IP Library Granted Patent US 11,504,981
Granted Patent B2
US 11,504,981 · App. 17/341,125 · Granted Nov 22, 2022

Ink jet printer

Inventors: Misaki Konishi (Hamamatsu, JP); Tsutomu Takenouchi (Hamamatsu, JP); Tetsuya Okuda (Hamamatsu, JP); Takeru Muranaka (Hamamatsu, JP)
Assignee: Roland DG Corporation
B41J11/0021B41J11/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,504,981
App. No.
17/341,125
Granted
Nov 22, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A printer includes: a platen configured to allow a rolled first recording medium and a sheet-like second recording medium to be placed thereon; and a guide table detachably provided on a base member and configured to guide movement of the second recording medium. The platen includes a first platen on which the first recording medium and the second recording medium are placed, and a second platen disposed ahead of the first platen, including an upper surface tilted obliquely downward from the rear toward the front, and configured to guide movement of the first recording medium. The guide table includes a placement portion including a flat upper surface which is located below the first platen and above a portion of the second platen and on which the second recording medium is placed.

Claims (58)

1. An ink jet printer comprising:

a base member;

a platen disposed on the base member and configured to allow a rolled first recording medium and a sheet-like second recording medium to be placed on the platen;

a carriage disposed on the base member, located above the platen, and movable in a main scanning direction;

an ink head mounted on the carriage and configured to discharge ink onto the first recording medium and the second recording medium, the first recording medium and the second recording medium being conveyed in a sub-scanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction; and

a guide table detachably disposed on the base member and configured to guide movement of the second recording medium conveyed from the platen, wherein

the platen includes

a first platen including a flat upper surface and configured such that the first recording medium and the second recording medium are placed on the first platen, and

a second platen disposed at a downstream side of the first platen in the sub-scanning direction, including an upper surface tilted obliquely downward from an upstream side in the sub-scanning direction toward the downstream side, and configured to guide movement of the first recording medium, and

the guide table includes a placement portion located below the first platen and above a portion of the second platen and including a flat upper surface on which the second recording medium is to be placed.

2. The ink jet printer according to claim 1 , wherein the guide table further includes a sloped portion extending to the downstream side from a downstream end of the placement portion in the sub-scanning direction and including an upper surface tilted obliquely downward from the upstream side toward the downstream side in the sub-scanning direction.

3. The ink jet printer according to claim 1 , wherein

the ink is photocurable ink,

the ink jet printer further comprising:

a light irradiator mounted on the carriage and configured to apply light to photocurable ink discharged onto the first recording medium and the second recording medium;

a body case attached to the base member and including an opening, the opening being formed between the body case and the platen and located downstream of the carriage in the sub-scanning direction;

a front cover attached to either the base member or the body case and configured to open and close the opening; and

a light leakage suppression cover attached to either the base member or the body case and including a shield, the shield being configured to suppress leakage of light applied from the light irradiator to outside though a gap between the front cover and the platen, and

the guide table is disposed below the shield.

4. The ink jet printer according to claim 3 , further comprising a support member including a support wall and disposed on the base member, the support wall supporting the light leakage suppression cover, wherein

the light leakage suppression cover is configured such that an angle with respect to the front cover is changeable,

the support wall includes a first support wall and a second support wall, the first support wall supporting the light leakage suppression cover and tilting downward from the upstream side toward the downstream side in the sub-scanning direction in a case where the first recording medium is conveyed, the second support wall supporting the light leakage suppression cover and extending horizontally in a case where the second recording medium is conveyed.

5. The ink jet printer according to claim 4 , wherein

the second support wall is configured to support the placement portion of the guide table, and

the guide table includes a cover support wall supporting the light leakage suppression cover from below.

6. The ink jet printer according to claim 3 , wherein a downstream end of the light leakage suppression cover in the sub-scanning direction is located downstream, in the sub-scanning direction, of a downstream end of the guide table in the sub-scanning direction.

