JP2016172411A - Printer and printing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer which enables easy attachment/detachment operation of a head unit, and to provide a printing method.SOLUTION: A printer 1 makes prints on a flexible recording medium while transferring the recording medium and includes: sub-carriages 62 having nozzles which discharge an ink onto the recording medium during printing; a carriage frame 61 detachably supporting the sub-carriages 62; and an assist mechanism 7 which assists attachment/detachment operation of the sub-carriages 62 when the respective sub-carriages 62 are attached to/detached from the carriage frame 61.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus and a printing method.

  2. Description of the Related Art A printing apparatus that prints on a flexible sheet-like recording medium by an inkjet method is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The printing apparatus described in Patent Document 1 includes a recording head that ejects ink onto a recording medium. When the recording head deteriorates with time, it is necessary to replace the recording head with a new recording head.

  However, some print heads have a relatively large weight (for example, 10 to 20 kgf) for humans. In this case, it is very difficult to replace the print head.

JP 2009-006212 A

  An object of the present invention is to provide a printing apparatus and a printing method capable of easily performing the attaching / detaching operation of the head unit.

Such an object is achieved by the present invention described below.
[Application Example 1]
A printing apparatus of the present invention is a printing apparatus that performs printing on a recording medium while conveying a flexible recording medium,
At least one head unit having a nozzle for discharging ink onto the recording medium when the printing is performed;
A support member that detachably supports the head unit;
When the head unit is attached to and detached from the support member, an auxiliary mechanism that assists in the attaching and detaching operation of the head unit is provided.
Thereby, the attachment / detachment operation of the head unit can be easily performed.

[Application Example 2]
In the printing apparatus according to the aspect of the invention, it is preferable that the auxiliary mechanism includes a guide member that guides the head unit in a direction in which the attachment / detachment operation is performed.
Thereby, the attachment / detachment operation of the head unit can be performed stably.

[Application Example 3]
In the printing apparatus of the present invention, the auxiliary mechanism includes at least one protrusion provided to protrude from one of the head unit and the guide member, and a rail provided to the other, on which the protrusion slides. It is preferable to have.
Thereby, the structure of an auxiliary mechanism can be simplified.

[Application Example 4]
In the printing apparatus according to the aspect of the invention, it is preferable that the protrusion is a cam follower, and the rail is a cam groove into which the cam follower is inserted.

  Thereby, the configuration of the auxiliary mechanism can be made simpler, and therefore the head unit can be easily attached and detached.

[Application Example 5]
In the printing apparatus of the present invention, the cam groove includes a vertical groove formed along a vertical direction, and a horizontal groove formed along a horizontal direction or an inclined direction inclined with respect to the horizontal direction. It is preferable to have.

  Accordingly, the direction in which the head unit is attached / detached can be restricted, and therefore, an accurate attachment / detachment operation can be performed regardless of the operator of the printing apparatus.

[Application Example 6]
In the printing apparatus according to the aspect of the invention, it is preferable that the auxiliary mechanism has an urging portion that urges the head unit upward in the vertical direction for separating the head unit from the support member.

  Thereby, when the head unit is detached from the support member, the separation can be easily started.

[Application Example 7]
In the printing apparatus according to the aspect of the invention, it is preferable that a plurality of the protruding portions are arranged apart from each other in at least the horizontal direction of the vertical direction and the horizontal direction.
Thereby, the attachment / detachment operation of the head unit can be performed stably.

[Application Example 8]
In the printing apparatus according to the aspect of the invention, it is preferable that the guide member is configured to be detachably attached to the support member, and is used by being attached to the support member when the attachment / detachment operation is performed.

  Thus, for example, when the head unit is not attached or detached, it is possible to prevent the guide member from interfering with printing.

[Application Example 9]
In the printing apparatus according to the aspect of the invention, it is preferable that the printing apparatus includes a positioning mechanism that positions the head unit with respect to the support member until the head unit is mounted on the support member.
Thereby, it is possible to accurately discharge ink onto the recording medium.

[Application Example 10]
In the printing apparatus according to the aspect of the invention, the positioning mechanism includes a temporary positioning unit that temporarily positions the head unit with respect to the support member, and a main positioning that performs final positioning with respect to the support member of the head unit following the temporary positioning. It is preferable to have a part.

