IP Library Granted Patent US 11,738,573
Granted Patent B2
US 11,738,573 · App. 17/496,807 · Granted Aug 29, 2023

Ink jet printer

Inventor: Kikuo Matsuba (Hamamatsu, JP)
Assignee: ROLAND DG CORPORATION
B41J11/007B41J2/01
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,738,573
App. No.
17/496,807
Granted
Aug 29, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A printer includes a platen to support a medium, a conveyor to convey the medium supported by the platen from an upstream side toward a downstream side in conveyance directions, a tension bar, and a floating bar. The tension bar is downstream of the platen in the conveyance directions and positioned such that a lower surface of the medium conveyed from the platen to the downstream side in the conveyance directions contacts the tension bar. The floating bar is downstream of the platen in the conveyance directions and upstream of the tension bar in the conveyance directions and positioned such that an upper surface of the medium located between the platen and the tension bar contacts the floating bar, and has a center axis freely movable by a predetermined degree.

Claims (42)

1. An ink jet printer comprising:

a platen to support a medium;

a conveyor to convey the medium supported by the platen from an upstream side toward a downstream side in conveyance directions;

a tension bar downstream of the platen in the conveyance directions and positioned such that a lower surface of the medium conveyed from the platen to the downstream side in the conveyance directions contacts the tension bar;

a bracket supported by an end portion of the tension bar and rotatable about the tension bar in a circumferential direction of the tension bar;

a floating bar downstream of the platen in the conveyance directions and upstream of the tension bar in the conveyance directions and positioned such that an upper surface of the medium located between the platen and the tension bar contacts the floating bar, the floating bar having a center axis that is movable by a predetermined degree; and

an apron downstream of the platen in the conveyance directions, wherein

the floating bar is disposed on the bracket;

the bracket includes:

a body portion supported by the tension bar;

an extending portion provided in a portion of the bracket located at an outer side of the tension bar relative to the body portion when seen from an end of the tension bar and upstream of the floating bar in the conveyance directions, the extending portion facing the apron when the floating bar and the bracket rotate about the tension bar and move toward the platen; and

a cushion on a surface of the extending portion facing the apron to contact the apron.

2. The ink jet printer according to claim 1 , wherein the conveyor includes driving rollers and pinching rollers to at least vertically sandwich end portions of the medium in a direction intersecting the conveyance directions.

3. An ink jet printer comprising:

a side frame;

a platen to support a medium;

a conveyor to convey the medium supported by the platen from an upstream side toward a downstream side in conveyance directions;

a tension bar downstream of the platen in the conveyance directions and positioned such that a lower surface of the medium conveyed from the platen to the downstream side in the conveyance directions contacts the tension bar;

a bracket supported by an end portion of the tension bar and rotatable about the tension bar in a circumferential direction of the tension bar; and

a floating bar downstream of the platen in the conveyance directions and upstream of the tension bar in the conveyance directions and positioned such that an upper surface of the medium located between the platen and the tension bar contacts the floating bar, the floating bar having a center axis that is movable by a predetermined degree, wherein

the platen is supported by the side frame;

the tension bar includes a center axis member projecting from the tension bar in an axial direction and the center axis member is rotatably supported on the side frame;

the bracket is supported to be swingable about the center axis member of the tension bar; and

the floating bar is disposed on the bracket.

4. An ink jet printer comprising:

a platen to support a medium;

a conveyor to convey the medium supported by the platen from an upstream side toward a downstream side in conveyance directions;

a tension bar downstream of the platen in the conveyance directions and positioned such that a lower surface of the medium conveyed from the platen to the downstream side in the conveyance directions contacts the tension bar;

a bracket supported by an end portion of the tension bar and rotatable about the tension bar in a circumferential direction of the tension bar; and

a floating bar downstream of the platen in the conveyance directions and upstream of the tension bar in the conveyance directions and positioned such that an upper surface of the medium located between the platen and the tension bar contacts the floating bar, the floating bar having a center axis that is movable by a predetermined degree, wherein

the floating bar is disposed on the bracket;

the floating bar includes a center axis portion projecting from the floating bar in an axial direction;

the center axis portion is rotatably inserted into an insertion hole extended through the bracket via a bush; and

a gap is located between at least one of: (i) the bush and the center axis portion of the floating bar, or (ii) the bush and the insertion hole.

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

the bracket includes:

a restricting portion provided in a portion of the bracket located at an outer side of the tension bar relative to the body portion when seen from an end of the tension bar and downstream of the floating bar in the conveyance directions;

the ink jet printer further comprises a stopper in a rotation orbit of the restricting portion at a position outside the tension bar when seen from an end of the tension bar; and

the restricting portion is positioned to contact the stopper when the floating bar and the bracket rotate about the tension bar and move away from the platen.

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

the floating bar includes a center axis portion projecting from the floating bar in an axial direction; and

the center axis portion is fitted onto the bracket to be movable with respect to the bracket.

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 Oct 8, 2021
From: MATSUBA, KIKUO
To: ROLAND DG CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 057737/0398 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230111746A1 · Apr 13, 2023