Fluid ejecting apparatus having an ink absorber

• US 8,550,592 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2010
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Usuda, Hidenori, Kamoshida, Shinichi, Koike, Kaoru
• Primary Examiner(s): FIDLER, SHELBY LEE
• Application Number:
  US12/696,443
• Publication Number:
  US 20100194820A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,348 Days
• Field of Search: 347/35
• US Class Current: 347/35
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0065 Means for printing without leaving a margin on at least one edge of the copy material, e.g. edge-to-edge printing

Abstract

A fluid ejecting apparatus includes: a rotating body which rotates while holding a medium at its circumferential surface; a fluid ejecting section which ejects fluid toward the medium such that a margin is not formed at an end portion of the medium on the circumferential surface in an axial direction of the rotating body; an absorber which absorbs fluid which has come out of the end portion of the medium on the circumferential surface in the axial direction, out of fluid ejected from the fluid ejecting section, at a position further outside than the end portion; and a rotating body driving mechanism for rotating the rotating body, which drives the rotating body such that driving force by the rotating body driving mechanism is not transmitted to the absorber.

Claims

1. A fluid ejecting apparatus comprising:

a rotating drum body which rotates while holding a medium wrapped around its circumferential surface;

a fluid ejecting section which ejects fluid toward the medium such that a margin is not formed at an end portion of the medium on the circumferential surface in an axial direction of the rotating body;

an absorber which absorbs fluid which has come out of the end portion of the medium on the circumferential surface in the axial direction, out of fluid ejected from the fluid ejecting section, at a position further outside than the end portion; and

a rotating body driving mechanism for rotating the rotating body, which drives the rotating body such that driving force by the rotating body driving mechanism is not transmitted to the absorber,

wherein the absorber is rotatable independently of the rotating body in a state where an axial direction of the absorber is coincident with the axial direction of the rotating body, and

the apparatus further comprises an absorber driving mechanism for rotating the absorber.

2. The fluid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a recovery mechanism which recovers fluid absorbed by the absorber from the absorber.

3. The fluid ejecting apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the absorber has an outer circumferential portion made of a sponge and absorbs fluid which has come out of the end portion at the outer circumferential portion, and

the recovery mechanism is provided with a pressing portion which presses the outer circumferential portion, and squeezes and recovers fluid absorbed by the absorber from the outer circumferential portion by allowing the pressing portion to press the outer circumferential portion when the absorber driving mechanism rotates the absorber.

4. The fluid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein a plurality of absorbers is provided, one on each side of the rotating body in the axial direction,

a cover member which has an outer surface adjoining the circumferential surface of the rotating body in the axial direction and surrounds and covers the absorber is provided for each absorber,

each of the cover members has an opening at the outer surface,

the length of the circumferential surface in the axial direction is shorter than the length of the medium in the axial direction,

the rotating body holds a central portion of the medium in the axial direction at the circumferential surface,

the cover member holds an end portion of the medium in the axial direction at the outer surface,

the fluid ejecting section faces the opening when ejecting fluid toward the end portion, and

the absorber absorbs fluid which has come out of the end portion, at an exposed portion exposed by the opening, out of the absorber.

5. The fluid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the rotating body is of a hollow shape and has in its circumferential surface a pair of openings located along the rotation direction of the rotting body,

the absorber is disposed in the interior of the rotating body,

the length of the circumferential surface in the axial direction is longer than the length of the medium in the axial direction,

the rotating body holds the medium at the circumferential surface in a state where one end portion of the medium in the axial direction is located on one opening and the other end portion is located on the other opening,

the fluid ejecting section faces the openings when ejecting fluid toward the one end portion and the other end portion, and

the absorber absorbs fluid which has come out of the one end portion and the other end portion, at exposed portions exposed by the openings, out of the absorber.

6. A fluid ejecting apparatus comprising:

a rotating drum body which rotates while holding a medium wrapped around its circumferential surface;

a fluid ejecting section which ejects fluid toward the medium such that a margin is not formed at an end portion of the medium on the circumferential surface in an axial direction of the rotating body;

an absorber which absorbs fluid which has come out of the end portion of the medium on the circumferential surface in the axial direction, out of fluid ejected from the fluid ejecting section, at a position further outside than the end portion; and

a rotating body driving mechanism for rotating the rotating body, which drives the rotating body such that driving force by the rotating body driving mechanism is not transmitted to the absorber,

wherein the absorbers are provided one on each of both sides of the rotating body in the axial direction,

a cover member which has an outer surface adjoining the circumferential surface of the rotating body in the axial direction and surrounds and covers the absorber is provided for each absorber,

each of the cover members has an opening at the outer surface,

the length of the circumferential surface in the axial direction is shorter than the length of the medium in the axial direction,

the rotating body holds a central portion of the medium in the axial direction at the circumferential surface,

the cover member holds an end portion of the medium in the axial direction at the outer surface,

the fluid ejecting section faces the opening when ejecting fluid toward the end portion, and

the absorber absorbs fluid which has come out of the end portion, at an exposed portion exposed by the opening, out of the absorber.

7. A fluid ejecting method comprising:

holding a medium on a circumferential surface of a rotating drum body which rotates so as to wrap the medium around its circumferential surface;

ejecting fluid toward the medium such that a margin is not formed at an end portion of the medium on the circumferential surface in an axial direction of the rotating body;

allowing fluid which has come out of the end portion of the medium on the circumferential surface in the axial direction, out of the ejected fluid, to be absorbed into an absorber at a portion further outside than the end portion;

driving the rotating body by a rotating body driving mechanism such that driving force by the rotating body driving mechanism is not transmitted to the absorber, and rotating the absorber independently of the rotating body in a state where an axial direction of the absorber is coincident with the axial direction of the rotating body,

wherein the absorber is rotated by an absorber driving mechanism.