  Thereby, the positioning of the head unit with respect to the support member can be performed in stages, and therefore the positioning can be performed without difficulty.

[Application Example 11]
In the printing apparatus according to the aspect of the invention, the temporary positioning portion is provided with the temporary positioning guide pin provided on one of the head unit and the support member, and the temporary positioning guide pin is engaged with the temporary positioning guide pin. A temporary positioning guide hole,
The main positioning portion includes a main positioning guide pin provided on one of the head unit and the support member, and the main positioning guide hole provided on the other and fitted with the main positioning guide pin. Have
The degree of fitting between the temporary positioning guide pin and the temporary positioning guide hole is preferably looser than the degree of fitting between the main positioning guide pin and the main positioning guide hole.

  Thereby, each structure of a temporary positioning part and this positioning part can be simplified.

[Application Example 12]
The printing method of the present invention is a printing method for printing on a recording medium while conveying a flexible recording medium,
At least one head unit having a nozzle for discharging ink onto the recording medium when the printing is performed;
A support member that detachably supports the head unit;
When attaching / detaching the head unit to / from the support member, an auxiliary mechanism for assisting the attaching / detaching operation of the head unit is used.
Thereby, the attachment / detachment operation of the head unit can be easily performed.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an embodiment of a printing apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a main part of the printing apparatus shown in FIG. FIGS. 3A and 3B are cross-sectional views sequentially showing the detachment operation for detaching the sub-carriage from the carriage frame in the printing apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view sequentially illustrating the detachment operation for detaching the sub-carriage from the carriage frame in the printing apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view for sequentially illustrating the detachment operation for detaching the sub-carriage from the carriage frame in the printing apparatus shown in FIG. FIGS. 6A and 6B are cross-sectional views sequentially illustrating the detachment operation for detaching the sub-carriage from the carriage frame in the printing apparatus illustrated in FIG. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view for sequentially illustrating the detachment operation for detaching the sub-carriage from the carriage frame in the printing apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a jig used in the detachment operation shown in FIGS.

  Hereinafter, a printing apparatus and a printing method according to the present invention will be described in detail based on preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a side view showing an embodiment of a printing apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a main part of the printing apparatus shown in FIG. 3 to 7 are cross-sectional views sequentially showing the detachment operation for detaching the sub-carriage from the carriage frame in the printing apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a jig used in the detachment operation shown in FIGS. In the following, for the convenience of explanation, the depth direction in FIG. 1 is referred to as “x-axis direction”, the left-right direction is referred to as “y-axis direction”, and the vertical direction is referred to as “z-axis direction”. Also, the coordinate axes in FIGS. 3 to 7 and FIG. 9 correspond to the coordinate axes in FIG. 1, 3 to 7, and 9 may be referred to as “upper”, the lower side as “lower”, the left side as “left”, and the right side as “right”.

  The printing apparatus 1 of the present invention is a textile printing apparatus that performs printing on a workpiece W while conveying a sheet-like workpiece W as a recording medium. In addition, the printing method of the present invention can be executed using the printing apparatus 1.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the printing apparatus 1 includes a machine base 11, a transport mechanism unit (transport unit) 12 that transports the work W, and a print mechanism unit that applies ink to the work W to perform printing. (Recording unit) 13, a drying unit 2 that dries the ink on the workpiece W, and a control unit 15 that controls the operation of each unit.

  In this embodiment, the direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction for conveying the workpiece W is the x-axis direction, the direction parallel to the conveyance direction is the y-axis direction, and the direction orthogonal to the x-axis direction and the y-axis direction is the z-axis direction. Yes.

  The transport mechanism unit 12 is flexible and has a feeding device 3 that feeds out a long workpiece W wound in a roll shape, a winding device 4 that winds up a printed workpiece W, and a machine base 11. And a support device 5 that supports the workpiece W during printing.

  The feeding device 3 is disposed upstream of the machine base 11 in the feed direction (y-axis direction) of the workpiece W. The feeding device 3 includes a feeding roller (feeding reel) 31 that feeds the workpiece W in a roll shape, and a tensioner 32 that tensions the workpiece W between the feeding roller 31 and the support device 5. And have. The feed roller 31 is connected to a motor (not shown) and can be rotated by the operation of the motor.

