PRINTING APPARATUS

• US 20100157006A1
• Filed: 11/19/2009
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: KANADA, Hidemasa, SHIRASAWA, Kazunori
• Granted Patent: US 8,282,204 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/102
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0022 using convection means, e.g. by using a fan for blowing or sucking air
• 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

Abstract

A printing apparatus includes: a medium holding unit which is divided into a plurality of members to form a holding surface and holds a printing medium being transported on the holding surface; a heat transfer type first heating unit which is disposed in the medium holding unit and heats the printing medium held by the medium holding unit; and a printing head which performs printing by ejecting ink onto the printing medium. Boundaries formed by gaps between the plurality of members on the holding surface of the medium holding unit are curved in both a transport direction and a width direction of the printing medium so as not to be in a straight line shape in the transport direction.

Claims

1. A printing apparatus comprising:

a medium holding unit which is divided into a plurality of members to form a holding surface and holds a printing medium being transported on the holding surface;

a heat transfer type first heating unit which is disposed in the medium holding unit and heats the printing medium held by the medium holding unit; and

a printing head which performs printing by ejecting ink onto the printing medium,

wherein boundaries formed by gaps between the plurality of members on the holding surface of the medium holding unit are curved in both a transport direction and a width direction of the printing medium so as not to be in a straight line shape in the transport direction.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a convection type second heating unit which blows warm air to the printing medium held on the holding surface through the gaps of the boundaries between the plurality of members of the medium holding unit.

3. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a plurality of suction holes which are formed in the holding surface of the medium holding unit; and

a suction unit which sucks air from the side of the holding surface of the medium holding unit toward an opposite side of the holding surface through the suction holes,

wherein the convection type second heating unit blows warm air to the printing medium through the gaps of the boundaries by using air discharged when the air heated by the heat transfer type first heating unit is sucked by the suction unit.

4. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first heating unit is screw-fixed to the printing holding unit from an opposite side of the holding surface of the medium holding unit.

5. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein regions except for the gaps of the boundaries on the holding surface of the medium holding unit are flush with each other so as to form a smooth surface.