JP2018034413A - Printing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printing device that has a waste fluid tank arranged at a position at which printing deviation hardly occurs, without increasing the scale of the printing device.SOLUTION: A printing device 100 comprises: a device body 10; a platen body 41 which is provided in the device body 10, and has a prescribed space 45 therein; a platen 40 which is provided to an upper part of the platen body 41, and has a placement part 42 on which a recording medium 5 is placed; an ink head 30 that has a nozzle 31 for discharging ink toward the recording medium 5 placed on the placement part 42; a cap 51 which is arranged at a position other than the platen 40 in a planar view, and covers the nozzle 31 of the ink head 30; and a waste fluid tank 60 which is connected to the cap 51 and in which waste fluid being ink discharged from the nozzle 31 to the cap 51 is stored. At least part of the waste fluid tank 60 is arranged in a space 45 in the platen body 41.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a printing apparatus including a platen on which a recording medium such as recording paper is placed and an ink head having a nozzle that ejects ink toward the recording medium placed on the platen is known.

  In this type of printing apparatus, in order to appropriately eject ink from the nozzles of the ink head, a flushing operation for ejecting a predetermined amount of ink from the nozzles is periodically performed at times other than printing. By performing the flushing operation, it is possible to discharge the ink having a high viscosity in the nozzle, and it is possible to eliminate and suppress clogging of the nozzle. As a printing apparatus that performs such a flushing operation, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses an ink jet recording apparatus that includes a waste liquid tank that stores ink discharged by the flushing operation (hereinafter referred to as “waste liquid”). Has been.

JP 2005-343151 A

  By the way, the waste liquid tank disclosed in Patent Document 1 is disposed below the platen. In this case, it is necessary to secure a space for disposing the waste liquid tank below the platen, which may increase the size of the printing apparatus in the height direction.

  Further, the waste liquid tank may be arranged around the position where the flushing operation is performed. For example, the flushing operation is performed at the end of the printing apparatus at a position excluding the platen in a plan view. Therefore, the waste liquid tank may be disposed at the end of the printing apparatus. The amount of waste liquid in the waste liquid tank varies. Therefore, in the printing apparatus in which the waste liquid tank is disposed at the end of the printing apparatus, the center of gravity of the printing apparatus may vary depending on whether the amount of waste liquid in the waste liquid tank is large or small. As a result, when continuous printing is performed, there is a possibility that printing deviation may occur due to the change in the center of gravity.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a printing apparatus in which a waste liquid tank is disposed at a position where the printing apparatus does not increase in size and is unlikely to cause printing displacement. is there.

  The printing apparatus according to the present invention includes an apparatus main body, a platen, an ink head, a cap, a waste liquid tank, and a moving mechanism. The platen is provided in the apparatus main body, and includes a platen main body having a predetermined space therein, and a placement portion provided on an upper portion of the platen main body on which a recording medium is placed. The ink head has a nozzle that ejects ink toward the recording medium placed on the placement portion of the platen. The cap is disposed at a position other than the platen in a plan view and covers the nozzles of the ink head. The waste liquid tank is connected to the cap and stores waste liquid that is ink discharged from the nozzle to the cap. The moving mechanism moves the ink head in the first direction relative to the platen. At least a part of the waste liquid tank is disposed in the space in the platen body.

  According to the printing apparatus, at least a part of the waste liquid tank is disposed in the space of the platen main body. Therefore, the printing apparatus does not increase in size in the height direction as compared with an apparatus in which the waste liquid tank is disposed below the platen. Further, according to the printing apparatus, since at least a part of the waste liquid tank is disposed in the space inside the platen main body, the waste liquid tank is compared with the case where the waste liquid tank is disposed at the end of the printing apparatus. The center of gravity of the entire printing apparatus is unlikely to change with the change in the amount of waste liquid in the printer. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of printing misalignment due to fluctuations in the amount of waste liquid in the waste liquid tank. Therefore, it is possible to dispose the waste liquid tank at a position where the printing apparatus does not increase in size and at which it is difficult for the printing deviation to occur.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to dispose a waste liquid tank at a position where the printing apparatus does not increase in size and is unlikely to cause printing misalignment.

1 is a perspective view showing a printing apparatus according to an embodiment. It is a bottom view of the ink head. It is a block diagram of a printing apparatus. It is a front view of a printing apparatus. It is a right view of a platen. It is a front view of a platen. It is a bottom view of a platen. It is a bottom view of the platen showing a state where a waste liquid tank is accommodated in the space inside the platen main body. It is a front sectional view of a cap, and is a figure showing the state where an ink head was attached to a cap. It is a top view of a waste liquid tank. It is sectional drawing of the waste liquid tank in the XI-XI cross section of FIG.