  The work W can be made of a thin film having ink absorbability and a thin film having ink non-absorbability. In the case of the former, for example, special paper for inkjet recording such as plain paper, high-quality paper, and glossy paper, and other woven fabrics can be used. In the latter case, for example, a plastic film that is not surface-treated for inkjet printing (that is, an ink absorbing layer is not formed), and a plastic film coated with a plastic on a substrate such as paper or the like Are bonded. The plastic is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, polystyrene, polyurethane, polyethylene, and polypropylene.

  The winding device 4 is disposed on the downstream side in the feeding direction (y-axis direction) of the workpiece W with respect to the feeding device 3 with respect to the feeding device 3. The winding device 4 includes a winding roller (winding reel) 41 that winds the workpiece W in a roll shape, and tensioners 42, 43, and 44 that apply tension to the workpiece W between the winding roller 41 and the support device 5. have. The winding roller 41 is connected to a motor (not shown), and can be rotated by the operation of the motor. The tensioners 42 to 44 are arranged at intervals in this order in a direction away from the winding roller 41.

  The support device 5 is disposed between the feeding device 3 and the winding device 4. The support device 5 includes a main driving roller 51 and a driven roller 52 that are arranged apart from each other in the y-axis direction, an endless belt 53 that spans between the main driving roller 51 and the driven roller 52, and the main driving roller 51 and the driven roller 52. Tensioners 54 and 55 for applying tension to the work W between the main roller 51 and the driven roller 52, and a platen 56 disposed between the main roller 51 and the driven roller 52.

  The main driving roller 51 is connected to a motor (not shown) and can be rotated by the operation of the motor. Further, the driven roller 52 is transmitted with the rotational force of the main driving roller 51 via the endless belt 53, and can rotate in conjunction with the main driving roller 51.

  The endless belt 53 is a belt in which an adhesive layer having adhesiveness is formed on the front surface thereof. A part of the workpiece W is adhesively fixed to the adhesive layer and conveyed in the y-axis direction. During this conveyance, the work W is printed. Further, after printing is performed, the workpiece W is peeled from the endless belt 53.

  Similarly to the main driving roller 51 and the driven roller 52, the tensioners 54 and 55 are also arranged apart from each other in the y-axis direction.

  The tensioner 54 can sandwich the workpiece W with the endless belt 53 between the main driving roller 51 and the tensioner 55 can sandwich the workpiece W with the endless belt 53 between the driven roller 52 and the tensioner 54. As a result, the workpiece W tensioned by the tensioners 54 and 55 is fixed to the endless belt 53 and conveyed while the tension is applied. In such a state, the work W is prevented from wrinkling or the like during conveyance, so that when printing is performed, the printing becomes accurate and high quality.

  The platen 56 is a support member that supports the workpiece W. The platen 56 has a flat plate shape, and the surface on the front side is in contact with the surface on the back side of the endless belt 53. Thereby, the surface on the front side of the platen 56 can function as a support surface for supporting the work W together with the endless belt 53 from the back side, that is, the lower side during printing. And by this support, the ink from the printing mechanism part 13 can be landed stably on the workpiece | work W. FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, the printing mechanism unit 13 includes a carriage unit 6, an auxiliary mechanism 7, and a positioning mechanism 9. In addition, the printing mechanism unit 13 includes a movement support mechanism (not shown) that supports the carriage unit 6 so as to be movable in the direction intersecting the conveyance direction, that is, in the x-axis direction.

  The carriage unit 6 includes a carriage frame 61 and a plurality of sub-carriages 62 loaded on the carriage frame 61.

  A plurality of sub-carriages 62 are arranged along the x-axis direction. The number of arrangement is not particularly limited. For example, when performing color printing, four or more are generally arranged.

  Each sub-carriage 62 includes a base 63 having a long plate shape and a head unit 64 having a box shape and a large number (for example, 30 to 40) of droplet discharge heads. .

  The base 63 supports and fixes the head unit 64. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the base 63 is formed with two through holes 631 that are spaced apart in the y-axis direction via the head unit 64. Bolts (male screws) 65 can be inserted into the through holes 631. The head unit 64 can be fixed to the carriage frame 61 by screwing each bolt 65 into the female screw 616 of the carriage frame 61. The head unit 64 can be removed from the carriage frame 61 by loosening the bolts 65 from this state. Thus, the head unit 64 is detachable from the carriage frame 61. Thereby, the head unit 64 can be replaced.

