JP2006212995A - Processing gap adjustment mechanism, processing gap adjustment method, and printing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

An inexpensive processing gap adjusting mechanism, a processing gap adjusting method, and a printing apparatus capable of omitting a position detection sensor for controlling a drive unit of the processing gap adjusting mechanism are provided.
A carriage shaft extending along a paper width direction and movable in parallel to a direction perpendicular to a platen surface, and a carriage supported by the carriage shafts and movable in the paper width direction. 13, a carriage drive mechanism 50 that drives the carriage 13 in the paper width direction, a position detection sensor that detects the amount of movement of the carriage 13 in the paper width direction, and the carriage shafts 52, 53 parallel to the direction perpendicular to the platen surface 91 a. A carriage shaft drive mechanism 51 that moves and changes the gap between the platen surface 91a and the recording head, and a carriage interlock mechanism 90 that moves the carriage 13 in the paper width direction in conjunction with the operation of the carriage shaft drive mechanism 51 are provided. The carriage shaft drive mechanism 51 is driven and controlled according to the detection signal of the position detection sensor.
[Selection] Figure 5

Description

  The present invention adjusts a gap between a processing reference surface set in the middle of a transport path for transporting paper and a processing mechanism that performs information processing on the paper transported on the processing reference surface. The present invention relates to a processing gap adjustment mechanism, a processing gap adjustment method, and a printing apparatus.

An example of an information processing apparatus that conveys a sheet along a predetermined conveyance path and performs information processing for reading and recording information on a sheet conveyed on a processing reference plane in the middle of the conveyance path For example, a printer (printing apparatus) connected to a personal computer or the like can be used.
In such a printer, in a device case that provides an appearance, a paper feeding unit that stacks and stores paper, a transport mechanism that feeds paper from the paper feeding unit one by one and transports the paper along a predetermined transport path, A recording head (processing mechanism) that prints images such as characters and graphics on the surface of the paper that has been transported to the platen surface (processing reference surface) set in the middle of the transport path, and a predetermined movement to the recording head Various operating devices such as a carriage for applying force are incorporated.

Recent printers are of the front feed / discharge type in which both the paper feed unit and the printed paper discharge unit are located on the front side of the device in order to make the information processing device compact and space-saving. Have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
In such a front feed / discharge type printer, a paper cassette in which sheets are stacked and fed for paper feeding is arranged at the lower part of the front of the apparatus, and a paper discharge tray for discharging the printed paper is provided in the paper cassette. A U-shaped transport path that is arranged above and connects between the paper cassette and the paper discharge tray is constructed in the apparatus case, and the platen surface is located in the middle of the linear transport path that forms the U-shaped transport path. Is set, the recording head is arranged above the platen surface.

  The U-shaped conveyance path of the front feed / discharge type printer includes a paper feed roller and a driven roller for nipping and conveying the sheet to a platen surface provided on the downstream side of the conveyance path, and the conveyance The sheet fed into the path has been transported up to the platen surface and the intermediate roller and assist roller for nipping and transporting the sheet by the paper feed roller and the driven roller separated by a predetermined distance downstream on the transport path. A recording head that performs printing processing on the paper, a paper discharge roller that discharges the paper printed by the recording head to a paper discharge tray at the exit of the conveyance path, a star wheel, and the like are arranged.

  Further, in the case of recent printers, for example, between the platen surface and the recording head so that stable printing can be performed on various types of media such as plain paper, thick paper such as postcards, and CD-R. An apparatus provided with a printing gap adjusting mechanism (processing gap adjusting mechanism) for adjusting the gap has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 2).

Japanese Patent No. 3520469 JP-A-5-309909

By the way, in the case of the conventional printing apparatus as described above, the carriage drive mechanism and the print gap adjustment mechanism for moving the carriage in the paper width direction are each driven by a dedicated DC motor such as a carriage motor and a gap adjustment motor. Each DC motor requires a dedicated position detection sensor for operation control.
For example, as a dedicated position detection sensor for controlling a DC motor that is a gap adjustment motor in a print gap adjustment mechanism, a rotation scale that rotates in conjunction with the DC motor and an encoder that detects the rotation amount of the rotation scale are used. Since the rotary encoder is used and a rotary encoder that is a high-priced part is necessary, the cost burden is large. In addition, this rotary encoder is used only at the time of adjusting the print gap, and is not used during the normal printing process. If a stepping motor is used as the gap adjusting motor, the position detection sensor can be omitted, but the stepping motor itself is expensive and the cost is increased.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems, and an inexpensive processing gap adjustment mechanism, a processing gap adjustment method, and a printing apparatus that can omit a position detection sensor for controlling a drive unit in the processing gap adjustment mechanism. Is to provide.

  The object of the present invention is to provide a processing reference surface set in the middle of a transport path for transporting paper, and a processing reference surface that extends along the paper width direction orthogonal to the paper transport direction and A carriage shaft that can be translated in a direction orthogonal to the carriage, a carriage that is supported by the carriage shaft and that can move in the paper width direction perpendicular to the paper transport direction, and is mounted on the carriage and on the processing reference surface A processing mechanism that performs information processing on the conveyed paper, a carriage drive mechanism that drives the carriage in the paper width direction, a position detection sensor that detects a movement amount of the carriage in the paper width direction, and the carriage shaft A carriage shaft drive mechanism that translates a gap in a direction perpendicular to the processing reference plane and changes a gap between the processing reference plane and the processing mechanism, and the carriage A carriage interlocking mechanism that moves the carriage in the paper width direction in conjunction with the operation of the driving mechanism, and the carriage shaft driving mechanism is driven and controlled in accordance with a detection signal of the position detection sensor. This is achieved by the processing gap adjustment mechanism.

According to the processing gap adjusting mechanism having the above-described configuration, the carriage interlocking mechanism moves the carriage in the paper width direction in conjunction with the operation of the carriage shaft driving mechanism when the carriage shaft is translated in a direction orthogonal to the processing reference plane. Therefore, the carriage shaft drive mechanism can be driven and controlled according to the detection signal of the position detection sensor that detects the movement amount of the carriage in the paper width direction.
Therefore, even when a DC motor is used as the gap adjustment motor of the carriage shaft drive mechanism, it is not necessary to provide a dedicated position detection sensor for controlling the drive unit of the gap adjustment motor, and the amount of parallel movement of the carriage can be reduced. Cost reduction can be achieved by reducing the number of position detection sensors to be detected.

  In the processing gap adjusting mechanism having the above-described configuration, a wedge-shaped driving member that moves the carriage shaft in a direction orthogonal to the processing reference plane when the carriage shaft driving mechanism is moved along the sheet conveyance direction. And the carriage interlocking mechanism includes a cam that is provided on the wedge-shaped drive member facing the engagement portion of the carriage and moves the carriage in the paper width direction according to the amount of movement of the wedge-shaped drive member. Is desirable.