  Hereinafter, a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments described herein are not intended to limit the present invention. In addition, members / parts having the same action are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions are omitted or simplified as appropriate.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a printing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment. In the following description, when the printing apparatus 100 is viewed from the front, the direction away from the printing apparatus 100 is the front, and the direction approaching the printing apparatus 100 is the rear. Left, right, top, and bottom mean left, right, top, and bottom, respectively, when the printing apparatus 100 is viewed from the front. Further, the symbols F, Rr, L, R, U, and D in the drawings mean front, rear, left, right, upper, and lower, respectively. However, the above direction is only a direction determined for convenience of description, and does not limit the installation mode of the printing apparatus 100 and does not limit the present invention. Moreover, the symbol X in the drawing indicates the main scanning direction. Here, the main scanning direction X is the left-right direction. Symbol Y indicates the sub-scanning direction. Here, the sub-scanning direction Y is the front-rear direction. The main scanning direction X and the sub scanning direction Y are orthogonal to each other in plan view. Reference sign Z indicates the height direction. The height direction Z is the vertical direction. However, the main scanning direction X, the sub-scanning direction Y, and the height direction Z are not particularly limited, and can be appropriately set according to the aspect of the printing apparatus 100. In the present embodiment, the main scanning direction X corresponds to the “first direction” of the present invention.

  In the present embodiment, the printing apparatus 100 is an ink jet printer. In the present embodiment, the “inkjet system” is, for example, an inkjet system based on a technique including various continuous systems such as a binary deflection system or a continuous deflection system, and various on-demand systems such as a thermal system or a piezoelectric element system. I mean.

  The printing apparatus 100 performs printing on the recording medium 5. In the present embodiment, the recording medium 5 is a roll-shaped recording paper, which is a so-called roll paper. However, the recording medium 5 is not limited to roll-shaped recording paper. For example, the recording medium 5 may be a resin sheet. The recording medium 5 is not limited to a flexible sheet, and may be a medium having a hard material such as a glass substrate. In the present embodiment, the material forming the recording medium 5 is not particularly limited.

  FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the ink head 30. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the printing apparatus 100. In the present embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the printing apparatus 100 includes a base unit 11, a guide rail 20, a carriage 25, a plurality of ink heads 30 (see FIG. 2), a platen 40, and a flushing mechanism 50. And a control device 80 (see FIG. 3).

  The base unit 11 is a member that is a base of the printing apparatus 100. The base part 11 is a plate-like member. The shape of the base part 11 is not particularly limited. In the present embodiment, the base portion 11 has a rectangular shape.

  The guide rail 20 guides the movement of the ink head 30 (see FIG. 2) in the main scanning direction X. The guide rail 20 extends in the main scanning direction X. In the present embodiment, a vertical wall 12 that rises upward from the base portion 11 is provided at the rear portion of the base portion 11. The vertical wall 12 extends in the main scanning direction X. Here, the guide rail 20 is arrange | positioned in the front surface of the vertical wall 12 through another member. FIG. 4 is a front view of the printing apparatus 100. As shown in FIG. 4, the guide rail 20 is disposed in the central portion of the base portion 11 in the main scanning direction X.

  The carriage 25 is slidably provided on the guide rail 20. In other words, the carriage 25 is engaged with the guide rail 20. The carriage 25 can move in the main scanning direction X along the guide rail 20.

  The plurality of ink heads 30 (see FIG. 2) ejects ink toward the recording medium 5 placed on a later-described placement portion 42 (see FIG. 1) of the platen 40. The plurality of ink heads 30 eject ink downward. In the present embodiment, the ink ejected by the ink head 30 is a solvent ink. Here, the “solvent ink” refers to an ink in which an ink component is dispersed with an organic solvent, for example. For example, as an example of the solvent ink, a solvent-based pigment ink can be given. However, the type of ink ejected by the ink head 30 is not particularly limited. For example, the ink ejected from the ink head 30 may be an aqueous pigment ink or an aqueous dye ink. Further, the ink ejected by the ink head 30 may be an ultraviolet curable ink that cures when irradiated with ultraviolet rays.