  Each droplet discharge head of the head unit 64 includes, for example, a head body in which a flow path in the head filled with ink is formed, and a nozzle plate having a nozzle surface 641 formed by opening a large number of nozzles. Have. A piezo piezoelectric element corresponding to each ejection nozzle is configured in the head body, and when a voltage is applied to the piezo piezoelectric element, ink is ejected as droplets from the nozzle. Further, the nozzle surface 641 faces the platen 56 through a gap. In this state, ink is ejected from the nozzles onto the work W, so that the ink lands on the work W and printing is performed.

  The ink includes four colors, for example, cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K) containing dye or pigment as a colorant in water as a solvent. Then, each color ink is ejected independently from the droplet ejection head.

  The carriage frame 61 is a member that functions as a support member that collectively stores the carriage units 6 and that detachably supports the carriage units 6.

  The carriage frame 61 has a bottom plate 611 and a wall portion 612 erected from the edge of the bottom plate 611.

  The bottom plate 611 has an opening 613 formed so as to penetrate in the thickness direction. Then, each nozzle surface 641 of the carriage unit 6 faces the platen 56 side through the opening 613, and ink can be ejected from the nozzles onto the work W supported by the platen 56.

  The wall portion 612 surrounds the carriage unit 6. In the wall portion 612, the height of the portion 614 on the downstream side in the transport direction is lower than the height of the portion 615 on the upstream side in the transport direction. Thereby, when exchanging the sub-carriage 62, the exchanging operation can be easily performed from the downstream side in the transport direction.

In the printing apparatus 1, the workpiece W fed by the feeding device 3 is intermittently fed (sub-scanned) in the y-axis direction in a fixed state in which the workpiece W is adhesively fixed by the endless belt 53. Ink is ejected while reciprocating 6 in the x-axis direction (main scanning). This can be performed until printing is completed and a predetermined image pattern is formed on the workpiece W. The image pattern may be based on multicolor printing (color printing) or may be based on single color printing.
The auxiliary mechanism 7 and the positioning mechanism 9 will be described later.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the drying unit 2 is disposed downstream of the printing mechanism unit 13 in the conveyance direction of the workpiece W and is disposed between the support device 5 and the winding roller 41 of the winding device 4. . The drying unit 2 includes a chamber 21 and a coil 22 disposed in the chamber 21.

  In the chamber 21, the work W in which ink is not dried enters, and the work W in which ink is dried exits.

  The coil 22 is made of a nichrome wire, for example, and is a heating element that generates heat when electric power is supplied. The ink on the workpiece W passing through the chamber 21 can be dried by the heat generated by the coil 22.

  The control unit 15 is electrically connected to the transport mechanism unit 12, the printing mechanism unit 13, and the drying unit 2, and has a function of controlling these operations. As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 15 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 151 and a storage unit 152.

The CPU 151 executes programs for various processes such as a printing process.
The storage unit 152 includes, for example, an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) which is a kind of nonvolatile semiconductor memory, and can store various programs.

  By the way, each sub-carriage 62 deteriorates with time, and may need to be replaced.

  The positioning mechanism 9 is a mechanism for positioning the sub carriage 62 with respect to the carriage frame 61 until the sub carriage 62 is mounted on the carriage frame 61 when the sub carriage 62 is replaced with a new one. By this positioning, ink can be accurately discharged onto the workpiece W.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the positioning mechanism 9 has a temporary positioning portion 91 and a main positioning portion 92.

  The temporary positioning portion 91 is a portion that performs temporary positioning with respect to the carriage frame 61 of the sub carriage 62. The temporary positioning portion 91 includes a temporary positioning guide pin 911a and a temporary positioning guide pin 911b provided on the carriage frame 61, and a temporary positioning guide hole 912a and a temporary positioning guide hole 912b provided on the sub-carriage 62. have.

  The temporary positioning guide pins 911 a and the temporary positioning guide pins 911 b are disposed on both sides of the opening 613 of the bottom plate 611 of the carriage frame 61.

  The temporary positioning guide hole 912a is formed through the base 63 of the sub-carriage 62, and is disposed corresponding to the temporary positioning guide pin 911a. The temporary positioning guide pins 911a can be fitted into the temporary positioning guide holes 912a in a so-called “clearance fit” state.

