阅读说明：本技术 记录装置 (Recording apparatus ) 是由 蛭间大辅 于 2020-02-19 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及记录装置。在安装线性标尺时,由于制造构成部时的尺寸公差,安装后的标尺长度发生变化,因此在每个装置中移动部的移动量检测的精度有时产生偏差。本发明的记录装置具备：介质支承部,用于支承介质；喷出部,朝向被介质支承部支承的介质喷出液体；移动部,具备喷出部,能够相对于介质支承部相对地沿第一轴方向移动；至少一个线性标尺,沿第一轴方向形成有刻度,并在沿第一轴方向的方向上被施加张力；检测部,通过在与移动部一起相对于介质支承部相对地沿第一轴方向移动的同时读取至少一个线性标尺的刻度,从而检测移动部的移动量；以及长度调节部,通过调节张力,调节第一轴方向上的线性标尺的长度。(The present invention relates to a recording apparatus. When the linear scale is attached, the length of the scale after attachment varies due to dimensional tolerances in manufacturing the components, and therefore, the accuracy of detecting the amount of movement of the moving part may vary among apparatuses. A recording device of the present invention includes: a medium support portion for supporting a medium; a discharge unit that discharges a liquid toward the medium supported by the medium support unit; a moving unit including a discharge unit, the moving unit being movable in a first axial direction relative to the medium support unit; at least one linear scale formed with a scale in a first axis direction and applied with a tension in a direction in the first axis direction; a detection section that detects a movement amount of the moving section by reading a scale of at least one linear scale while moving together with the moving section in a first axial direction relative to the medium support section; and a length adjusting section that adjusts the length of the linear scale in the first axis direction by adjusting the tension.)

1. A recording apparatus is characterized by comprising:

a medium support portion for supporting a medium;

a discharge unit that discharges a liquid toward the medium supported by the medium support unit;

a moving unit including the ejection unit and being movable in a first axial direction relative to the medium support unit;

at least one linear scale formed with a scale in the first axis direction and applied with a tension in a direction in the first axis direction;

a detection section that detects a movement amount of the moving section by reading a scale of the at least one linear scale while moving in the first axial direction together with the moving section relative to the medium support section; and

a length adjusting section that adjusts a length of the linear scale in the first axis direction by adjusting the tension.

2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1,

the at least one linear scale comprises a first linear scale and a second linear scale,

the length adjustment unit adjusts at least one of a length of the first linear scale and a length of the second linear scale.

3. Recording device according to claim 1 or 2,

the recording device includes:

a fixing member provided so as to be fixed in position in the first axial direction, and to which a first end portion, which is one end portion in the first axial direction of the at least one linear scale, is attached; and

a moving member provided movably in the first axial direction and having a second end portion, which is an end portion of the at least one linear scale opposite to the first end portion in the first axial direction, attached thereto,

the length adjustment portion adjusts a position of the moving member in the first axis direction.

4. The recording apparatus according to claim 3,

the second end portion is attached to the moving member via an elastic member having elasticity in a direction along the first axis direction.

5. The recording apparatus according to claim 3,

at least one of the fixed member and the movable member is adjustable in position in a second axial direction intersecting the first axial direction.

6. The recording apparatus according to claim 1,

the moving unit is a carriage that moves in the width direction along the short side of the medium support unit as the first axial direction.

7. The recording apparatus according to claim 1,

the moving unit is a frame that moves in the longitudinal direction along the long side of the medium support unit as the first axial direction.

8. The recording apparatus according to claim 6,

when a direction intersecting the first axial direction is defined as a second axial direction, the recording apparatus includes:

a frame that moves in a longitudinal direction along a long side of the medium support unit as the second axis direction;

at least one second linear scale formed with graduations in the second axis direction and applied with tension in a direction along the second axis direction;

a second detection portion that detects an amount of movement of the chassis by reading a scale of the at least one second linear scale while moving in the second axis direction relatively to the medium support portion together with the chassis; and

a second length adjustment portion that adjusts a length of the at least one second linear scale in the second axis direction by adjusting the tension.