  According to this configuration, the carriage shaft driving mechanism includes the wedge-shaped driving member that moves the carriage shaft in a direction orthogonal to the processing reference plane, and the carriage interlocking mechanism moves the carriage to the paper according to the movement amount of the wedge-shaped driving member. Since the cam for moving in the width direction is provided, the configuration of the carriage shaft driving mechanism and the carriage interlocking mechanism can be made simple and compact.

  In the processing gap adjusting mechanism having the above-described configuration, the cam moves the carriage in the paper width direction according to the movement amount of the wedge-shaped drive member, and the carriage is moved even when the wedge-shaped drive member moves. It is desirable to provide a substantially step-like interlocking cam surface including a cam portion that is not moved in the paper width direction.

  According to this configuration, it is possible to accurately set a plurality of gaps between the processing reference plane set in advance and the processing mechanism regardless of the component tolerance and assembly accuracy of the processing gap adjustment mechanism.

  In the processing gap adjustment mechanism having the above-described configuration, the wedge-shaped drive member has a rack gear that meshes with a pinion gear provided at an end of the carriage shaft that is rotationally driven by a gap adjustment motor of the carriage shaft drive mechanism. It is desirable to include an upper edge extending in the sheet conveyance direction and a lower edge having an inclined surface that is in contact with a support member fixed to the apparatus main body and is inclined with respect to the upper edge.

  According to this configuration, since the wedge-shaped drive member is accurately driven by the gap adjusting motor, the carriage shaft drive mechanism can be simplified and compact, and the carriage can be reliably secured in the paper width direction via the carriage interlocking mechanism. Can be moved to.

  In the processing gap adjusting mechanism having the above-described configuration, the wedge-shaped drive member abuts on a support member fixed to the apparatus main body, and the carriage shaft is moved in accordance with the movement of the wedge-shaped drive member along the sheet conveyance direction. A substantially staircase shape having a cam portion that moves in a direction orthogonal to the processing reference surface and a cam portion that does not move the carriage shaft in a direction orthogonal to the processing reference surface even when the wedge-shaped drive member moves. It is desirable to provide an adjustment cam surface.

  According to this configuration, even if the wedge-shaped drive member having the adjustment cam surface that comes into contact with the support member moves along the sheet conveyance direction, the cam portion does not move the carriage shaft in the direction orthogonal to the processing reference surface. Therefore, the specified gap can be maintained even if errors occur in the dimensions of the adjustment cam surface, the distance between the support members, and the movement amount of the wedge-shaped drive member.

  In the processing gap adjusting mechanism having the above-described configuration, when adjusting the gap, a carriage driving mechanism that moves the carriage along the paper width direction biases the carriage toward the cam of the wedge-shaped driving member. It is preferable that the engagement portion of the carriage is brought into pressure contact with the cam by being driven by the motor.

According to this configuration, the clearance between the engagement portion of the carriage and the cam can be eliminated without adding parts such as a spring biasing member.
Therefore, the carriage interlocking mechanism can accurately move the carriage in the paper width direction in conjunction with the operation of the carriage shaft driving mechanism, regardless of the component tolerance and assembly accuracy of the carriage shaft driving mechanism and the carriage interlocking mechanism.

In addition, the object of the present invention is to provide a processing reference surface set in the middle of a transport path for transporting paper, and a processing mechanism that performs information processing on the paper transported on the processing reference surface. A process gap adjustment method for adjusting a gap between
When the gap is adjusted, the carriage is moved in the paper width direction perpendicular to the paper conveyance direction in conjunction with the operation of translating the carriage on which the processing mechanism is mounted in a direction perpendicular to the processing reference plane. ,
A position detection sensor that detects a movement amount of the carriage in the paper width direction detects a movement amount of the carriage in the paper width direction;
Based on the detection signal of the position detection sensor, the amount of parallel movement in the direction perpendicular to the processing reference plane of the carriage is calculated,
The processing gap adjustment method is characterized in that a gap between the processing reference plane and the processing mechanism is adjusted based on the calculated parallel movement amount.

According to this configuration, when the gap is adjusted, the carriage is moved in the paper width direction in conjunction with the operation of translating the carriage in the direction orthogonal to the processing reference plane. A parallel movement amount in a direction orthogonal to the processing reference surface of the carriage is calculated based on the detection signal of the position detection sensor to be detected, and a gap between the processing reference surface and the processing mechanism is calculated based on the calculated parallel movement amount. Can be adjusted.
Therefore, even when a DC motor is used as a gap adjustment motor that translates the carriage in a direction orthogonal to the processing reference plane, it is necessary to equip a dedicated position detection sensor for controlling the drive unit of the gap adjustment motor. Therefore, the cost can be reduced by reducing the number of position detection sensors for detecting the parallel movement amount of the carriage.

  In the processing gap adjustment method having the above-described configuration, when the carriage is moved in the paper width direction perpendicular to the paper transport direction in conjunction with the operation of translating the carriage in the direction perpendicular to the processing reference plane. It is desirable to apply an urging force that is smaller than the moving force of the carriage and in the opposite direction to the carriage.

According to this configuration, it is possible to eliminate rattling at the time of adjusting the gap without adding a spring biasing member or the like, and interlock with the operation of moving the carriage in a direction perpendicular to the processing reference plane. Thus, it can be accurately moved in the paper width direction.
Can do.

Further, the above object of the present invention is to provide a printing reference plane set in the middle of a conveyance path for conveying a sheet, and extend along a sheet width direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction, and the printing reference. A carriage shaft that can be translated in a direction perpendicular to the surface, a carriage that is supported by the carriage shaft and that can move in the paper width direction perpendicular to the paper transport direction, and is mounted on the carriage, and the printing reference surface A recording head for performing a printing process on the paper conveyed above;
A carriage drive mechanism that drives the carriage in the paper width direction, a position detection sensor that detects a movement amount of the carriage in the paper width direction, and a parallel movement of the carriage shaft in a direction perpendicular to the reference plane for printing, A carriage shaft driving mechanism that changes a gap between the printing reference surface and the recording head, and a carriage interlocking mechanism that moves the carriage in the paper width direction in conjunction with the operation of the carriage shaft driving mechanism, This is achieved by a printing apparatus in which the carriage shaft drive mechanism is driven and controlled in accordance with a detection signal of a position detection sensor.

According to the printing apparatus having the above configuration, the carriage interlocking mechanism moves the carriage in the paper width direction in conjunction with the operation of the carriage shaft driving mechanism when the carriage shaft is translated in the direction orthogonal to the printing reference plane. The carriage shaft drive mechanism can be driven and controlled according to the detection signal of the position detection sensor that detects the movement amount of the carriage in the paper width direction.
Therefore, even when a DC motor is used as the gap adjustment motor of the carriage shaft drive mechanism, it is not necessary to provide a dedicated position detection sensor for controlling the drive unit of the gap adjustment motor, and the amount of parallel movement of the carriage can be reduced. A printing apparatus that achieves cost reduction by reducing the number of position detection sensors to be detected can be obtained.