  As shown in FIG. 2, in the present embodiment, the plurality of ink heads 30 are mounted on the carriage 25. The plurality of ink heads 30 are slidably engaged with the guide rail 20 (see FIG. 1) via the carriage 25. The plurality of ink heads 30 move in the main scanning direction X as the carriage 25 moves in the main scanning direction X. FIG. 5 is a right side view of the platen 40. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the platen 40 and the ink head 30. As shown in FIG. 5, the ink head 30 is disposed above the platen 40. Specifically, the plurality of ink heads 30 are disposed above the placement portion 42 of the platen 40 in a side view. The number of ink heads 30 is not particularly limited. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the number of ink heads 30 is four. The plurality of ink heads 30 are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction X. A plurality of nozzles 31 are formed on the bottom surface of each ink head 30. Ink is ejected from the plurality of nozzles 31. In one ink head 30, the plurality of nozzles 31 are arranged side by side in the sub-scanning direction Y.

  An ink cartridge 35 (see FIG. 1) is connected to each of the plurality of ink heads 30. One ink cartridge 35 is connected to one ink head 30. For example, the ink head 30 and the ink cartridge 35 are connected by an ink tube (not shown). As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of ink cartridges 35 are provided, and inks having different colors (specifically, solvent inks) are accommodated therein. For example, each ink cartridge 35 contains ink of any one color among cyan ink, magenta ink, yellow ink, and black ink. Different colors of ink are ejected from the plurality of ink heads 30. In the present embodiment, an ink cartridge housing portion 13 having a space inside is provided at the right rear portion of the base portion 11. However, the position where the ink cartridge accommodating portion 13 is provided is not particularly limited. The plurality of ink cartridges 35 are accommodated in the ink cartridge accommodating portion 13.

  In the present embodiment, the base unit 11, the vertical wall 12, and the ink cartridge storage unit 13 are collectively referred to as an apparatus main body 10. The apparatus main body 10 includes a base portion 11, a vertical wall 12, and an ink cartridge storage portion 13. In addition, the apparatus main body 10 may further have another member and site | part. In the present embodiment, the apparatus main body 10 is formed of a resin (for example, polypropylene (PP)). That is, the base part 11, the vertical wall 12, and the ink cartridge storage part 13 are formed of resin. However, a part of the part constituting the apparatus main body 10 may be formed of a material other than resin, for example, metal.

  Next, the platen 40 will be described. The platen 40 supports the recording medium 5 when printing on the recording medium 5. The recording medium 5 is placed on the platen 40. As shown in FIG. 4, the platen 40 is disposed in the central portion of the apparatus main body 10 in the main scanning direction X. In the present embodiment, the platen 40 includes a platen main body 41 and a placement portion 42.

  The platen main body 41 is provided in the apparatus main body 10. Specifically, the platen main body 41 is provided on the surface of the base portion 11. In the present embodiment, the platen main body 41 is provided at the central portion of the base portion 11 in a front view. In other words, the platen main body 41 is provided in the central portion of the base portion 11 in the main scanning direction X. The platen main body 41 extends in the main scanning direction X. FIG. 6 is a front view of the platen 40. FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the platen 40. 6 and 7 show a state where the waste liquid tank 60 is removed from the platen main body 41. FIG. FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the platen 40 showing a state in which the waste liquid tank 60 is accommodated in the space 45 inside the platen main body 41. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the platen main body 41 has a predetermined space 45 inside. As shown in FIG. 6, an opening 46 is formed in the center portion of the front surface of the platen main body 41 in the main scanning direction X. The opening 46 communicates with the space 45 inside the platen main body 41. As shown in FIG. 8, the waste liquid tank 60 is inserted into the opening 46, and the waste liquid tank 60 is accommodated in the space 45 through the opening 46. The position of the opening 46 is not limited to the front surface of the platen main body 41. For example, the opening 46 may be formed on the rear surface of the platen main body 41.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the recording medium 5 is placed on the placement unit 42. In the present embodiment, ink is ejected from the ink head 30 toward the recording medium 5 on the placement unit 42. As shown in FIG. 4, the mounting portion 42 is provided on the upper part of the platen main body 41. The mounting portion 42 extends in the main scanning direction X.

  In the present embodiment, the platen 40 (here, the platen main body 41 and the mounting portion 42) is formed of resin. However, the type of resin forming the platen 40 is not particularly limited. For example, the platen main body 41 and the mounting portion 42 are made of polypropylene (PP). In the present embodiment, the platen main body 41 and the mounting portion 42 are integrally formed, but the platen main body 41 and the mounting portion 42 may be separate. When the platen main body 41 and the placement portion 42 are separate bodies, the material of the platen main body 41 and the material of the placement portion 42 may be different. For example, when the platen main body 41 and the placement portion 42 are separate bodies, the platen main body 41 may be formed of resin, and the placement portion 42 may be formed of metal (for example, aluminum).