9. The recording apparatus according to claim 7,

when a direction intersecting the first axial direction is defined as a second axial direction, the recording apparatus includes:

a carriage that moves in a width direction along a short side of the medium support portion as the second axis direction;

at least one second linear scale formed with graduations in the second axis direction and applied with tension in a direction along the second axis direction;

a second detection portion that detects a movement amount of the carriage by reading a scale of the at least one second linear scale while moving in the second axis direction relatively to the medium support portion together with the carriage; and

a second length adjustment portion that adjusts a length of the at least one second linear scale in the second axis direction by adjusting the tension.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a recording apparatus that records on a medium.

Background

Some recording apparatuses that perform recording on a medium eject ink (liquid) onto the medium while moving a recording head relative to the medium, thereby performing recording on the medium.

For example, patent document 1 discloses a recording apparatus that performs recording by moving a recording head in a Y-axis direction and in an X-axis direction simultaneously.

In the recording apparatus described in patent document 1, a print head 20 as a recording head is provided on a Y-bar 30 as a moving portion movable in an X-axis direction, and the recording apparatus includes a linear encoder as a detecting portion for detecting a moving amount of the moving portion in the X-axis direction and a linear scale read by the linear encoder. In patent document 1, linear scales are denoted by reference numerals 50a and 50b, and linear encoders are denoted by reference numerals 51a and 51 b.

As shown in patent document 2, a first end portion which is one end portion of the linear scale is fixed to the mounting member, and a second end portion which is an end portion opposite to the first end portion is pressed in a direction away from the first end portion by an elastic member such as a spring, whereby the linear scale is mounted to the mounting member in a state where tension is applied to the linear scale. In patent document 2, the elastic member is a coil spring 40, and the mounting member is the guide rail 20.

In the linear scale mounting structure described in patent document 2, the length of the linear scale mounted on the mounting member varies due to dimensional tolerances in manufacturing the components such as the linear scale, the elastic member, and the mounting member, and therefore, the accuracy of detecting the amount of movement of the moving portion may vary for each device. In particular, in a large-sized recording apparatus, since the length of the linear scale is also increased, tolerances are accumulated, and variations in accuracy are likely to increase.

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2011-42087

Patent document 2: japanese patent application laid-open No. 2002-54918

Disclosure of Invention

A recording apparatus according to the present invention for solving the above-described problems includes: a medium support portion for supporting a medium; a discharge unit that discharges a liquid toward the medium supported by the medium support unit; a moving unit including the ejection unit and being movable in a first axial direction relative to the medium support unit; at least one linear scale formed with a scale in the first axis direction and applied with a tension in a direction in the first axis direction; a detection section that detects a movement amount of the moving section by reading a scale of the at least one linear scale while moving in the first axial direction together with the moving section relative to the medium support section; and a length adjusting section that adjusts the length of the linear scale in the first axis direction by adjusting the tension.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view of a recording apparatus according to a first embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view of the recording apparatus according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing a recording apparatus according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along line I-I of fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating a mounting structure of the third linear scale.

Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating a mounting structure of the first linear scale and the second linear scale.

Description of the reference numerals

1 … recording device; 2 … media support; 3 … recording head (ejection part); 4 … chassis (moving part); 5 … carriage (moving part); 10. 10a, 10b … first movement mechanism; 11a … first motor; 11b … second motor; 12a … first drive roller; 12b … second drive roller; 13a … a first driven roller; 13b … second driven roller; 14a … first drive belt; 14b … second belt; 15a … first linear scale; 15b … second linear scale; 16a … first encoder; 16b … second encoder; 17a … first drive belt mounting portion; 17b … second belt mounting portion; 18a … first frame; 18b … second frame; 20 … second moving mechanism; 21 … carriage motor; 22 … drive roller; 23 … driven rollers; 24 … belt; 25 … third linear scale; 26 … third encoder; 27 … carriage belt mount; 28 … a third frame; 30 … control section; 31 … CPU; 32 … system bus; 33 … ROM; 34 … RAM; 35 … head control part; 36 … a receiving portion; 37 … motor control part; 38 … input-output section; 40 … computer (PC); 41 … a first mounting member; 42 … securing element; 43 … moving parts; 44 … length adjustment; 45 … a bracket; 46 … a fixed unit; 47 … spring member (elastic member); 48 … screw members; 51 … second mounting member; 52 … securing the component; 53 … moving parts; 54 … a length adjustment; 55 … a bracket; 56 … fixing unit; a 57 … spring member (elastic member); 58 … screw member; 61 … third mounting member; 62 … securing element; 63 … moving parts; 64 … length adjustment; 65 … a bracket; 66 … a fixed unit; 67 … spring member (elastic member); 68 … screw members; p … medium.