  The temporary positioning guide hole 912b is formed through the base 63 of the sub-carriage 62, and is disposed corresponding to the temporary positioning guide pin 911b. The temporary positioning guide pins 911b can be fitted into the temporary positioning guide holes 912b in a so-called “clearance fit” state.

  On the other hand, the main positioning portion 92 is a portion that performs the main positioning with respect to the carriage frame 61 of the sub carriage 62 following the temporary positioning by the temporary positioning portion 91. The main positioning portion 92 includes a main positioning guide pin 921a and a main positioning guide pin 921b provided on the carriage frame 61, and a main positioning guide hole 922a and a main positioning guide hole 922b provided on the sub-carriage 62. have.

  The main positioning guide pins 921 a and the main positioning guide pins 921 b are disposed on both sides of the bottom plate 611 of the carriage frame 61 through the openings 613. The main positioning guide pin 921a is located farther from the opening 613 than the temporary positioning guide pin 911a. In addition, the main positioning guide pin 921b is located farther from the opening 613 than the temporary positioning guide pin 911b. The lengths of the main positioning guide pins 921a and the main positioning guide pins 921b are shorter than the lengths of the temporary positioning guide pins 911a and the temporary positioning guide pins 911b.

  The main positioning guide hole 922a is formed through the base 63 of the sub-carriage 62, and is disposed corresponding to the main positioning guide pin 921a. The main positioning guide pin 921a can be fitted into the main positioning guide hole 922a in a so-called “fitting fit” state. That is, the degree of fitting between the temporary positioning guide pin 911a and the temporary positioning guide hole 912a is looser than the degree of fitting between the main positioning guide pin 921a and the main positioning guide hole 922a.

  The main positioning guide hole 922b is formed through the base 63 of the sub-carriage 62, and is disposed corresponding to the main positioning guide pin 921b. The main positioning guide pin 921b can be fitted into the main positioning guide hole 922b in a so-called “fitting fit” state. That is, the degree of fitting between the temporary positioning guide pin 911b and the temporary positioning guide hole 912b is looser than the degree of fitting between the main positioning guide pin 921b and the main positioning guide hole 922b.

  With the positioning mechanism 9 having such a configuration, positioning of the sub carriage 62 with respect to the carriage frame 61 is performed stepwise such that temporary positioning is first performed as primary positioning and then main positioning is performed as secondary positioning. be able to. Thereby, positioning can be performed without difficulty.

  As described above, the printing apparatus 1 may require replacement of the sub-carriage 62. Further, although the weight of each sub-carriage 62 depends on the model of the printing apparatus 1, for example, it is usually about 10 kgf or more and 20 kgf or less. Thus, each sub-carriage 62 is relatively heavy for a person such as an operator of the printing apparatus 1, and it is very difficult to attach and detach the sub-carriage 62, that is, to replace the sub-carriage 62.

  Therefore, in the printing apparatus 1, when the sub carriages 62 are attached to and detached from the carriage frame 61, the auxiliary mechanism 7 that assists the attaching / detaching operation of the sub carriage 62 is used. Hereinafter, the auxiliary mechanism 7 will be described.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the auxiliary mechanism 7 is provided with a guide member 8 as a jig for guiding the subcarriage 62 to be attached / detached in the direction in which the attachment / detachment operation is performed, and the subcarriage 62. The first cam follower 71 and the second cam follower 72, which are the protruding portions, and a coil spring 74 as a biasing portion that biases the sub-carriage 62 upward in the vertical direction separating the sub-carriage 62 from the carriage frame 61.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, the guide member 8 is composed of a plate member, and one end portion thereof is detachable from the portion 615 of the wall portion 612 of the carriage frame 61, that is, attachable / detachable. It functions as the unit 81. The subcarriage 62 can be attached / detached in a state where it is temporarily attached to the portion 615 of the carriage frame 61 via the attaching / detaching portion 81.

  The attaching / detaching portion 81 is constituted by a missing portion in which one end portion of the guide member 8 is missing at a right angle. Thus, when the guide member 8 is inserted into the carriage frame 61 from the downstream side in the transport direction, the detachable portion 81 can be engaged with the edge of the portion 615 of the carriage frame 61. The guide member 8 can be used in this state.

  Further, a guide pin may be provided on one of the attaching / detaching portion 81 and the portion 615 of the carriage frame 61, and a guide hole may be provided on the other. Accordingly, the state in which the guide member 8 is attached to the carriage frame 61 can be reliably maintained, and the guide member 8 can be positioned with respect to the carriage frame 61.