  The platen 40 may be provided with a heater 48 (see FIG. 3) that promotes drying of the ink ejected to the recording medium 5 placed on the placement unit 42. Although illustration is omitted, the heater 48 is provided, for example, in the mounting portion 42 and heats the mounting portion 42. Then, when the recording medium 5 is placed on the heated placement portion 42, drying of the ink ejected to the recording medium 5 is promoted. Although the kind of heater 48 is not specifically limited, For example, it is a rubber heater or a cord heater.

  Further, the platen 40 may be provided with a suction device 49 (see FIG. 3) for suppressing the recording medium 5 from floating from the placement unit 42. The configuration of the suction device 49 is not particularly limited. For example, the suction device 49 includes a fan (not shown). Although illustration is omitted, for example, the mounting portion 42 has a plurality of suction holes. The suction device 49 sucks the air around the recording medium 5 placed on the placement portion 42 of the platen 40 through the suction holes as the fan rotates. As a result, the recording medium 5 is attracted to the placement unit 42. The arrangement position of the suction device 49 is not particularly limited.

  Next, the first moving mechanism 71 and the second moving mechanism 72 will be described. The first moving mechanism 71 (see FIG. 3) moves the ink head 30 relative to the platen 40 and the recording medium 5 placed on the platen 40 (more specifically, the placement unit 42) in the main scanning direction. This is a mechanism for moving to X. The configuration of the first moving mechanism 71 is not particularly limited. In the present embodiment, the first moving mechanism 71 includes a pulley 21 (see FIG. 3) provided at the right end of the guide rail 20, and another pulley (not shown) provided at the left end of the guide rail 20. And a belt (not shown) wound around the pulley 21 and the other pulley, and a motor 24 (see FIG. 3). A carriage 25 (see FIG. 1) is attached to the belt. As shown in FIG. 3, the motor 24 is connected to the pulley 21. When the pulley 21 is driven as the motor 24 is driven, the belt travels between the pulley 21 and the other pulleys. Thus, the carriage 25 attached to the belt and the plurality of ink heads 30 (see FIG. 2) mounted on the carriage 25 move in the main scanning direction X along the guide rail 20. In the present embodiment, the first moving mechanism 71 corresponds to the “moving mechanism” of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the second moving mechanism 72 moves the recording medium 5 placed on the platen 40 (specifically, the placement unit 42) relative to the ink head 30 in the sub-scanning direction Y. It is a mechanism to make. The configuration of the second moving mechanism 72 is not particularly limited. In the present embodiment, the second moving mechanism 72 includes a grid roller 26, a pinch roller 27 disposed above the grid roller 26, and a motor 28 (see FIG. 3). The grid roller 26 is embedded in the mounting portion 42 of the platen 40, and the upper portion of the grid roller 26 is exposed upward from the mounting portion 42. Although illustration is omitted, in this embodiment, a plurality of grid rollers 26 are provided and arranged in the main scanning direction X. The pinch roller 27 is for sandwiching the recording medium 5 together with the grid roller 26. Here, the pinch roller 27 is configured to be movable in the height direction Z. The number of pinch rollers 27 is the same as the number of grid rollers 26. Here, as shown in FIG. 3, a motor 28 is connected to the grid roller 26. When the motor 28 is driven, the grid roller 26 rotates. Then, the recording medium 5 sandwiched between the grid roller 26 and the pinch roller 27 is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction Y as the grid roller 26 rotates. 1 and 4, the grid roller 26 and the pinch roller 27 are omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 4, in the printing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, the guide rail 20 is used when printing is not performed on the recording medium 5 and when the ink head 30 is not moving in the main scanning direction X. The ink head 30 is configured to wait at the home position HP on the right end side of the head. The first moving mechanism 71 is configured to move the plurality of ink heads 30 to the home position HP after printing is completed. Note that the position of the home position HP is not particularly limited. For example, the home position HP may be on the left end side of the guide rail 20.