  In the printing apparatus having the above-described configuration, the carriage shaft driving mechanism includes a wedge-shaped driving member that moves the carriage shaft in a direction orthogonal to the reference plane for printing by being moved along the conveyance direction of the paper. Preferably, the carriage interlocking mechanism includes a cam that is provided on the wedge-shaped drive member facing the engagement portion of the carriage and moves the carriage in the paper width direction according to the movement amount of the wedge-shaped drive member.

  According to this configuration, the carriage shaft driving mechanism includes the wedge-shaped driving member that moves the carriage shaft in a direction orthogonal to the printing reference plane, and the carriage interlocking mechanism moves the carriage to the paper according to the movement amount of the wedge-shaped driving member. Since the cam for moving in the width direction is provided, it is possible to obtain a printing apparatus in which the configuration of the carriage shaft driving mechanism and the carriage interlocking mechanism is simple and compact.

  Further, in the printing apparatus having the above-described configuration, the cam moves the carriage in the paper width direction according to the movement amount of the wedge-shaped drive member, and the carriage moves the paper width even when the wedge-shaped drive member moves. It is desirable to provide a substantially step-like interlocking cam surface having a cam portion that does not move in the direction.

  According to the printing apparatus having this configuration, it is possible to accurately set a plurality of gaps between the reference plane for printing and the recording head that are set in advance, regardless of the component tolerance and assembly accuracy of the processing gap adjusting mechanism.

  In the printing apparatus having the above-described configuration, the wedge-shaped drive member has a rack gear that meshes with a pinion gear provided at an end of the carriage shaft that is rotationally driven by a gap adjusting motor of the carriage shaft drive mechanism. It is desirable to include an upper edge extending in the paper transport direction and a lower edge having an inclined surface that is in contact with a support member fixed to the apparatus main body and is inclined with respect to the upper edge.

  According to the printing apparatus having this configuration, since the wedge-shaped drive member is accurately driven by the gap adjusting motor, the carriage shaft drive mechanism can be configured simply and compactly, and the carriage can be moved to the paper width via the carriage interlocking mechanism. It can be reliably moved in the direction.

  Further, in the printing apparatus having the above-described configuration, the wedge-shaped drive member abuts on a support member fixed to the apparatus main body, and the carriage shaft is printed according to the movement of the wedge-shaped drive member along the sheet conveyance direction. A substantially stepwise adjustment having a cam portion that moves in a direction perpendicular to the reference plane for printing and a cam portion that does not move the carriage shaft in a direction perpendicular to the reference plane for printing even if the wedge-shaped drive member moves. It is desirable to provide a cam surface.

  According to the printing apparatus having this configuration, even if the wedge-shaped drive member having the adjustment cam surface that abuts on the support member moves along the paper conveyance direction, the carriage shaft moves in the direction orthogonal to the printing reference surface. By including the cam portion that is not allowed, the specified gap can be maintained even if errors occur in the dimensions of the adjustment cam surface, the distance between the support members, and the movement amount of the wedge-shaped drive member.

  In the printing apparatus configured as described above, when adjusting the gap, a carriage drive mechanism that moves the carriage along the paper width direction drives the carriage in a direction to urge the carriage toward the cam of the wedge-shaped drive member. By doing so, it is desirable that the engagement portion of the carriage is brought into pressure contact with the cam.

According to this configuration, the clearance between the engagement portion of the carriage and the cam can be eliminated without adding parts such as a spring biasing member.
Therefore, printing with a carriage interlocking mechanism that can accurately move the carriage in the paper width direction in conjunction with the operation of the carriage shaft driving mechanism, regardless of the component tolerances and assembly accuracy of the carriage axis driving mechanism and carriage interlocking mechanism. A device can be obtained.

According to the processing gap adjusting mechanism, the processing gap adjusting method, and the printing apparatus of the present invention described above, the position of detecting the movement amount of the carriage in the paper width direction when adjusting the gap between the processing reference surface and the processing mechanism. The carriage can be translated in a direction perpendicular to the processing reference plane according to the detection signal of the detection sensor.
Therefore, even when a DC motor is used as a gap adjustment motor for adjusting the gap between the processing reference surface and the processing mechanism, a dedicated position detection sensor is provided for controlling the drive unit of the gap adjustment motor. This eliminates the need for cost reduction by reducing the number of position detection sensors that detect the amount of parallel movement of the carriage.

Hereinafter, a processing gap adjustment mechanism, a processing gap adjustment method, and a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
In the present embodiment, the ink jet printer 1 shown in FIG. 1 will be described as an example of a printing apparatus provided with a print gap adjusting mechanism (processing gap adjusting mechanism). As the processing gap adjusting mechanism according to the present invention, for example, a printer In addition, there are a copying machine, a facsimile, and the like.

  FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of an ink jet printer provided with a processing gap adjusting mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of a state in which a paper discharge tray and an upper case are removed from the ink jet printer shown in FIG. 3 is a side sectional view for explaining a sheet conveyance path in the ink jet printer shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the carriage driving mechanism, carriage shaft driving mechanism, and carriage interlocking mechanism shown in FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part of the carriage interlocking mechanism shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 6 is a plan view of the carriage interlocking mechanism shown in FIG. 5, FIG. 7 is an explanatory view of the cam shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a sequence for controlling the illustrated carriage shaft driving mechanism via a position detection sensor that detects the amount of movement of the carriage in the paper width direction. FIG. Illustration of a sequence of initializing the platen gap at the factory of printer, FIG. 10 is an explanatory view of the cam according to another embodiment.

An ink jet printer 1 according to the present embodiment is a front feed / discharge type printer, and has a sheet P in the center of the front surface of an apparatus case 4 composed of an upper case 2 and a lower case 3 as shown in FIG. A substantially box-shaped paper cassette 5 in which a plurality of sheets are accommodated is detachably inserted.
In addition, a paper discharge tray 6 for receiving the printed paper is provided so as to cover the open top surface of the paper cassette 5.
Further, a display unit 7 such as an indicator and an operation unit 8 such as a power switch are disposed on the left and right sides of the front surface of the device case 4.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the paper sheet P that is fed out from the paper cassette 5 one by one by a pickup roller (paper feed roller) 21 of a paper feed unit 22 to be described later is conveyed in a U-shape inside the apparatus case 4. A transport mechanism 11 that transports along a path (transport path), a carriage 13 that is reciprocally moved in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the paper P in the middle of the U-shaped transport path by the transport mechanism 11, A recording head (processing mechanism) 44 mounted on the carriage 13 and performing printing (information processing) by ejecting fine particles of recording ink onto the paper P, and an ink tank storing recording ink supplied to the recording head 44 15 and 16 and a control unit (CPU) (not shown) that controls the conveyance speed of the paper P by the conveyance mechanism 11, the movement speed of the carriage 13, the ink ejection operation of the recording head 44, and the like. It is provided.