  The constituent material of the guide member 8 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a resin material such as polyethylene and a metal material such as aluminum.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the guide member 8 formed of a plate member has a cam groove (rail) 82 formed on one surface thereof. A first cam follower 71 and a second cam follower 72 are inserted into the cam groove 82 (see FIGS. 4 to 6). Thereby, the first cam follower 71 and the second cam follower 72 can slide along the cam groove 82 in the cam groove 82. By this sliding, the attaching / detaching operation of the sub-carriage 62 can be performed stably.

  The cam groove 82 includes a first vertical groove 821 and a second vertical groove 822 formed along the vertical direction (z-axis direction) and an inclination direction inclined with respect to the horizontal direction (y-axis direction). And a lateral groove 823 formed.

  The first vertical groove 821 and the second vertical groove 822 are spaced apart in the horizontal direction. The first vertical groove 821 is an open portion 821a whose lower end is open vertically downward. Similarly, the second vertical groove 822 is also an open portion 822a whose lower end is open vertically downward.

  The horizontal groove 823 communicates with the first vertical groove 821 and the second vertical groove 822. The lateral groove 823 is an open part 823a that is open on the opposite side to the attaching / detaching part 81. Further, the guide member 8 is configured such that the open portion 823 a is positioned above the lateral groove 823 in the inclination direction in a state where the guide member 8 is attached to the carriage frame 61. The inclination angle θ with respect to the horizontal direction of the horizontal groove 823 is not particularly limited, and may be any angle that is suitable for reducing the weight burden associated with the replacement work of the sub-carriage 62, and is, for example, 0 ° or more and 30 ° or less. Preferably there is.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the first vertical groove 821 and the second vertical groove 822 have different depths. In the present embodiment, the first vertical groove 821 is more than the second vertical groove 822. Is also deeper. Further, the first vertical groove 821 and the horizontal groove 823 have the same depth.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a first cam follower 71 and a second cam follower 72 that are circular in a side view are provided on one side surface of both side surfaces of each sub-carriage 62 so as to protrude.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the first cam follower 71 and the second cam follower 72 have the same outer diameter, but have different lengths. In the present embodiment, the length of the first cam follower 71 is longer than the length of the second cam follower 72.

  The first cam follower 71 and the second cam follower 72 are spaced apart in the horizontal direction. This separation distance is the same as the separation distance between the first vertical groove 821 and the second vertical groove 822.

  Further, the first cam follower 71 and the second cam follower 72 are arranged apart from each other in the vertical direction, that is, shifted. The degree of deviation is set so that a virtual line 73 connecting the centers of the first cam follower 71 and the second cam follower 72 is parallel to the lateral groove 823 (see FIG. 4).

  Two coil springs 74 are provided for the sub-carriage 62 on the bottom plate 611 of the carriage frame 61. The two coil springs 74 are disposed on both sides of the bottom plate 611 through the opening 613. When the sub-carriage 62 is mounted on the carriage frame 61 (see, for example, FIG. 3), each coil spring 74 has its upper end 741 in contact with the base 63 of the sub-carriage 62 and its lower end 742 in the recess 617 of the bottom plate 611. It is in contact. Each coil spring 74 is compressed between the base 63 and the bottom plate 611. Thereby, the sub-carriage 62 can be reliably urged vertically upward to be separated from the carriage frame 61.

  Each coil spring 74 has a temporary positioning guide pin 911a or a temporary positioning guide pin 911b inserted therethrough. As a result, each coil spring 74 is prevented from unintentionally deforming such as buckling, so that the sub-carriage 62 can be urged stably.

  Next, a detachment operation using the auxiliary mechanism 7 to detach each sub-carriage 62 from the carriage frame 61 independently will be described with reference to FIGS.

  [1] As shown in FIG. 3, the sub-carriage 62 to be replaced is fixed to the carriage frame 61 via bolts 65. The sub-carriage 62 is positioned on the carriage frame 61 by the positioning mechanism 9.

  [2] Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the guide member 8 is arranged on the side surface side of the sub-carriage 62 and the guide member 8 is attached to the carriage frame 61. This attachment operation can be performed by causing the guide member 8 to approach the carriage frame 61 from above. Thereby, the first cam follower 71 provided in the sub-carriage 62 is inserted into the first vertical groove 821 of the guide member 8, and the second cam follower 72 is inserted into the second vertical groove 822 of the guide member 8. Is done.