  In the present embodiment, the flushing mechanism 50 is disposed at the home position HP, which is the right end portion of the apparatus main body 10. FIG. 9 is a view showing the flushing mechanism 50. FIG. 9 is a front sectional view of the cap 51, and shows a state where the ink head 30 is attached to the cap 51. As shown in FIG. 9, the flushing mechanism 50 includes a cap 51, a cap moving mechanism 52, and a suction pump 53. The cap 51 can cover the nozzle 31 (see FIG. 2) of the ink head 30. The ink head 30 is positioned above the cap 51 when waiting at the home position HP. At this time, the nozzle 31 of the ink head 30 is covered from below by the cap 51. Thereby, drying of the nozzle 31 is suppressed. Here, the cap 51 covers the nozzle 31 of any one of the plurality of ink heads 30, and the same number of caps 51 as the ink heads 30 are provided. However, the number of caps 51 may be one and the nozzles 31 of the plurality of ink heads 30 may be covered together. In the present embodiment, discharging a predetermined amount of ink from the nozzle 31 into the cap 51 with the cap 51 attached to the ink head 30 is referred to as “flushing operation”.

  The cap moving mechanism 52 is a mechanism that moves the cap 51 in the height direction Z. The configuration of the cap moving mechanism 52 is not particularly limited. Here, the cap moving mechanism 52 is configured by a motor 54 connected to the cap 51. When the motor 54 is driven and the cap 51 moves in the height direction Z, the cap 51 is attached to the ink head 30.

  The suction pump 53 is for sucking ink in the ink head 30. The suction pump 53 is connected to the cap 51. In the present embodiment, the cap 51 and the waste liquid tank 60 are connected by the discharge passage 55. The suction pump 53 is disposed in the middle of the discharge passage 55. In the state where the nozzle 31 of the ink head 30 is covered with the cap 51, the suction pump 53 is driven to suck the ink in the ink head 30 through the cap 51.

  Next, the waste liquid tank 60 will be described. The waste liquid tank 60 stores waste liquid that is ink discharged from the nozzle 31 of the ink head 30 to the cap 51. As described above, the discharge tank 55 is connected to the waste liquid tank 60, and is connected to the cap 51 through the discharge path 55.

  FIG. 10 is a plan view of the waste liquid tank 60. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the waste liquid tank 60 in the XI-XI cross section of FIG. As shown in FIG. 10, the waste liquid tank 60 includes a bottom plate 64, a front plate 65, a rear plate 66, a left plate 67, and a right plate 68. The bottom plate 64 is a rectangular plate. The bottom plate 64 is flat. However, the bottom plate 64 may be inclined downward toward the center. As shown in FIG. 11, the front plate 65 is connected to the front end of the bottom plate 64 and extends upward from the front end of the bottom plate 64. As shown in FIG. 10, a handle 69 held by the user may be provided in the central portion of the front surface of the front plate 65. The rear plate 66 is connected to the rear end of the bottom plate 64 and extends upward from the rear end of the bottom plate 64. The front plate 65 and the rear plate 66 are opposed to each other. The left plate 67 is connected to the left end of the bottom plate 64 and extends upward from the left end of the bottom plate 64. The front end of the left plate 67 is connected to the left end of the front plate 65, and the rear end of the left plate 67 is connected to the left end of the rear plate 66. The right plate 68 is connected to the right end of the bottom plate 64 and extends upward from the right end of the bottom plate 64. As shown in FIG. 10, the front end of the right plate 68 is connected to the left end of the front plate 65, and the rear end of the right plate 68 is connected to the right end of the rear plate 66. The left plate 67 and the right plate 68 are opposed to each other.

  The material of the waste liquid tank 60 is not particularly limited. In the present embodiment, the waste liquid tank 60 is formed of a resin, for example, polypropylene (PP). Specifically, the bottom plate 64, the front plate 65, the rear plate 66, the left plate 67, and the right plate 68 are each formed of resin (for example, polypropylene). However, the waste liquid tank 60 may be formed of metal.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the waste liquid tank 60 is accommodated in a space 45 inside the platen main body 41 of the platen 40. As shown in FIG. 5, the waste liquid tank 60 is disposed below the placement portion 42 of the platen 40. The waste liquid tank 60 is accommodated in the space 45 by inserting the waste liquid tank 60 from the opening 46 formed in the front surface of the platen main body 41. In a state where the waste liquid tank 60 is accommodated in the space 45 of the platen main body 41, the front surface of the waste liquid tank 60 (specifically, the front surface of the front plate 65) is exposed from the platen main body 41. As shown in FIG. 4, the waste liquid tank 60 is disposed at the center portion of the platen main body 41 in the main scanning direction X when viewed from the front.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 8, the waste liquid tank 60 is supported in the space 45 by two support members 61. The arrangement position of the support member 61 is not particularly limited. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the two support members 61 are arranged on the inner peripheral surface forming the space 45 in the platen main body 41. The two support members 61 are arranged so as to oppose each other in the main scanning direction X. As shown in FIG. 7, the two support members 61 are members extending in the sub-scanning direction Y. The number of support members 61 is not limited to two, and may be one or three or more. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the waste liquid tank 60 is slidably supported by the two support members 61. Specifically, the left support member 61 supports the left plate 67 of the waste liquid tank 60 so as to be slidable. The right support member 61 slidably supports the right plate 68 of the waste liquid tank 60. The waste liquid tank 60 can move in the sub-scanning direction Y along the two support members 61.