  In the case of the inkjet printer 1 of the present embodiment, the U-shaped transport path through which the paper P is transported by the transport mechanism 11 is an arc-shaped transport path for transporting the paper P fed from the paper cassette 5 as shown in FIG. A and a linear conveyance path B that connects the arcuate conveyance path A to the paper discharge tray 6.

Further, the transport mechanism 11 has an auto sheet feeder (ASF) unit and a paper feeding unit.
The auto sheet feeder unit is provided in the arcuate conveyance path A and the paper feeding unit 22 that feeds a plurality of sheets P stacked and accommodated in the paper cassette 5 one by one to the entrance of the arcuate conveyance path A at the rear of the apparatus. The intermediate roller 31 and the assist roller 33 for nipping and conveying the paper P fed out by the paper supply unit 22 to a downstream side by a paper feed roller 41 and a driven roller 42, and along the outer periphery of the intermediate roller 31. And a guide portion 34 that regulates the conveyance direction of the fed paper P in an arc shape reaching the exit of the arc-shaped conveyance path A.

  The intermediate roller 31 as a driving roller sandwiches and conveys the paper P by sandwiching the paper P with the assist roller 33 as a driven roller. A retard roller 32 is provided on the upstream side of the assist roller 33 to prevent a plurality of sheets P from being fed out to the arcuate conveyance path A.

The paper feeding unit is configured to feed a sheet P conveyed from the arcuate conveyance path A by a paper feeding roller 41 and a driven roller 42 set on the linear conveyance path B to a platen surface (printing reference) set downstream thereof. (Surface) 91 is a paper feeding unit that transports the sheet to the platen 91 provided with 91a (see FIG. 3).
In the present embodiment, the driven roller 42 presses and urges the upper surface of the paper P against the paper feed roller 41 as a driving roller that contacts the lower surface of the paper P, whereby the paper P is nipped and conveyed.

  Further, in the apparatus case 4, a print processing mechanism 43 including a recording head 44 as a processing mechanism for printing an image such as a character or a graphic on the paper P conveyed on the platen surface 91 a of the platen 91. Is incorporated. The paper P, which has been printed by the print processing mechanism 43, is nipped and conveyed by a paper discharge roller 48a as a driving roller and a star wheel 48b as a driven roller, and discharged to a paper discharge tray 6 at the exit of the U-shaped conveyance path. Is done.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the paper feed unit 22 is configured such that the rear end of a frame 25 having a pickup roller 21 for feeding at the front end can be rotated in the vertical direction in the figure by a support pin 24. The sheet feeding unit 22 can bring the pickup roller 21 into contact with the uppermost sheet P in the sheet cassette 5 by swinging the sheet feeding lever 25 in the vertical direction.

In the paper feeding unit 22, when the ink jet printer 1 is stopped, the paper feeding lever 25 is maintained substantially horizontal as shown in FIG. 3, and the pickup roller 21 is kept away from the paper P on the paper cassette 5. .
When paper is fed, the pickup roller 21 is pressed against the uppermost paper P in the paper cassette 5 by the downward rotation of the paper feeding lever 25 around the support pin 24, and the paper cassette is rotated by the rotation of the pickup roller 21. The sheet P in the sheet 5 comes into contact with the inclined friction pad 23 and is fed out to the arcuate conveyance path A one by one while being separated by the frictional force and the waist strength of the sheet P.

At this time, the retard roller 32 applies a force in a direction to push the paper P back to the paper cassette 5 and sandwiches it between the intermediate rollers 31 so as to separate the paper P one by one and to provide a downstream arcuate conveyance path. When the paper feeding is completed and printing is started by the print processing mechanism 43, the paper feeding lever 25 is returned to the original horizontal state as shown in FIG.

An auxiliary guide member 35 is provided on the upper side of the guide portion 34 together with an assist roller 33 for feeding the conveyed paper P toward the linear transport path B side.
The auxiliary guide member 35 is rotatably supported at the rear end side with respect to the guide portion 34 and is swingable at the front end side.
The auxiliary guide member 35 holds the sheet P conveyed from the arcuate conveyance path A to the linear conveyance path B by its own weight from the upper side, and holds the sheet P along the linear conveyance path B of the inkjet printer 1. Guide forward.

  The paper feed roller 41 and the driven roller 42 are provided at a predetermined distance from the exit end of the arcuate conveyance path A (downstream end of the guide portion 34) on the front side of the apparatus, and are linearly formed from the arcuate conveyance path A. The paper P sent out to the transport path B is nipped and transported under the print processing mechanism 43 which is the printing position. The paper P can be positioned with respect to the print processing mechanism 43 by controlling the rotational driving amount of the paper feed roller 41.

As shown in FIG. 3, the recording head 44 of the print processing mechanism 43 has a discharge nozzle 46 that discharges ink toward the paper P, and a sheet of paper is disposed on the front side of the inkjet printer 1 with respect to the discharge nozzle 46. A PW sensor 47 that detects P and its width is provided.
The PW sensor 47 detects the presence or absence of the paper P by detecting the reflected light of the light irradiated toward the paper P, and detects the width of the paper P by the movement of the carriage 13.
In the inkjet printer 1 of the present embodiment, similarly to the PW sensor 47, a paper detection sensor that detects the presence or absence of the paper P by detecting reflected light is provided at an appropriate position in the transport path.

The carriage 13 disposed above the platen 91 is driven in the paper width direction by the carriage drive mechanism 50 as shown in FIGS.
2 and 4, the carriage drive mechanism 50 supports the carriage 13 movably in the paper width direction by a pair of carriage shafts 52 and 53 extending in the paper width direction, and the carriage 13 is fixed. By driving the timing belt 54 by the carriage motor 14, the carriage 13 is moved to an arbitrary position in the paper width direction.

  The inkjet printer 1 controls the ejection of ink from the recording head 44 mounted on the carriage 13 with the transport direction of the paper P as the sub-scanning direction and the moving direction of the carriage 13 as the main scanning direction. And image recording (printing).

Further, the carriage drive mechanism 50 of this embodiment is provided with a position detection sensor that detects the position of the carriage 13 that is moved by the carriage motor 14 in the paper width direction.
The position detection sensor includes a linear linear scale (main scale) 55 arranged in parallel along the carriage shaft 53, and an encoder that reads the scale on the linear scale 55 that is mounted on the carriage 13 and faces the carriage when moving. The carriage motor 14 composed of a DC motor is controlled on the basis of a detection signal detected by the encoder.

