TARGET TRANSPORT DEVICE AND RECORDING APPARATUS

• US 20090251522A1
• Filed: 04/01/2009
• Published: 10/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: KOIKE, Yoshikazu
• Application Number:
  US12/416,213
• Publication Number:
  US 20090251522A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/104
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/00242 Controlling the temperature of the conduction means
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/00244 Means for heating the copy materials before or during printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/007 Conveyor belts or like feeding devices
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0085 Using suction for maintaining printing material flat on rotatable drums B41J13/226

Abstract

There is provided a target transport device including a support member having a support surface capable of supporting a target that is transported toward a downstream side from an upstream side, suction openings of suction holes capable of generating a negative pressure when the suction holes are suctioned being formed on the support surface, a heater for heating the support member, and a temperature adjusting unit for adjusting a temperature of the target such that a temperature difference generated in the target due to uneven distribution of the suction openings that relatively become a low temperature in the support member when heat from the heater is applied to the target via the support surface of the support member is restrained.

Claims

1. A target transport device comprising:

a support member having a support surface capable of supporting a target that is transported toward a downstream side from an upstream side, suction openings of suction holes capable of generating a negative pressure when the suction holes are suctioned being formed on the support surface;

a heater for heating the support member; and

a temperature adjusting unit for adjusting a temperature of the target such that a temperature difference generated in the target due to uneven distribution of the suction openings that relatively become a low temperature in the support member when heat from the heater is applied to the target via the support surface of the support member is restrained.

2. The target transport device according to claim 1, wherein

the temperature adjusting unit adjusts the temperature of the target in a step before the target is transported on the support surface of the support member.

3. The target transport device according to claim 1, wherein

the temperature adjusting unit adjusts the temperature of the target such that a temperature of an area of the target corresponding to a low occupation area on the support surface in which an occupation ratio of the suction openings is relatively low becomes lower than a temperature of an area of the target corresponding to a high occupation area on the support surface in which the occupation ratio of the suction openings is relatively high.

4. The target transport device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a transport body for placing the target, the transport body being interposed between the target and the support member and being equipped with communication portions capable of communicating with the suction openings, wherein

the target is absorbed on the transport body by a suction force applied to the target from the suction holes via the communication portions that are communicated with the suction openings.

5. A recording apparatus comprising:

the target transport device according to claim 1; and

a recording unit for performing a recording processing on the target supported on the support surface of the support member.

6. A target transport device comprising:

a first support member having a support surface capable of supporting a target that is transported toward a downstream side from an upstream side, suction openings of suction holes capable of generating a negative pressure when the suction holes are suctioned being formed on the support surface;

a heater for heating the first support member; and

a second support member for supporting the target and for heating the supported target at the upstream side or the downstream side of the first support member, wherein

heat areas that are patterned as for a heat amount are provided in the second support member so as to correspond to uneven distribution of the suction openings of the first support member in a direction perpendicular to a transport direction of the target.