Medium support unit, printing apparatus, and method of attaching cover section

• US 10,639,918 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2018
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Hamada, Nobuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmermann, John
• Application Number:
  US16/152,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20190105929A1
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/007 Conveyor belts or like feeding devices
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/06 Flat page-size platens or smaller flat platens having a greater size than line-size platens B41J11/0085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/13 Cases or covers
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/4078 Printing on textile
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 11/00 Feed tables

Abstract

A medium support unit configured to support a medium on which printing is performed by a printing apparatus, the medium support unit including a support section including a support surface configured to support the medium, and a cover section to be attached to the support section to cover the support surface. The cover section includes, on at least a part of a front side, a friction member having a static friction coefficient with respect to the medium, which is greater than a static friction coefficient of the support surface, and on a back side, a first area having a first adhesive force and a second area whose adhesive force is less than the first adhesive force, the cover section is attached to the support section by adhering at least a part of the first area to the support section.

Claims

1. A medium support unit configured to support a medium on which printing is performed by a printing apparatus, the medium support unit comprising:

a support section including a support surface configured to support a medium; and

a cover section attached to the support section to cover the support surface, wherein

the support section includes a step portion which is a peripheral part of the support surface, the step portion forming a recess at an edge of the support surface,

the cover section includes, on at least a part of a front side on which the medium is supported, a friction member having a static friction coefficient with respect to the medium, which is greater than a static friction coefficient of the support surface,

the cover section includes, on a back side opposite to the front side, which faces the support section when the cover section is attached to the support section, a first area having a first adhesive force and a second area whose adhesive force is less than the first adhesive force, and

the cover section is attached to the support section by adhering at least a part of the first area to the support section, and

the first area is extended to an area facing the step portion in a state where the cover section is attached to the support section.

2. The medium support unit according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the second area is disposed in a center portion of the back side of the cover section, and at least a part of the first area is disposed outside of the center portion of the back side of the cover section.

3. The medium support unit according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the first area is disposed in a center portion of the back side of the cover section, and at least a part of the second area is disposed outside of the center portion of the back side of the cover section.

4. The medium support unit according to claim 1, wherein the second area includes at least a weak adhesive area having a second adhesive force that is less than the first adhesive force.

5. The medium support unit according to claim 1, wherein the second area includes at least a non-adhesive area having no adhesive force.

6. The medium support unit according to claim 1, wherein the cover section includes a reinforcing member that makes the cover section hard to deform.

7. The medium support unit according to claim 1, wherein the cover section includes a handle section provided at a portion located outside of the support surface in a case where the cover section is attached to the support section.

8. A printing apparatus comprising:

the medium support unit according to claim 1; and

a printing unit configured to perform printing on the medium supported by the medium support unit.

9. A method of attaching a cover section, the method being performed with a medium support unit, the medium support unit being configured to support a medium on which printing is performed by a printing apparatus, the medium support unit comprising:

a support section including a support surface configured to support a medium; and

a cover section attached to the support section to cover the support surface, wherein

the support section includes a step portion which is a peripheral part of the support surface, the step portion forming a recess at an edge of the support surface,

the cover section includes, on at least a part of a front side on which the medium is supported, a friction member having a static friction coefficient with respect to the medium, which is greater than a static friction coefficient of the support surface,

the cover section includes, on a back side opposite to the front side, which faces the support section when the cover section is attached to the support section, a first area having a first adhesive force and a second area having whose adhesive force is less than the first adhesive force,

the first area is extended to an area facing the step portion in a state where the cover section is attached to the support section, the method comprising;

attaching the cover section to the support section by adhering at least a part of the first area to the support section.

10. A medium support unit configured to support a medium on which printing is performed by a printing apparatus, the medium support unit comprising:

a support section including a support surface configured to support a medium; and

a cover section attached to the support section to cover the support surface,

wherein;

the cover section includes a reinforcing member and a friction member, the friction member having a static friction coefficient with respect to the medium, which is greater than a static friction coefficient of the support surface,

the reinforcing member has a front side and a back side,

the front side has a first area having a first adhesive force,

the front side is configured to be attached to the friction member via the first area,

the back side has a second area having a second adhesive force, the second adhesive force is less than the first adhesive force, and

the back side is configured to be attached to the support section via the second area.