  Furthermore, the inkjet printer 1 of the present embodiment adjusts the gap between the platen surface 91a and the recording head 44 for the printing process on the paper P having different thickness and the direct printing process on the CD-R surface. A carriage shaft driving mechanism 51 constituting a print gap adjusting mechanism (APG = Auto Platen Gap mechanism); and a carriage interlocking mechanism 90 for moving the carriage 13 in the paper width direction in conjunction with the operation of the carriage shaft driving mechanism 51. ing.

  4 to 6, the carriage shaft driving mechanism 51 has a pair of carriage shafts 52 and 53 that support the carriage 13 movably in the width direction of the paper P in a direction orthogonal to the platen surface 91a of the platen 91 ( That is, the gap between the platen surface 91a and the recording head 44 is adjusted by parallel translation in the vertical direction.

As shown in FIG. 5, the carriage shaft drive mechanism 51 of the present embodiment moves along the paper conveyance direction indicated by the arrow X, so that the ends of the carriage shafts 52 and 53 are simultaneously orthogonal to the platen surface 91a. And a gap adjusting motor 97 (see FIG. 4) for inputting a rotational force to the carriage shaft 53 via the transmission gears 63 and 64.
5 is an enlarged perspective view of main parts of the carriage shaft driving mechanism 51 and the carriage interlocking mechanism 90 on the right side surface of the ink jet printer 1, but substantially the same carriage shaft driving mechanism 51 and A carriage interlocking mechanism 90 is provided.

  The wedge-shaped drive member 92 has a rack gear 93 that meshes with a pinion gear 94 provided at an end of the carriage shaft 53 that is rotationally driven by the gap adjusting motor 97, and an upper edge 92b that extends in the conveyance direction of the paper P. A lower edge 92a having an inclined surface that is in contact with the support members 61 and 62 fixed to the right side frame 60 (apparatus main body) on the apparatus case 4 side and is inclined with respect to the upper end edge 92b.

Then, the wedge-shaped drive member is moved by the spring member 65 in a state where the lower edge 92a is placed on the support members 61 and 62 having different heights so that the upper edge 92b of the wedge-shaped drive member 92 is maintained substantially horizontal. 92 is elastically biased toward the support members 61 and 62 side. The support members 61 and 62 each have a structure capable of adjusting the support height of the wedge-shaped drive member 92. By adjusting these, the carriage shafts 52 and 53 are set parallel to the platen surface 91a. .
That is, the wedge-shaped drive member 92 has a lower edge 92a that slides on the support members 61 and 62 and moves along the paper transport direction, so that the height of the upper edge 92b moves up and down. The carriage 13 is moved up and down integrally with the carriage shafts 52 and 53 that are equipped to ride on the carriage.

The rack gear 93 is formed on the upper edge 92 b of the wedge-shaped drive member 92 corresponding to the pinion gear 94 fixed to the end of the carriage shaft 53, and corresponds to the slider 98 fixed to the end of the carriage shaft 52. The wedge-shaped drive member 92 is not formed on the upper edge 92b.
As shown in FIG. 4, the pinion gear 94 is rotationally driven by the rotational force transmitted to the carriage shaft 53 via the transmission gears 63 and 64 that are rotationally driven by the gap adjusting DC motor 97.
When the wedge-shaped drive member 92 is moved along the paper conveyance direction by the rotation of the pinion 94, the wedge-shaped drive member 92 simultaneously raises and lowers the carriage shafts 52 and 53 via the pinion 94 and the slider 98, respectively.

The carriage interlocking mechanism 90 of the present embodiment is provided on a positioning protrusion 95 that is an engaging portion that protrudes from the right end surface of the carriage 13 in the paper width direction, and a wedge-shaped drive member 92 that faces the positioning protrusion 95. A cam member (cam) 96 that moves the carriage 13 in the paper width direction in accordance with the amount of movement of the drive member 92.
The cam member 96 is fixed to the inner surface of the wedge-shaped drive member 92 that faces the positioning projection 95 of the carriage 13, and is an interlocking cam surface that slides on the tip of the positioning projection 95 and moves the carriage 13 in the paper width direction. 96a.

  In the interlocking cam surface 96a of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the gap between the platen surface 91a and the recording head 44 corresponds to the thickness of plain paper (usually the thickness of the thinnest paper). A flat cam surface H with which the leading end of the positioning projection 95 abuts when the wedge-shaped drive member 92 is moved in the sheet conveying direction so as to form a platen gap, and a sheet thickness of plain paper for printing such as postcards and CD-Rs. It is composed of an inclined cam surface P with which the positioning projection 95 abuts when the wedge-shaped drive member 92 is moved along the paper transport direction so as to be a platen gap corresponding to a larger gap.

When the wedge-shaped drive member 92 moves in the arrow Y direction for adjusting the gap between the platen surface 91a and the recording head 44, the inclined cam surface P gradually moves the positioning protrusion 95 with the paper width. A predetermined inclination angle is given so as to urge the carriage 13 to move to the left in FIG. 6 along the direction.
Note that the wedge-shaped drive member 92 is retracted in the direction opposite to the arrow Y in FIG. 6 so that the positioning projection 95 does not contact the interlocking cam surface 96a except during the gap adjustment.
Therefore, when the carriage 13 moves to the home position, the positioning projection 95 does not contact the cam member 96 but contacts the inner surface of the right side frame 60, and the carriage 13 is positioned at the rightmost end in the paper width direction. The

  In FIG. 7, the encoder of the position detection sensor mounted on the carriage 13 reads the scale on the linear scale 55 according to the contact position of the positioning projection 95 of the carriage 13 with the cam surface 96 a of the interlocking cam member 96. This shows the position of the carriage 13 (that is, the amount of encoder movement) detected.

  In FIG. 7, “CR: Home” is the home position of the carriage (CR) 13 outside the printing area, and the wedge-shaped drive member 92 is located at the retracted position where the cam member 96 is not engaged with the positioning protrusion 95. The carriage 13 is positioned at the rightmost end where the positioning protrusion 95 abuts against the inner surface of the right side frame 60.

“PG: Home” is the home position of the cam member 96 when the platen gap is adjusted, and the wedge-shaped drive member 92 is a position where the flat cam surface H of the interlocking cam surface 96a can contact the positioning protrusion 95. .
Further, “PG: 1”, “PG: 2”, and “PG: 3” are a plurality of platen gaps (PG) for postcards or CD-Rs, respectively, between the platen surface 91a and the recording head 44. In order to adjust the gap, this is the position of the carriage 13 when the wedge-shaped drive member 92 is moved in the direction of the arrow Y in FIG. 6 and the positioning projection 95 is brought into sliding contact with the inclined surface P of the interlocking cam surface 96a.

