an image to be formed. The Y direction, main scanning direction, is orthogonal to X direction which is a direction of transport of the recording medium M.

(22) <Head>

(23) As illustrated in FIG. 2, each head 3 has a substantially box-like shape and has a plurality of nozzles formed on its bottom surface to eject droplets of cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K) color inks. The upper surface of the head 3 opposite to the bottom surface has an ink feed port 31 which is coupled to an ink feed tube for feeding the head 3 with the inks. There are ink reservoirs 32 between the upper and bottom surfaces of the head 3. The ink reservoir 32 temporarily stores a small quantity of ink. The number of nozzles may depend on the number of color inks desirably used.

(24) <Head Holder>

(25) As illustrated in FIG. 2, each head holder 4 holds the head 3, so that nozzles on the bottom surface of the head 3 are exposed. The head holders 4 are mountable in and removable from the carriage 6, and are supported and held in the carriage 6. The head holder 4 is so shaped as to support the bottom-surface side of the head 3 and to enclose the side wall surface of the head 3 on its outer side.

(26) <Guide Rail>

(27) As illustrated in FIG. 1, the guide rail 5 is extending above the platen 12 in the direction (Y direction) orthogonal to the transport direction (X direction) of the recording medium M on the platen 12. The guide rail 5, which may be referred to as Y bar, holds the carriage 6 in a manner that the carriage 6 is movable in reciprocating motion along the Y direction.

(28) <Carriage>

(29) As illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 4, the carriage 6 is movable in reciprocating motion in the Y direction along the guide rail (Y bar) 5. The carriage 6 holds the head holders 4 in a manner that the nozzles on the bottom surfaces of the heads 3 are exposed. In this embodiment, the carriage 6 is structured to hold two head holders 4. Optionally, the carriage 6 may be structured to hold one head holder 4 or three or more head holders 4.

(30) The carriage 6 includes a main housing 61, a sub housing 62, a base plate 63, covers 64 with fixing levers 65, eccentric cams 66, rotation regulators 67, energizers 68, and a sliding regulator 69. The main housing 61 is engaged with the guide rail 5 in a manner that the main housing 61 is movable in reciprocating motion along the Y direction. The sub housing 62 is engaged with the main housing 61. The base plate 63 is secured to the sub housing 62. The covers 64 are attached to the base plate 63 in a rotatable manner. The eccentric cams 66 are attached to the base plate 63 in a rotatable manner. The rotation regulators 67 regulate possible rotation of the sub housing 62 relative to the main housing 61. The energizers 68 push the sub housing 62 in a direction in which the sub housing 62 may rotate under its own weight. The sliding regulator 69 regulates sliding motion of the sub housing 62 relative to the main housing 61 in a transverse direction (direction along the axis of rotation of the sub housing 62).

(31) As illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 5, the main housing 61 constitutes the back-face wall of the carriage 6. The back surface of the main housing 61 is engaged with the guide rail 5 in a manner that the main housing 61 is movable in reciprocating motion. On the front-face side of the main housing 61 are disposed the sub housing 62 and the base plate 63.

(32) The main housing 61 has a rotating shaft 61a disposed in an axially rotatable manner, and an adjusting cam 61b pivotably supports the rotating shaft 61a. The adjusting cam 61b is engageable with the sub housing 62 to adjust positions (in height) of the heads 3. The adjusting cam 61b is an eccentric cam having a cam face that varies in distance to the cam's center. The cam face of the adjusting cam 61b has a plurality of continuous planes 61r, 61s, and 61t. These planes 61r, 61s, and 61t are so shaped as to differ in distance to the rotational center of the adjusting cam 61b. An operating part (operating handle) 61c is attached to one end of the rotating shaft 61a. The operating part 61c axially rotates the rotating shaft 61a to adjust positions of the heads 3.

(33) As illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 5, the sub housing 62 is engaged with the main housing 61 on the front side of the main housing 61. The sub housing 62 is not undetchably secured to the main housing 61 with such means as screws but is engaged with the main housing 61 in a manner that the sub housing 62 is movable upward and downward along the height direction (vertical direction) of the head 3. The sub housing 62 has wall parts 62a along the front-face wall of the main housing 61, and arm parts 62b extending from both ends of the wall parts 62a toward the opposite side of these wall parts (toward the front side of the carriage 6). The sub housing 62 is provided with a contact plate 62c that makes contact with the adjusting cam 61b. The contact plate 62c is formed by bending its plate material and has a substantially L-like shape in a lateral view. The contact plate 62c is disposed so that one surface thereof selectively makes face contact with the cam face (plane) 61r, 61s, or 61t of the adjusting cam 61b.

(34) As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the base plate 63 is situated in a space surrounded by the wall parts 62a and the arm parts 62b of the sub housing 62. The base plate 63 is secured to the sub housing 62 with, for example, screws. The base plate 63 has leaf springs 7 serving as energizers. The leaf springs 7 push the head holders 4 attached to the base plate 63 toward the base plate 63 to prevent wobbling of the heads 3 and securely position the heads 3.