  [3] Next, as shown in FIG. 5, the bolt 65 that has fixed the sub-carriage 62 is loosened to release the fixing to the sub-carriage 62.

  By the release of the fixing, the sub carriage 62 is lifted upward by the urging force of the coil spring 74 and is separated from the carriage frame 61. At this time, the first cam follower 71 slides along the first vertical groove 821 of the guide member 8, and the second cam follower 72 slides along the second vertical groove 822 of the guide member 8. To do. As a result, the sub-carriage 62 is guided upward, so that the sub-carriage 62 is raised stably.

  Further, due to the separation of the sub carriage 62 from the carriage frame 61, the main positioning guide pin 921a first comes out of the main positioning guide hole 922a, and the main positioning guide pin 921b comes out of the main positioning guide hole 922b. Subsequently, subsequently, the temporary positioning guide pin 911a comes out of the temporary positioning guide hole 912a, and the temporary positioning guide pin 911b comes out of the temporary positioning guide hole 912b. Thereby, the positioning with respect to the sub-carriage 62 is released.

  [4] Next, as shown in FIG. 6, the sub-carriage 62 is pulled out downstream in the conveyance direction of the workpiece W. At this time, the first cam follower 71 and the second cam follower 72 slide along the lateral groove 823 of the guide member 8. As a result, the sub-carriage 62 is guided, so that the sub-carriage 62 can be pulled out stably.

  Further, as described above, the depth of the second vertical groove 822 is shallower than the depth of the first vertical groove 821. Accordingly, the first cam follower 71 is prevented from entering the second vertical groove 822 unintentionally while sliding in the horizontal groove 823 (see FIG. 8).

  [5] Then, as the sub-carriage 62 is continuously pulled out, the sub-carriage 62 is completely detached from the carriage frame 61 as shown in FIG.

  Thus, the operation of detaching the sub-carriage 62 is assisted by the auxiliary mechanism 7 through the operations [1] to [5]. Thereby, this separation operation can be easily performed.

  The mounting operation for mounting the new sub-carriage 62 to the carriage frame 61 is the reverse of the above, that is, operation [5] → operation [4] → operation [3] → operation [2] → operation [1]. be able to. Since this mounting operation is also assisted by the auxiliary mechanism 7, it can be easily performed.

  As mentioned above, although the printing apparatus and printing method of this invention were demonstrated about embodiment of illustration, this invention is not limited to this, Each part which comprises a printing apparatus is arbitrary which can exhibit the same function. It can be replaced with that of the configuration. Moreover, arbitrary components may be added.

  Further, the guide member is a jig that is detachable from the carriage frame in the above-described embodiment. However, the guide member is not limited to this. For example, the guide member may be a member that is incorporated and fixed in advance in the carriage frame.

  In addition, the first cam follower and the second cam follower have the same outer diameter in the above-described embodiment, but are not limited thereto, and may have different outer diameters. In this case, the outer diameter of the first cam follower is preferably larger than the outer diameter of the second cam follower.

  In the auxiliary mechanism, one of the first cam follower and the second cam follower can be omitted.

  Moreover, although the horizontal groove is formed along the inclination direction inclined with respect to the horizontal direction, it is not limited to this, and may be formed along the horizontal direction.

  In the embodiment, the cam groove, the first cam follower, and the second cam follower are provided in the guide member, and the first cam follower and the second cam follower are provided in the sub-carriage. The present invention is not limited to this, and the cam groove may be provided in the sub-carriage, and the first cam follower and the second cam follower may be provided in the guide member.

  Further, as the urging portion that urges the sub-carriage vertically upward, the coil spring is used in the above embodiment, but the invention is not limited to this, and an air cylinder may be used.

  In the above embodiment, the temporary positioning portion of the positioning mechanism is provided with a temporary positioning guide pin in the carriage frame and a temporary positioning guide hole in the sub-carriage. Guide pins may be provided in the sub-carriage, and temporary positioning guide holes may be provided in the carriage frame.

  Further, the main positioning portion of the positioning mechanism includes the main positioning guide pin provided in the carriage frame and the main positioning guide hole provided in the sub-carriage in the above-described embodiment. Guide pins may be provided in the sub-carriage, and main positioning guide holes may be provided in the carriage frame.