When the carriage shafts 52 and 53 are translated in the direction orthogonal to the platen surface 91a, the wedge-shaped drive member 92 of the carriage shaft drive mechanism 51 is moved along the paper transport direction, and the carriage interlock mechanism 90 Since the cam member 96 also moves in the paper conveyance direction, the positioning projection 95 that is in contact with the interlocking cam surface 96a of the cam member 96 follows the interlocking cam surface 96a to move the carriage 13 in the paper width direction. .
That is, the carriage interlocking mechanism 90 moves the carriage 13 in the paper width direction in conjunction with the operation of the carriage shaft driving mechanism 51 when the carriage shafts 52 and 53 are translated in the direction orthogonal to the platen surface 91a.

  Therefore, when the gap between the platen surface 91a and the recording head 44 is adjusted by the carriage shaft driving mechanism 51, the carriage interlocking mechanism 90 moves in parallel with the operation of moving the carriage 13 in the direction orthogonal to the platen surface 91a. 13 is moved in the paper width direction.

  A control unit (CPU) (not shown) detects the carriage position of the carriage 13 in the paper width direction based on a detection signal of a position detection sensor (encoder) that detects the movement amount of the carriage 13 in the paper width direction. By driving and controlling the gap adjusting motor 97 of the carriage shaft drive mechanism 51 until the carriage 13 moves to the set carriage position, the gap between the platen surface 91a and the recording head 44 is adjusted to a preset platen gap. be able to.

  Therefore, even when a DC motor is used as the gap adjustment motor 97 that translates the carriage 13 in the direction orthogonal to the platen surface 91a, a dedicated position detection sensor is provided for controlling the drive unit of the gap adjustment motor 97. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the cost by reducing the number of position detection sensors that detect the amount of parallel movement of the carriage 13.

Next, a processing procedure in the case of setting the gap between the platen surface 91a and the recording head 44 to a predetermined platen gap in the print gap adjusting mechanism according to the inkjet printer 1 of the present embodiment will be described based on FIG. To do.
First, in the first step S101, the wedge-shaped drive member 92 of the carriage shaft drive mechanism 51, which is located at the retracted position where the cam member 96 is not engaged with the positioning projection 95 at the time of normal printing processing or the like, is driven. The cam member 96 is moved to the home position (PG: Home) at the time of platen gap adjustment in which the flat cam surface H of the cam surface 96a can come into contact with the positioning protrusion 95.

  In the following step S102, the position of the carriage 13 is moved from the operation standby position in the print processing area to the position A outside the print processing area. This position A is a carriage position corresponding to the home position (PG: Home) of the cam member 96 in which the positioning projection 95 contacts the flat cam surface H of the interlocking cam surface 96a.

  Next, in step S103, the drive control of the carriage 13 is switched to the fixed position control, and the fixed position (stop position) of the carriage 13 is set to the home position (CR: Home) outside the printing area. As a result, the carriage drive mechanism 50 tries to move the carriage 13 to the rightmost position where the positioning projection 95 abuts against the inner surface of the right side frame 60, so the carriage 13 is driven to the home position side with a weak force. to continue.

  In the subsequent step S104, the gap adjusting DC motor 97 of the carriage shaft drive mechanism 51 is driven to move the wedge-shaped drive member 92 in the direction of the arrow Y in FIG. 6, while the carriage is based on the detection signal of the position detection sensor (encoder). 13 for detecting the carriage position in the paper width direction and for adjusting the gap until the carriage 13 moves to a preset carriage position (for example, corresponding to “PG: 1”, “PG: 2”, “PG: 3”). The drive of the motor 97 is controlled. When the carriage 13 reaches a preset carriage position, the operation of the gap adjusting DC motor 97 is stopped. As a result, the gap between the platen surface 91a and the recording head 44 is adjusted to a predetermined platen gap.

Next, in step S105, the drive control of the carriage 13 is released from the fixed position control, and the urging force toward the home position with respect to the carriage 13 is released.
In the subsequent step S106, the position of the carriage 13 is moved to position B, which is an operation standby position in the print processing area.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a sequence for initializing the platen gap when the inkjet printer 1 according to this embodiment is shipped from the factory.
First, in the first step S201, the wedge-shaped drive member 92 of the carriage shaft drive mechanism 51 is driven, and the flat cam surface H of the interlocking cam surface 96a is opposed to the positioning projection 95 and can be brought into contact with the platen gap. The cam member 96 is moved to the home position (PG: Home).

  In the subsequent step S202, the platen gap is adjusted to a set value in a state where the positioning protrusion 95 of the carriage 13 is in contact with the flat cam surface H of the interlocking cam surface 96a. If the platen gap deviates from the set value, the mechanical adjustment mechanism (not shown) such as the carriage 13 and the carriage shafts 52 and 53 is adjusted to correct the platen gap to the set value and the processing is completed. And

According to the ink jet printer 1 of the present embodiment described above, the carriage interlocking mechanism 90 is interlocked with the operation of the carriage shaft driving mechanism 51 when the carriage shafts 52 and 53 are translated in the direction orthogonal to the platen surface 91a. Since the carriage 13 is moved in the paper width direction, the carriage shaft driving mechanism 51 can be driven and controlled according to the detection signal of the position detection sensor that detects the movement amount of the carriage 13 in the paper width direction.
Therefore, even when a DC motor is used as the gap adjustment motor 97 of the carriage shaft drive mechanism 51, it is not necessary to provide a dedicated position detection sensor for controlling the drive unit of the gap adjustment motor 97. Costs can be reduced by reducing the number of position detection sensors that detect the amount of parallel movement.

  The carriage shaft drive mechanism 51 of the present embodiment includes a wedge-shaped drive member 92 that moves the carriage shafts 52 and 53 in a direction perpendicular to the platen surface 91a by being moved along the sheet conveyance direction, and also includes a carriage. The interlocking mechanism 90 includes a cam member 96 that is provided on the wedge-shaped drive member 92 that faces the positioning protrusion 95 of the carriage 13 and moves the carriage 13 in the paper width direction according to the amount of movement of the wedge-shaped drive member 92. The configurations of the carriage shaft driving mechanism 51 and the carriage interlocking mechanism 90 can be made simple and compact.

The wedge-shaped drive member 92 has a rack gear 93 that meshes with a pinion gear 94 provided at an end of the carriage shaft 53 that is rotationally driven by the gap adjusting motor 97 of the carriage shaft drive mechanism 51 to convey the paper. An upper edge 92b that extends in the direction, and a lower edge 92a that abuts the support members 61 and 62 fixed to the right side frame 60 on the apparatus case 4 side and has an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to the upper end edge 92b. ing.
Therefore, since the wedge-shaped drive member 92 is accurately driven by the gap adjusting motor 97, the carriage shaft drive mechanism 51 can be simple and compact in configuration, and the carriage 13 is moved in the paper width direction via the carriage interlocking mechanism 90. It can be moved reliably.