(35) As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the covers 64 push the head holders 4 attached to the base plate 63 from above to prevent the head holders 4 from being detached from the base plate 63. One ends of the covers 64 are attached to a rotating shaft 64a rotatably mounted to the base plate 63. This allows the covers 64 to rotate on the base plate 63. The covers 64 for the head holders 4 are respectively attached to the rotating shafts 64a. The covers 64 are attached to the rotating shaft 64a in a manner that these covers are movable to and from two positions in upper and lower directions of the head holders 4 supported and held on the base plate 63. The covers 64, when they are at positions above the head holders 4, are facing upper surfaces of the head holders 4. The covers 64 then push the upper surfaces of the head holders 4 downward against the base plate 63. There are leaf springs 8 serving as energizers, on surfaces of the covers 64 that face the head holders 4. The leaf springs 8 push the head holders 4 attached to the base plate 63 from above toward the base plate 63 to prevent the heads 3 and the head holders 4 from being detached from the base plate 63.

(36) As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, fixing levers 65 are respectively attached to both ends of the rotating shaft 64a and rotate synchronously to the rotation of the rotating shaft 64a. The fixing levers 65 are attached to the rotating shaft 64a in a manner that these fixing levers are rotatable around axles 65a extending in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the rotating shaft 64a. The fixing levers 65 are allowed to rotate around the axles 65a to and from two positions at which the fixing levers 65 are engageable with and are not engageable with the base plate 63. The fixing levers 65 engaged with the base plate 63 from below are restricted from rotating, and the rotating shaft 64a is correspondingly restricted from rotating. As a result, the covers 64 are not allowed to rotate. When the fixing levers 65 are rotated around the axles 65a and disengaged from the base plate 63, the fixing levers 65 are no longer restricted from rotating. This may allow the rotating shaft 64a to rotate and allow the covers 64 to correspondingly rotate around the rotating shaft 64a.

(37) As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the eccentric cams 66 are attached to the base plate 63 in a rotatable manner. The eccentric cam 66 is disposed so as to contact the outer wall surface of the head holder 4 supported and held on the base plate 63. When the eccentric cam 66 rotates, the head holder 4 is moved on the base plate 63 in accordance with a distance from the center of rotation of the eccentric cam 66.

(38) As illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 8, there are two different types of rotation regulators 67 that are disposed at two positions.

(39) One of them is a protrusion 67a, as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 8. The protrusions 67a are each disposed on the back-face side of the wall part 62a of the sub housing 62. The protrusion 67a protrudes from the back-face side of the wall part 62a of the sub housing 62 toward the main housing 61. The protrusions 67a are disposed at positions opposite to contact plate parts of the sub housing 62 with the adjusting cam 61b (cam face 61r, 61s, 61t of the contact plate 62c) across the rotating shaft 61a of the adjusting cam 61b. The protrusions 67a thus located contact the main housing 61. The protrusions 67a may be formed on the wall surface of the main housing 61, in which case the protrusions 67a contact the back surfaces of the wall parts 62a of the sub housing 62.

(40) The other rotation regulator is a stopper 67b disposed in the main housing 61, as illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 7. The stoppers 67b are secured with, for example, screws to the wall surface of the main housing 61 closer to the sub housing 62. As with the protrusions 67a, the stoppers 67b are disposed at positions opposite to contact plate parts of the sub housing 62 with the adjusting cam 61b (surfaces in contact of the contact plate 62c and the cam face 61r, 61s, 61t) across the rotating shaft 61a of the adjusting earn 61b. An edge part of the stopper 67b protrudes toward the front side of the wall part 62a of the sub housing 62, so that the wall part 62a of the sub housing 62 is partly nipped between the stopper 67b and the main housing 61. The stoppers 67b protrude into the rotational trajectory of the sub housing 62 to contact the sub housing 62. The edge parts of the stoppers 67b each have a projection 67c extending toward the wall part 62a of the sub housing 62 facing the stopper 67b.

(41) As illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3, and 5, the energizers 68 may include coil springs 68. The coil springs 68 push the sub housing 62 in a direction of rotation of the sub housing 62 around the axis of the adjusting cam 61b. The coil springs 68 are each compressed to reduce in length than in natural state. One end of the coil spring 68 is attached to a receiver 61f of the main housing 61, while the other end of the coil spring 68 is attached to a receiver 62f formed in the sub housing 62. In the carriage 6 in which the head 3 has been set in an upright position, as illustrated in FIG. 5, a straight line interconnecting the receivers 61f and 62f extend in a direction in which the straight line intersects with a perpendicular passing through the center of the rotating shaft 61a of the adjusting cam 61b. Then, the coil spring 68 supported by the receivers 61f and 62f extend obliquely relative to the perpendicular passing through the center of the rotating shaft 61a of the adjusting cam 61b. The coil springs 68, using their restoring force, energize and push the sub housing 62 obliquely downward.

(42) As illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10, the sliding regulator 69 is disposed on the back-face side of the main housing 61. The sliding regulator 69 may include a coil spring 69. The coil spring 69 pushes the sub housing 62 to the main housing 61 to regulate sliding motion of the sub housing 62 relative to the main housing 61 in the transverse direction (direction along the axis of the rotating shaft 61a).