  As shown in FIG. 4, in the front view, the center C11 of the waste liquid tank 60 in the main scanning direction X and the center C12 of the platen main body 41 in the main scanning direction X coincide with each other in the main scanning direction X. Further, when viewed from the front, the center C11 in the main scanning direction X of the waste liquid tank 60 and the center C13 in the main scanning direction X of the apparatus main body 10 (specifically, the base portion 11) coincide with each other in the position in the main scanning direction X. ing. In front view, the center C11 of the waste liquid tank 60 in the main scanning direction X and the center C14 of the guide rail 20 in the main scanning direction X coincide with each other in the main scanning direction X. In the present embodiment, “the positions in the main scanning direction X are coincident” includes not only the case where they are completely coincident but also the case where the centers are slightly shifted.

  In the present embodiment, the length L11 of the waste liquid tank 60 in the main scanning direction X is longer than the length L13 of the waste liquid tank 60 in the height direction Z. As shown in FIG. 11, the length L12 of the waste liquid tank 60 in the sub-scanning direction Y is longer than the length L13 of the waste liquid tank 60 in the height direction Z. Here, the length L11 of the waste liquid tank 60 in the main scanning direction X is longer than the length L12 of the waste liquid tank 60 in the sub-scanning direction Y, but may be shorter than the length L12. As shown in FIG. 4, the length L11 of the waste liquid tank 60 in the main scanning direction X is shorter than the length L21 of the platen body 41 in the main scanning direction X. As shown in FIG. 5, the length L12 of the waste liquid tank 60 in the sub-scanning direction Y is shorter than the length L22 of the platen body 41 in the sub-scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. 4, the length L13 of the waste liquid tank 60 in the height direction Z is shorter than the length L23 of the platen body 41 in the height direction Z.

  Next, the control device 80 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the control device 80 is a device that performs control related to printing. In the present embodiment, the control device 80 is provided inside the device main body 10. The configuration of the control device 80 is not particularly limited. For example, the control device 80 is realized by a microcomputer. For example, the control device 80 includes a central processing unit (CPU), a ROM storing a program executed by the CPU, a RAM, and the like. Here, printing control is performed using a program stored in the microcomputer.

  In the present embodiment, the control device 80 includes the plurality of ink heads 30, the heater 48, the suction device 49, the motor 24 of the first moving mechanism 71, the motor 28 of the second moving mechanism 72, and the cap moving mechanism 52. The motor 54 and the suction pump 53 of the flushing mechanism 50 are electrically connected. The control device 80 includes a plurality of ink heads 30, a heater 48, a suction device 49, a motor 24 of the first moving mechanism 71, a motor 28 of the second moving mechanism 72, a motor 54 of the cap moving mechanism 52, and a suction pump 53. Control each one.

  In the present embodiment, the control device 80 controls the timing at which the plurality of ink heads 30 eject ink. The control device 80 adjusts the heat generated from the heater 48 by controlling the heater 48. The control device 80 controls the timing at which the recording medium 5 is attracted to the platen 40 by controlling the driving of the suction device 49. The control device 80 controls the rotation of the pulley 21 and the travel of the belt wound around the pulley 21 by controlling the driving of the motor 24 of the first moving mechanism 71. Thus, the control device 80 controls the movement of the plurality of ink heads 30 in the main scanning direction X. The control device 80 controls the rotation of the grid roller 26 by controlling the driving of the motor 28 of the second moving mechanism 72. Thus, the control device 80 controls the movement of the recording medium 5 placed on the placement unit 42 in the sub-scanning direction Y. The control device 80 controls the movement of the cap 51 in the height direction Z by controlling the motor 54 of the cap moving mechanism 52. Further, the control device 80 controls the timing of sucking ink in the ink head 30 attached to the cap 51 by controlling the driving of the suction pump 53 of the flushing mechanism 50.