7. The ink jet printer according to claim 3 , wherein

the light leakage suppression cover includes a suppressor disposed upstream of the shield in the sub-scanning direction and projecting from the shield toward the guide table, and

the guide table is disposed below the shield.

8. The ink jet printer according to claim 7 , wherein the suppressor is detachably disposed on the shield.

9. The ink jet printer according to claim 7 , wherein the suppressor includes a first suppressor and a second suppressor, the first suppressor suppresses rising of one end of the second recording medium in the main scanning direction, and the second suppressor suppresses rising of another end of the second recording medium in the main scanning direction.

10. The ink jet printer according to claim 7 , wherein the suppressor includes a slope that tilts obliquely downward from the upstream side toward the downstream side in the sub-scanning direction.

11. The ink jet printer according to claim 7 , wherein the suppressor is configured to change an amount of projection from the shield.

12. The ink jet printer according to claim 3 , wherein

the light leakage suppression cover is configured such that an angle with respect to the front cover is changeable,

the shield has a plate shape extending in the main scanning direction,

in a case where the first recording medium is placed on the platen, the shield tilts downward from the upstream side toward the downstream side in the sub-scanning direction and overlaps with the platen when seen from the downstream side in the sub-scanning direction, and

in a case where the second recording medium is placed on the platen, the shield extends horizontally and is located above the platen.

13. The ink jet printer according to claim 3 , wherein

the shield has a plate shape extending in the main scanning direction, and

in a case where the first recording medium is placed on the platen, the shield is located downstream of the platen in the sub-scanning direction and an upper end of the shield is located above a lower end of the front cover and upstream of the lower end of the front cover in the sub-scanning direction.

14. The ink jet printer according to claim 3 , wherein

the shield has a plate shape extending in the main scanning direction, and

in a case where the second recording medium is placed on the platen, the shield is located above at least a portion of the platen and an upstream end of the shield in the sub-scanning direction is located upstream of a lower end of the front cover in the sub-scanning direction.

15. The ink jet printer according to claim 3 , further comprising a detection sensor disposed on the base member and configured to detect whether the light leakage suppression cover is attached or not, wherein

the light leakage suppression cover includes a shaft disposed on an end portion of the shield in the main scanning direction and extending in the main scanning direction, and

when the shaft comes into contact with the detection sensor, the detection sensor detects that the light leakage suppression cover is attached.

16. The ink jet printer according to claim 15 , wherein

the base member includes a vertical wall, the vertical wall being disposed on one end portion of the platen in the main scanning direction, extending in a top-bottom direction, and being provided with the detection sensor,

the shaft includes a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being connected to the shield, the second portion being connected to the first portion and having a shaft diameter larger than a shaft diameter of the first portion,

an upper end of the vertical wall includes a groove, the groove supporting the first portion of the shaft and configured to overlap with a portion of the detection sensor while the shaft is not in contact with the detection sensor when seen in the main scanning direction, and

the second portion of the shaft is larger than the groove when seen in the main scanning direction.

17. The ink jet printer according to claim 16 , wherein

the detection sensor includes

a body,

a switch disposed on the body and configured to turn on when being pressed, the switch detecting that the light leakage suppression cover is attached, and

a pressing plate disposed on the body to be movable in a top-bottom direction, the pressing plate being configured to press the switch when being pressed by the second portion of the shaft from above, and

while the second portion of the shaft is not in contact with the pressing plate, the pressing plate overlaps with the groove when seen in the main scanning direction.

Assignments (2)
MERGER AND CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 25, 2025
From: ROLAND DG CORPORATION; XYZ CORPORATION
To: ROLAND DG CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 070314/0344 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 8, 2021
From: KONISHI, MISAKI; TAKENOUCHI, TSUTOMU; OKUDA, TETSUYA; MURANAKA, TAKERU
To: ROLAND DG CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 056467/0295 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP JP2020-099656 · Jun 8, 2020 · national
JP JP2021-029865 · Feb 26, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210379908A1 · Dec 9, 2021