  Further, when adjusting the platen gap, the carriage drive mechanism 50 that moves the carriage 13 along the paper width direction switches the drive control of the carriage 13 to the fixed position control, and the carriage 13 is changed to the cam member 96 of the wedge-shaped drive member 92. Since the driving is continued with a weak force in the direction of urging toward the direction, the positioning projection 95 of the carriage 13 can be pressed against the cam member 96.

That is, the clearance between the positioning projection 95 of the carriage 13 and the interlocking cam surface 96a of the cam member 96 can be eliminated without adding a component such as a spring biasing member.
Therefore, a carriage interlocking mechanism that can accurately move the carriage 13 in the paper width direction in conjunction with the operation of the carriage shaft driving mechanism 51 regardless of the component tolerances and assembly accuracy of the carriage shaft driving mechanism 51 and the carriage interlocking mechanism 90. 90 can be obtained.

The interlocking cam surface 96a of the cam member 96 according to the carriage interlocking mechanism 90 of the above embodiment is composed of the flat cam surface H and the inclined cam surface P, but in the processing gap adjusting mechanism and the printing apparatus of the present invention. The configuration of the cam is not limited to this.
For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the inclined cam surfaces P1, P2, and P3 that are cam portions that move the carriage 13 in the paper width direction according to the amount of movement of the wedge-shaped drive member 92, and the wedge-shaped drive member 92 move. Alternatively, a cam having a substantially step-like interlocking cam surface in which flat cam surfaces H0, H1, H2, and H3, which are cam portions that do not move the carriage 13 in the sheet width direction, are alternately arranged.

  According to such a cam configuration, each carriage position of the carriage 13 to be detected corresponding to a plurality of preset platen gaps (“PG: 1”, “PG: 2”, “PG: 3”) is set. Since the threshold value of the detection signal can be increased, a plurality of platen gaps between the platen surface 91a and the recording head 44 set in advance are accurately set regardless of the component tolerance and assembly accuracy of the print gap adjustment mechanism. can do.

  In addition, the inclined surface P of the interlocking cam surface 96a of the cam member 96 remains linear as shown in FIG. 7, and the inclined surface of the lower edge of the wedge-shaped drive member 192 is as shown in FIG. An inclined cam surface S1 that is a cam portion that contacts the support members 61 and 62 and moves the carriage shafts 52 and 53 in a direction perpendicular to the platen surface 91a in accordance with the movement of the wedge-shaped drive member 192 along the sheet conveyance direction. , S2, S3 and flat cam surfaces T0, T1, T2, T3 which are cam portions that do not move the carriage shafts 52, 53 in the direction orthogonal to the platen surface 91a even when the wedge-shaped drive member 192 moves. It can also be set as the substantially cam-shaped adjustment cam surface 192a.

  The substantially step-like adjustment cam surface 192a contacts the support members 61 and 62 having different heights, and the gap between the platen surface 91a and the recording head 44 is substantially horizontal as the wedge-shaped drive member 192 moves. Therefore, the cam surface on which the movement amount (x1, x2, x3) of the wedge-shaped drive member 192 and the amount of change in the gap (y1, y2, y3) are synchronized at the position in contact with the support members 61, 62 is maintained. By setting flat cam surfaces T0, T1, T2, and T3 that do not change the gap between the platen surface 91a and the recording head 44 even when the wedge-shaped drive member 192 moves, an adjustment cam surface is set. The specified gap can be maintained even if errors occur in the dimensions, the distance between the support members 61 and 62, and the movement amount of the wedge-shaped drive member 192.

  The printing apparatus according to the present invention is not limited to the ink jet printer exemplified in the above embodiment. Further, it is not limited to the front feed / discharge type. The present invention can be applied to any printing apparatus having a print gap adjustment mechanism in which a recording head is mounted on a carriage that reciprocates in the paper width direction and a platen gap is adjusted by raising and lowering the carriage shaft. .

  Further, in the print gap adjusting mechanism according to the ink jet printer 1 of the above-described embodiment, the control unit (CPU) controls the sheet of the carriage 13 based on the detection signal of the position detection sensor that detects the movement amount of the carriage 13 in the sheet width direction. The carriage position in the width direction is detected, and the gap adjusting motor 97 of the carriage shaft drive mechanism 51 is driven and controlled until the carriage 13 moves to a preset carriage position, whereby the space between the platen surface 91a and the recording head 44 is controlled. The gap is adjusted to a preset platen gap.

  On the other hand, for example, the control unit (CPU) calculates the parallel movement amount in the direction orthogonal to the platen surface 91a of the carriage 13 based on the detection signal of the position detection sensor that detects the movement amount of the carriage 13 in the paper width direction. The gap between the platen surface 91a and the recording head 44 is adjusted to a preset platen gap by drivingly controlling the gap adjusting motor 97 of the carriage shaft driving mechanism 51 based on the calculated parallel movement amount. A processing gap adjustment method can also be used.

  In addition, a processing gap adjustment mechanism, a processing gap adjustment method, and a printing reference surface (processing reference surface) according to the printing apparatus, carriage shaft, carriage, printing mechanism (processing mechanism), carriage drive mechanism, position detection sensor, carriage shaft drive The structure of the mechanism, the carriage interlocking mechanism, the wedge-shaped drive member, the cam, and the like is not limited to the structure of the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that various forms can be taken based on the gist of the present invention.

1 is an external perspective view of an ink jet printer including a processing gap adjusting mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of a state where a paper discharge tray and an upper case are removed from the inkjet printer shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a sheet conveyance path in the ink jet printer illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the carriage drive mechanism, carriage shaft drive mechanism, and carriage interlock mechanism shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part of the carriage interlocking mechanism shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the carriage interlocking mechanism shown in FIG. 5. It is explanatory drawing of the cam shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a sequence for controlling the carriage shaft driving mechanism shown in FIG. 5 via a position detection sensor that detects the amount of movement of the carriage in the paper width direction. It is explanatory drawing of the sequence which initializes a platen gap at the time of factory shipment of the inkjet printer which concerns on this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of the cam which concerns on other embodiment. It is a top view of the wedge-shaped drive member concerning other embodiments.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Inkjet printer (printing apparatus), 2 ... Upper case, 3 ... Lower case, 4 ... Apparatus case, 5 ... Paper cassette, 6 ... Paper discharge tray, 11 ... Transport mechanism, 13 ... Carriage, 14 ... Carriage motor, 44 , Recording head, 50, carriage drive mechanism, 51, carriage shaft drive mechanism, 52, 53 ... carriage shaft, 61, 62 ... support member, 63, 64 ... transmission gear, 91 ... platen, 91a ... platen surface (printing reference) Surface), 92 ... wedge-shaped drive member, 92a ... lower edge, 92b ... upper edge, 93 ... rack gear, 94 ... pinion gear, 95 ... positioning protrusion (engagement part), 96 ... cam member (cam), 96a ... interlocking Cam surface, P ... paper

