LIQUID DROPLET JETTING APPARATUS

• US 20090244240A1
• Filed: 03/18/2009
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Sugahara, Hiroto
• Granted Patent: US 8,210,674 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/104
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0005 Curl smoothing, i.e. smoothing down corrugated printing material, e.g. by pressing means acting on wrinkled printing material
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14233 of film type, deformed by bending and disposed on a diaphragm
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/15 for serial printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/155 for line printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14266 Sheet-like thin film type piezoelectric element
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14362 Assembling elements of heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14459 Matrix arrangement of the pressure chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/20 Modules

Abstract

An ink-jet printer has a line ink-jet head which includes a plurality of heat units arranged in two rows in a zigzag form along a main scanning direction, and a spur which is arranged to be in line in the main scanning direction, with a first head unit belonging to one row, and to overlap a second head unit adjacent to the first head unit, which belongs to the other row, in a direction intersecting the main scanning direction. The spur presses a recording paper from a side of the head unit. Accordingly, it is possible to suppress curling of the recording paper in a direction intersecting a transport direction.

Claims

1. A liquid droplet jetting apparatus which jets liquid droplets of a liquid onto a sheet-shaped object, comprising:

a plurality of head units having liquid droplet jetting surfaces, respectively, in each of which a row of nozzles aligned in one direction is formed, the head units being arranged in a transport direction of the object intersecting the one direction;

a transporting mechanism which transports the object in the transport direction to a position at which the object faces the liquid droplet jetting surfaces of the plurality of head units; and

a pressing mechanism which presses the object transported by the transporting mechanism,

wherein two head units, among the plurality of head units, adjacent in the transport direction are arranged to be shifted in the one direction, and

the pressing mechanism is arranged so as to be aligned in the one direction with one of the two adjacent head units, and to overlap with the other of the two adjacent head units in the transport direction.

2. The liquid droplet jetting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressing mechanism is formed as a plurality of pressing mechanisms, and the plurality of head units and the plurality of pressing mechanisms are arranged alternately in the one direction.

3. The liquid droplet jetting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressing mechanism is a spur which rotates while making a contact with the object.

4. The liquid droplet jetting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressing mechanism is an air blowing mechanism which presses the object by blowing air onto the object.

5. The liquid droplet jetting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a supporting member which supports the plurality of head units,

wherein the pressing mechanism is provided on the supporting member.

6. The liquid droplet jetting apparatus according to claim 5, wherein an inhibiting mechanism which inhibits the liquid adhered to the liquid droplet jetting surface from reaching the pressing mechanism, is provided on the supporting member at an area around the pressing mechanism.

7. The liquid droplet jetting apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the inhibiting mechanism is a recess formed in the supporting member to surround the pressing mechanism.

8. The liquid droplet jetting apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the inhibiting mechanism is a liquid repellent area formed on the supporting member to surround the pressing mechanism, and a liquid repellent property of the liquid repellent area is higher than a liquid repellent property of an area, of the supporting member, which is different from the liquid repellent area.

9. The liquid droplet jetting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a wiper which wipes off the liquid adhered to the liquid droplet jetting surfaces by moving relative to the liquid droplet jetting surface in a predetermined wiping direction, while the wiper makes contact with the liquid droplet jetting surfaces of the head units;

and

liquid holding mechanisms which are arranged, on the liquid droplet jetting surfaces of the head units at a downstream side of the wiping direction, respectively, and which hold the liquid wiped off by the wiper from the liquid droplet jetting surfaces.

10. The liquid droplet jetting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressing mechanism is formed as a plurality of pressing mechanisms, and the pressing mechanisms are arranged to be more densely at an upstream side in the transport direction than at a downstream side in the transport direction.

11. A liquid droplet jetting apparatus which jets liquid droplets of a liquid on a sheet-shaped object, comprising:

a head which includes a head unit having a liquid droplet jetting surface in which a plurality of nozzles is formed and a jetting area is defined by the plurality of nozzles, and two pressing mechanisms which are arranged to interpose the jetting area of the head unit therebetween, and which press the object; and

a transporting mechanism which transports the object in a transport direction to a position at which the object faces the liquid droplet jetting surface of the head unit.

12. The liquid droplet jetting apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the nozzles form a nozzle row extended in a first direction, and the two pressing mechanisms are arranged on both sides, of the head unit, in the first direction.

13. The liquid droplet jetting apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a carriage to which the head is attached, and which reciprocates in a second direction intersecting the first direction.

14. The liquid droplet jetting apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the first direction is orthogonal to the second direction, and the two pressing mechanisms are spurs each having a rotating shaft extended in the first direction.