  The configuration of the printing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment has been described above. Next, the flushing operation by the flushing mechanism 50 will be briefly described. For example, when printing is completed, the control device 80 moves the first moving mechanism 71 so that the plurality of ink heads 30 move from the position above the platen 40 to the home position HP as shown in FIG. Control. When the ink head 30 moves to the home position HP, the cap 51 is positioned below the ink head 30 as shown in FIG. At this time, the controller 80 moves the cap 51 upward by driving the motor 54 of the cap moving mechanism 52. As a result, the cap 51 is attached to the ink head 30. Specifically, the nozzle 31 (see FIG. 2) of the ink head 30 is covered with the cap 51.

  In a state where the nozzle 31 of the ink head 30 is covered with the cap 51, the control device 80 drives the suction pump 53 of the flushing mechanism 50. As a result, the ink in the ink head 30 is ejected from the nozzle 31 into the cap 51. Then, the ink discharged into the cap 51 is discharged as waste liquid to the waste liquid tank 60 through the discharge passage 55. As described above, by performing the flushing operation, the ink having a high viscosity in the nozzle 31 can be discharged to the waste liquid tank 60, and clogging of the nozzle 31 can be eliminated and suppressed.

  When a certain amount of waste liquid is accumulated in the waste liquid tank 60, the user slides the waste liquid tank 60 and pulls it out from the front part of the platen main body 41 as shown in FIG. . Then, the waste liquid in the waste liquid tank 60 may be discarded, and the waste liquid tank 60 may be inserted into the opening 46 of the platen main body 41 again and accommodated in the space 45 inside the platen main body 41 through the opening 46.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the waste liquid tank 60 is disposed in the space 45 inside the platen main body 41 as shown in FIG. Accordingly, for example, the printing apparatus 100 is not increased in size in the height direction Z as compared with an apparatus in which the waste liquid tank 60 is disposed below the platen 40. Further, according to the present embodiment, since the waste liquid tank 60 is disposed in the space 45 inside the platen main body 41, for example, the waste liquid tank 60 is disposed at the end of the printing apparatus 100, that is, at the end of the apparatus main body 10. Compared to the arrangement, the overall center of gravity of the printing apparatus 100 is less likely to change with the change in the amount of waste liquid in the waste liquid tank 60. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of printing misalignment due to fluctuations in the amount of waste liquid in the waste liquid tank 60. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the waste liquid tank 60 can be disposed at a position where the printing apparatus 100 does not increase in size and is unlikely to cause printing misalignment.

  In this embodiment, when viewed from the sub-scanning direction Y orthogonal to the main scanning direction X in plan view (here, in front view), the center C11 of the waste liquid tank 60 in the main scanning direction X is shown in FIG. And the position C in the main scanning direction X coincide with the center C13 of the main body 10 in the main scanning direction X. When viewed from the front, the center C11 of the waste liquid tank 60 in the main scanning direction X and the center C12 of the platen body 41 in the main scanning direction X coincide with each other in the main scanning direction X. In the present embodiment, the center C11 of the waste liquid tank 60 in the main scanning direction X and the center C14 of the guide rail 20 in the main scanning direction X are coincident with each other in the front view. Here, the platen 40 is disposed in the central portion of the apparatus main body 10 in the main scanning direction X. The guide rail 20 is disposed in the central portion of the apparatus main body 10 in the main scanning direction X. As a result, the waste liquid tank 60 is disposed at the central portion of the apparatus main body 10 in the main scanning direction X when viewed from the front. Therefore, the overall center of gravity of the printing apparatus 100 is unlikely to change with the change in the amount of waste liquid in the waste liquid tank 60. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of printing misalignment due to fluctuations in the amount of waste liquid in the waste liquid tank 60.

  In the present embodiment, the waste liquid tank 60 is supported by two support members 61 in the space 45 inside the platen main body 41 as shown in FIG. Accordingly, the waste liquid tank 60 is disposed in a supported state in the space 45 inside the platen main body 41. Therefore, the waste liquid tank 60 can be prevented from being displaced in the space 45.