1 ... Printer 11 ... Machine 12 ... Conveyance mechanism (conveyance unit)
13 …… Printing mechanism (recording unit)
15. Control unit 151 ... CPU (Central Processing Unit)
152 …… Storage unit 2 …… Drying unit 21 …… Chamber 22 …… Coil 3 …… Feeding device 31 …… Feeding roller (feeding reel)
32 …… Tensioner 4 …… Winding device 41 …… Winding roller (winding reel)
42, 43, 44 ... tensioner 5 ... support device 51 ... main driving roller 52 ... driven roller 53 ... endless belt 54, 55 ... tensioner 56 ... platen 6 ... carriage unit 61 ... carriage frame 611 ... ... Bottom plate 612 ... Wall part 613 ... Opening part 614, 615 ... Part 616 ... Female screw 617 ... Concave part 62 ... Subcarriage 63 ... Base 631 ... Through hole 64 ... Head unit 641 ... Nozzle Face 65 …… Bolt (Male thread)
7 ... Auxiliary mechanism 71 ... First cam follower 72 ... Second cam follower 73 ... Virtual line 74 ... Coil spring 741 ... Upper end 742 ... Lower end 8 ... Guide member 81 ... Detachable portion 82 ... Cam Groove
821 …… First longitudinal groove 821a …… Open portion 822 …… Second longitudinal groove 822a …… Open portion 823 …… Horizontal groove 823a …… Open portion 9 …… Positioning mechanism 91 …… Temporary positioning portions 911a, 911b ... ... Temporary positioning guide pins 912a, 912b ... Temporary positioning guide holes 92 ... Main positioning portions 921a, 921b ... Main positioning guide pins 922a, 922b ... Main positioning guide holes W ... Work θ ... Inclination angle

Claims (12)

A printing apparatus for printing on a recording medium while conveying the recording medium having flexibility,
At least one head unit having a nozzle for discharging ink onto the recording medium when the printing is performed;
A support member that detachably supports the head unit;
A printing apparatus, comprising: an auxiliary mechanism that assists in attaching and detaching the head unit when the head unit is attached to and detached from the support member.   The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary mechanism includes a guide member that guides the head unit in a direction in which the attachment / detachment operation is performed.   The auxiliary mechanism includes at least one protrusion provided to protrude from one of the head unit and the guide member, and a rail provided to the other, on which the protrusion slides. Printing device.   The printing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the protrusion is a cam follower, and the rail is a cam groove into which the cam follower is inserted.   The cam groove has a vertical groove formed along a vertical direction and a horizontal groove formed in a horizontal direction or along an inclined direction inclined with respect to the horizontal direction. The printing apparatus as described.   The printing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the auxiliary mechanism includes an urging portion that urges the head unit toward a vertically upward direction that separates the head unit from the support member.   The printing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of the projecting portions are spaced apart from each other in at least a horizontal direction of a vertical direction and a horizontal direction.   The printing according to claim 2, wherein the guide member is configured to be detachable from the support member, and is used by being attached to the support member when the attachment / detachment operation is performed. apparatus.   The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a positioning mechanism that positions the head unit with respect to the support member in a process until the head unit is mounted on the support member.   The positioning mechanism includes a temporary positioning unit that performs temporary positioning of the head unit with respect to the support member, and a main positioning unit that performs final positioning of the head unit with respect to the support member following the temporary positioning. The printing apparatus as described in. The temporary positioning portion includes a temporary positioning guide pin provided in one of the head unit and the support member, and the temporary positioning guide hole provided in the other and into which the temporary positioning guide pin is fitted. Have
The main positioning portion includes a main positioning guide pin provided on one of the head unit and the support member, and the main positioning guide hole provided on the other and fitted with the main positioning guide pin. Have
The printing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein a degree of fitting between the temporary positioning guide pin and the temporary positioning guide hole is looser than a degree of fitting between the main positioning guide pin and the main positioning guide hole. A printing method for printing on a recording medium while conveying the recording medium having flexibility,
At least one head unit having a nozzle for discharging ink onto the recording medium when the printing is performed;
A support member that detachably supports the head unit;
An auxiliary mechanism that assists in the attaching / detaching operation of the head unit when the head unit is attached / detached to / from the support member.

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