(43) The main housing 61 has an opening 61h. In an edge part of the opening 61h is formed a receiver 61j to which one end of the coil spring 69 is attachable.

(44) A protrusion 62h is formed on the back-face side of the wall parts 62a of the sub housing 62. The protrusion 62h is fitted in the opening 61h of the main housing 61. In a part of the protrusion 62h opposite to the receiver 61j is forming a receiver 62j to which the other end of the coil spring 69 is attachable. In a part of the protrusion 62h opposite to the opening 61h on the back-face side of the receiver 62j is formed a projection 62k that makes contact with a peripheral edge of the opening 61h. The coil spring 69 compressed to reduce in length than in natural state is fitted in between the receivers 61j and 62j. A straight line interconnecting the receivers 61j and 62j extends in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 61a of the adjusting cam 61b (transverse direction of the carriage 6). Then, the coil spring 69 supported by the receivers 61j and 62j is located so as to extend in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 61a of the adjusting cam 61b. The coil spring 69, using its own restoring force, energizes and pushes the protrusion 62h of the sub housing 62 toward the peripheral edge of the opening 61h formed in the main housing 61.

(45) The carriage 6 of the image forming apparatus 100 described so far is characterized in that the sub housing 62 is not secured to the main housing 61. Instead, the carriage 6 is simply structured to have the contact plate 62c make contact with the cam face 61r, 61s, 61t of the adjusting cam 61b. In the carriage 6 thus structured, the center of gravity of the sub housing 62 including, for example, the heads 3 does not lie immediately below the center of rotation of the adjusting cam 61b. The sub housing 62, therefore, may possibly start to rotate downward around the rotating shaft 61a of the adjusting cam 61b under the weights of the sub housing 62 itself, base plate 63, heads 3, and others. In the carriage 6, however, the protrusions 67a facing the main housing 61 contact the main housing 61, and the stoppers 67b protruding into the rotational trajectory of the sub housing 62 contact the wall parts 62a of the sub housing 62. This may regulate rotation of the sub housing 62, preventing resulting rotation of each head 3 supported and held in the sub housing 62. Such a simple structural construction may allow the heads 3 to be immovably positioned in the carriage 6 without having to secure the sub housing 62 holding the heads 3 to the main housing 61 using screws. This may prevent possible loss of a desired printing quality.

(46) The coil springs 68 serving as energizers, push the sub housing 62 in the direction of rotation of the sub housing 62 around the rotating shaft 61a of the adjusting cam 61b. Accordingly, a pushing force is applied by the coil springs 68 to the sub housing 62 in a direction in which rotation of the sub housing 62 is regulated by the protrusions 67a and the stoppers 67b. This may more effectively prevent rotation of the sub housing 62 and may further ensure that the heads 3 are prevented from rotating.

(47) The coil springs 68 extend in the direction intersecting with a perpendicular passing through the center of the rotating shaft 61a of the adjusting cam 61b and energize the sub housing 62. The coil springs 68, therefore, push the sub housing 62 in a direction away from the center of rotation of the adjusting cam 61b. Then, the sub housing 62 may be exactly pushed in the direction in which the sub housing 62 may possibly rotate.

(48) The coil spring 69 serving as a sliding regulator is disposed so as to push the protrusion 62h of the sub housing 62 in the transverse direction (axial direction of the rotating shaft 61a of the adjusting cam 61b) against the peripheral edge of the opening 61h of the main housing 61. This may suppress sliding motion in the transverse direction of the heads 3 (wobbling) supported and held in the sub housing 62. Such a simplified means may allow the heads 3 to be securely positioned in the carriage 6 and may thereby prevent possible loss of a desired printing quality.

(49) The cam face of the adjusting cam 61b includes the continuous planes 61r, 61s, and 61t, while the sub housing 62 has the contact plate 62c that selectively makes face contact with any one of the planes 61r, 61s, and 61t on the cam face. The face contact between the contact plate 62c and the cam face (plane) 61r, 61s, 61t of the adjusting cam 61b may effectively prevent possible displacement of each head 3.

(50) The rotating shaft 61a of the adjusting cam 61b has the operating part 61c used to axially rotate the adjusting cam 61b. A user is able to adjust the position of each head 3 by simply rotating the operating part 61c.

(51) The embodiment described so far is a non-limiting example of this disclosure. Any modifications may be made within the scope of the matters disclosed herein. For example, the carriage 6 mounted with two head holders is a non-limiting structural example.

(52) The number of the head holders mountable in the carriage may be optionally changed. The number of planes on the cam face may be optionally changed depending on the number of position-adjusting stages of the heads 3.

(53) The positions of the rotation regulators 67 may not be necessarily two positions, which may instead be one position or three or more positions insofar as the rotation regulator(s) is allowed to successfully regulate rotation of the sub housing 62 around the rotating shaft 61a of the adjusting cam 61b.

(54) Instead of the sliding regulator 69 disposed at one position in this description, a plurality of sliding regulators 69 may be respectively disposed at two or more positions insofar as they are allowed to successfully regulate sliding motion of the sub housing 62 in the transverse direction (axial direction of the rotating shaft 61a).