  In the present embodiment, the two support members 61 support the waste liquid tank 60 so as to be slidable. Thus, the waste liquid tank 60 can be arranged in the space 45 inside the platen main body 41 while sliding the waste liquid tank 60. Therefore, it is easy to remove the waste liquid tank 60 from the platen main body 41.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, an opening 46 communicating with the space 45 inside the platen main body 41 is formed in the front portion of the platen main body 41. Accordingly, the waste liquid tank 60 can be disposed in the space 45 inside the platen main body 41 from the front side of the apparatus main body 10. Therefore, for example, it is easy to replace the waste liquid tank 60 with a new waste liquid tank 60. Even if the user forgets to install the waste liquid tank 60 in the space 45 of the platen main body 41, the user confirms the front part of the platen main body 41 so that the waste liquid is discharged into the space 45 of the platen main body 41. It is easy to confirm that the tank 60 is not installed.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the length L11 of the waste liquid tank 60 in the main scanning direction X is longer than the length L13 of the waste liquid tank 60 in the height direction Z. Here, the waste liquid tank 60 is a tank spread on a horizontal plane. Therefore, the length of the waste liquid tank 60 in the height direction Z can be shortened. As a result, the space 45 inside the platen main body 41 can be used effectively.

  In the present embodiment, the length L11 of the waste liquid tank 60 in the main scanning direction X is longer than the length L21 of the platen main body 41 in the main scanning direction X. This makes it easy to dispose the waste liquid tank 60 in the space 45 inside the platen main body 41. Therefore, the space 45 inside the platen main body 41 can be used effectively.

  In the present embodiment, the platen main body 41 is formed of resin. Therefore, compared with the case where the platen main body 41 is formed of metal, the platen main body 41 according to the present embodiment has low rigidity. However, in the present embodiment, the waste liquid tank 60 is disposed in the space 45 inside the platen main body 41. As a result, the waste liquid tank 60 itself serves as a framework for the platen main body 41, and as a result, the rigidity of the platen main body 41 can be increased. Therefore, even if the platen main body 41 is formed of resin, a certain degree of rigidity can be ensured.

  In the present embodiment, at least a part of the apparatus main body 10 is made of resin. Thereby, for example, the apparatus main body 10 according to the present embodiment is lighter than the case where the entire apparatus main body 10 is formed of metal. Therefore, in the printing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, as compared with the case where the entire apparatus main body 10 is formed of metal, the entire printing apparatus 100 is changed as the amount of waste liquid in the waste liquid tank 60 varies. The center of gravity tends to fluctuate. However, in the present embodiment, the waste liquid tank 60 is disposed in the central portion of the apparatus main body 10 in the main scanning direction X. Therefore, even when at least a part of the apparatus main body 10 is made of resin, the overall center of gravity of the printing apparatus 100 is unlikely to change with the change in the amount of waste liquid in the waste liquid tank 60. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of printing misalignment due to the variation in the amount of waste liquid in the waste liquid tank 60. The present embodiment is particularly useful in the printing apparatus 100 in which at least a part of the apparatus main body 10 is formed of resin.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 5 Recording medium 10 Apparatus main body 30 Ink head 31 Nozzle 40 Platen 41 Platen main body 42 Placement part 45 Space 51 Cap 60 Waste liquid tank 61 Support member 71 1st moving mechanism (moving mechanism)
100 printing device

Claims (11)

The device body;
A platen provided in the apparatus main body and having a predetermined space therein; and a platen provided at an upper part of the platen main body on which a recording medium is placed;
An ink head having a nozzle for ejecting ink toward the recording medium placed on the placement portion of the platen;
In a plan view, the cap is disposed at a position other than the platen and covers the nozzles of the ink head;
A waste liquid tank that is connected to the cap and stores waste liquid that is ink discharged from the nozzle to the cap;
A moving mechanism for moving the ink head in a first direction relative to the platen;
With
The printing apparatus, wherein at least a part of the waste liquid tank is disposed in the space in the platen body.   When viewed from a direction orthogonal to the first direction in plan view, the center of the waste liquid tank in the first direction and the center of the apparatus main body in the first direction coincide with each other in the first direction. The printing apparatus according to claim 1.   When viewed from a direction orthogonal to the first direction in plan view, the center of the first direction of the waste liquid tank and the center of the first direction of the platen body coincide with each other in the position of the first direction. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2. A guide rail that extends in the first direction and in which the ink head is slidably provided;
When viewed from a direction orthogonal to the first direction in plan view, the center of the first direction of the waste liquid tank and the center of the first direction of the guide rail coincide with each other in the position of the first direction. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.   The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a support member that supports the waste liquid tank in the space inside the platen main body.   The printing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the support member slidably supports the waste liquid tank.   The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein an opening communicating with the space in the platen body is formed in a front portion of the platen body.   The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a length of the waste liquid tank in the first direction is longer than a length of the waste liquid tank in a height direction.   The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a length of the waste liquid tank in the first direction is shorter than a length of the platen body in the first direction.   The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the apparatus main body is made of resin.   The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the platen main body is made of resin.

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