Claims (15)

A processing reference plane set in the middle of the transport path for transporting the paper, and
A carriage shaft extending along a paper width direction perpendicular to the paper conveyance direction and movable in a direction perpendicular to the processing reference plane;
A carriage supported by the carriage shaft and movable in a paper width direction orthogonal to the paper transport direction;
A processing mechanism mounted on the carriage for performing information processing on the paper conveyed on the processing reference surface;
A carriage drive mechanism for driving the carriage in the paper width direction;
A position detection sensor for detecting the amount of movement of the carriage in the paper width direction;
A carriage shaft drive mechanism that translates the carriage shaft in a direction orthogonal to the processing reference surface and changes a gap between the processing reference surface and the processing mechanism;
A carriage interlocking mechanism that moves the carriage in the paper width direction in conjunction with the operation of the carriage shaft driving mechanism,
A processing gap adjustment mechanism, wherein the carriage shaft driving mechanism is driven and controlled in accordance with a detection signal of the position detection sensor. The carriage shaft drive mechanism includes a wedge-shaped drive member that moves the carriage shaft in a direction orthogonal to the processing reference plane by being moved along the conveyance direction of the paper.
The carriage interlocking mechanism includes a cam that is provided on the wedge-shaped drive member facing the engagement portion of the carriage and moves the carriage in the paper width direction in accordance with the amount of movement of the wedge-shaped drive member. The processing gap adjustment mechanism according to claim 1.   A cam portion that moves the carriage in the paper width direction according to a movement amount of the wedge-shaped drive member; and a cam portion that does not move the carriage in the paper width direction even when the wedge-shaped drive member moves. The processing gap adjustment mechanism according to claim 2, further comprising a substantially step-like interlocking cam surface provided. The wedge-shaped drive member is
An upper edge having a rack gear meshing with a pinion gear provided at an end portion of the carriage shaft that is rotationally driven by a gap adjusting motor of the carriage shaft driving mechanism, and extending in the paper transport direction;
A lower edge having an inclined surface that is in contact with a support member fixed to the apparatus body and is inclined with respect to the upper edge;
The processing gap adjustment mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the processing gap adjustment mechanism is provided.   The wedge-shaped drive member abuts on a support member fixed to the apparatus main body, and the carriage shaft is moved in a direction perpendicular to the processing reference plane in accordance with the movement of the wedge-shaped drive member along the sheet conveyance direction. A substantially step-like adjustment cam surface having a cam portion to be moved and a cam portion that does not move the carriage shaft in a direction orthogonal to the processing reference surface even when the wedge-shaped drive member moves. The processing gap adjusting device according to claim 2.   When adjusting the gap, a carriage drive mechanism that moves the carriage along the paper width direction is driven in a direction that urges the carriage toward the cam of the wedge-shaped drive member. 6. The processing gap adjusting mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the joint portion is pressed against the cam. Processing gap adjustment for adjusting a gap between a processing reference plane set in the middle of a transport path for transporting paper and a processing mechanism that performs information processing on the paper transported on the processing reference surface A method,
When the gap is adjusted, the carriage is moved in the paper width direction perpendicular to the paper conveyance direction in conjunction with the operation of translating the carriage on which the processing mechanism is mounted in a direction perpendicular to the processing reference plane. ,
A position detection sensor for detecting a movement amount of the carriage in the paper width direction detects a movement amount of the carriage in the paper width direction;
Based on the detection signal of the position detection sensor, the amount of parallel movement in the direction perpendicular to the processing reference plane of the carriage is calculated,
A processing gap adjustment method comprising adjusting a gap between the processing reference plane and the processing mechanism based on the calculated parallel movement amount.   When the carriage is moved in the paper width direction perpendicular to the paper conveyance direction in conjunction with the operation of translating the carriage in a direction perpendicular to the processing reference plane, it is smaller than the moving force of the carriage. The processing gap adjustment method according to claim 7, wherein a biasing force in an opposing direction is applied to the carriage.   9. The processing gap adjusting method according to claim 7, wherein the processing reference surface is a printing reference surface, and the processing mechanism is a recording head. A reference plane for printing set in the middle of the transport path for transporting paper, and
A carriage shaft extending along a paper width direction perpendicular to the paper conveyance direction and movable in a direction perpendicular to the printing reference plane;
A carriage supported by the carriage shaft and movable in a paper width direction orthogonal to the paper transport direction;
A recording head mounted on the carriage and performing a printing process on the paper transported on the printing reference surface;
A carriage drive mechanism for driving the carriage in the paper width direction;
A position detection sensor for detecting the amount of movement of the carriage in the paper width direction;
A carriage shaft drive mechanism that translates the carriage shaft in a direction orthogonal to the printing reference surface and changes a gap between the printing reference surface and the recording head;
A carriage interlocking mechanism that moves the carriage in the paper width direction in conjunction with the operation of the carriage shaft driving mechanism,
The printing apparatus, wherein the carriage shaft drive mechanism is driven and controlled in accordance with a detection signal of the position detection sensor. The carriage shaft drive mechanism includes a wedge-shaped drive member that moves the carriage shaft in a direction perpendicular to the reference plane for printing by being moved along the conveyance direction of the paper,
The carriage interlocking mechanism includes a cam that is provided on the wedge-shaped drive member facing the engagement portion of the carriage and moves the carriage in the paper width direction in accordance with the amount of movement of the wedge-shaped drive member. The printing apparatus according to claim 10.   A cam portion that moves the carriage in the paper width direction according to a movement amount of the wedge-shaped drive member; and a cam portion that does not move the carriage in the paper width direction even when the wedge-shaped drive member moves. The printing apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a substantially stepped interlocking cam surface.   The wedge-shaped drive member has a rack gear that meshes with a pinion gear provided at an end of the carriage shaft that is rotationally driven by a gap adjusting motor of the carriage shaft drive mechanism, and has an upper edge that extends in the sheet conveyance direction. The printing apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising: a lower edge having an inclined surface that is in contact with a support member fixed to the apparatus main body and is inclined with respect to the upper end edge.   The wedge-shaped drive member abuts on a support member fixed to the apparatus main body, and the carriage shaft is moved in a direction orthogonal to the printing reference plane in accordance with the movement of the wedge-shaped drive member along the sheet conveyance direction. A substantially stepwise adjustment cam surface having a cam portion to be moved and a cam portion that does not move the carriage shaft in a direction orthogonal to the printing reference surface even when the wedge-shaped drive member moves. The printing apparatus according to claim 11.   When adjusting the gap, a carriage drive mechanism that moves the carriage along the paper width direction is driven in a direction that urges the carriage toward the cam of the wedge-shaped drive member. The printing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a joint portion is pressed against the cam.

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