Recording apparatus

• US 9,168,763 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2012
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Kitagishi, Mikio, Ota, Miho
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): KING, PATRICK J
• Application Number:
  US13/549,778
• Publication Number:
  US 20130021417A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,198 Days
• Field of Search: 399/92, 399/94, 399/106, 399/111, 347/26, 347/86, 347/126, 347/206
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/001 Handling wide copy materials
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/00216 using infrared [IR] radiation or microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0022 using convection means, e.g. by using a fan for blowing or sucking air
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0024 using conduction means, e.g. by using a heated platen
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0085 Using suction for maintaining printing material flat on rotatable drums B41J13/226
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/377 Cooling or ventilating arrangements

Abstract

A recording apparatus includes: a holding unit that holds a liquid receptacle containing a liquid; a recording head that ejects, onto a recording medium, the liquid supplied from the liquid receptacle held by the holding unit; a heating unit that heats the recording medium; and a suction unit that includes a suction port for sucking air to the heating unit. Here, the suction port is disposed in a location that enables the atmosphere around the liquid receptacle to be sucked.

Claims

1. A recording apparatus comprising:

a holding unit that holds a liquid receptacle containing a liquid;

a recording head that ejects, onto a recording medium, the liquid supplied from the liquid receptacle held by the holding unit;

a heating unit that heats the recording medium;

a control unit that controls the heater, wherein the control unit is housed in the heating unit; and

a suction unit that includes a suction port for sucking air into the heating unit,

wherein the suction port is disposed in a location that exposes the suction port to air that is external to the recording apparatus and enables the atmosphere around the liquid receptacle to be sucked,

wherein the holding unit is disposed upstream of the suction unit in an air flow path,

wherein the control unit is disposed downstream of the suction unit in the air flow path.

2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the heating unit includes a box-shaped portion, and the suction port is located in a surface of the box-shaped portion that is close to the holding unit.

3. The recording apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the holding unit includes, in a side surface of the holding unit, an opening portion that enables the liquid receptacle to be inserted into/removed from the holding unit;

and

the suction port is disposed in a side surface of the box-shaped portion that is close to an opening portion.

4. The recording apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the heating unit heats the recording medium that has been transported from upstream and onto which the liquid has been ejected by the recording head;

and

the holding unit is disposed to the side of the heating unit in the direction orthogonal to the direction in which the recording medium is transported.

5. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the holding unit is located in the recording apparatus at a distance that is far from the heating unit in a moving direction of the recording ejecting head.

6. A recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit includes a heater control board.

7. A recording apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the heating unit includes,

a main body;

a support member that is connected to the main body and supports the recording medium;

a heater that heats the support member; and

a partition plate that is disposed in the heating unit,

wherein the heater control board is housed in a housing space that is formed by the main body and the partition plate in the heating unit.

8. A recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the suction port is formed in a side frame of the main body.

9. A recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the heater is housed in the heating unit, the partition plate located between the heater and the heater control board.

10. A recording apparatus claim 1,

wherein the heating unit includes a first heater unit located upstream from the recording head, a second heater unit opposing the recording head, and a third heater unit downstream from the recording head,

wherein air sucked by the suction unit is provided into the third heater unit.

11. A recording apparatus comprising:

a holding unit that holds a liquid receptacle containing a liquid;

a recording head that ejects, onto a recording medium, the liquid supplied from the liquid receptacle held by the holding unit;

a heating unit that heats the recording medium; and

a suction unit that includes a suction port for sucking air into the heating unit,

wherein the suction port is disposed in a location that exposes the suction port to air that is external to the recording apparatus and enables the atmosphere around the liquid receptacle to be sucked,

wherein the holding unit is disposed upstream of the suction unit in an air flow path,

wherein the heating unit includes a box-shaped portion, and the suction port is located in a surface of the box-shaped portion that is close to the holding unit,

wherein the holding unit includes, in a side surface of the holding unit, an opening portion that enables the liquid receptacle to be inserted into/removed from the holding head; and

the holding unit is disposed to the side of the heating unit in the direction orthogonal to the direction in which the recording medium is transported.

12. A recording apparatus comprising:

a holding unit that holds a liquid receptacle containing a liquid;

a recording head that ejects, onto a recording medium, the liquid supplied from the liquid receptacle held by the holding unit;

a heating unit that heats the recording medium; and

a suction unit that includes a suction port for sucking air into the heating unit,

wherein the suction port is disposed in a location that exposes the suction port to air that is external to the recording apparatus and enables the atmosphere around the liquid receptacle to be sucked,

wherein the holding unit is disposed upstream of the suction unit in an air flow path,

wherein the heating unit includes a first heater unit located upstream from the recording head, a second heater unit opposing the recording head, and a third heater unit downstream from the recording head,

wherein air sucked by the suction unit is provided into the third heater unit.