Detailed Description

The present invention is schematically described below.

A recording apparatus according to a first aspect is characterized by comprising: a medium support portion for supporting a medium; a discharge unit that discharges a liquid toward the medium supported by the medium support unit; a moving unit including the ejection unit and being movable in a first axial direction relative to the medium support unit; at least one linear scale formed with a scale in the first axis direction and applied with a tension in a direction in the first axis direction; a detection section that detects a movement amount of the moving section by reading a scale of the at least one linear scale while moving in the first axial direction together with the moving section relative to the medium support section; and a length adjusting section that adjusts the length of the linear scale in the first axis direction by adjusting the tension.

According to the present aspect, the length of the linear scale in the first axis direction can be adjusted by the length adjusting portion that adjusts the length of the linear scale in the first axis direction by adjusting the tension. Therefore, it is possible to adjust the length deviation of the linear scale in the first axis direction due to the dimensional tolerance of the linear scale or each constituent portion, and to stabilize the detection accuracy of the detection portion.

A second aspect is based on the first aspect, wherein the at least one linear scale includes a first linear scale and a second linear scale, and the length adjustment portion adjusts at least one of a length of the first linear scale and a length of the second linear scale.

In the case where two linear scales are arranged in parallel with respect to one moving portion, the tilt of the moving portion with respect to the X axis can be suppressed by matching the phases of the two linear scales, but if the lengths of the two linear scales mounted on the apparatus are different from each other, the phases of the two linear scales do not match, and the moving portion may tilt.

According to the present invention, the at least one linear scale includes a first linear scale and a second linear scale, and the length adjusting section adjusts at least one of the length of the first linear scale and the length of the second linear scale, so that the length of one or both of the first linear scale and the second linear scale can be adjusted to match the lengths of the first linear scale and the second linear scale. This makes it possible to align the phases of the first linear scale and the second linear scale, thereby achieving stable movement of the moving unit.

The third aspect is based on the first aspect or the second aspect, and is characterized in that: the recording device includes: a fixing member provided so as to be fixed in position in the first axial direction, and to which a first end portion, which is one end portion in the first axial direction of the at least one linear scale, is attached; and a moving member provided movably in the first axial direction, and to which a second end portion, which is an end portion of the at least one linear scale opposite to the first end portion in the first axial direction, is attached, the length adjusting portion adjusting a position of the moving member in the first axial direction.

According to the present aspect, the structure can be simplified to adjust the tension of the linear scale, and the length of the linear scale can be adjusted.

The fourth aspect is characterized in that, on the basis of the third aspect: the second end portion is attached to the moving member via an elastic member having elasticity in a direction along the first axis direction.

According to the present invention, since the second end portion is attached to the moving member via the elastic member having elasticity in the direction along the first axis direction, the tension on the linear scale can be stably adjusted.

A fifth aspect is based on the third aspect or the fourth aspect, characterized in that: at least one of the fixed member and the movable member is adjustable in position in a second axial direction intersecting the first axial direction.

According to the present aspect, the tilt of the linear scale can be adjusted.

A sixth aspect is based on any one of the first to fifth aspects, characterized in that: the moving unit is a carriage that moves in the width direction along the short side of the medium support unit as the first axial direction.

According to the present aspect, in the recording apparatus in which the moving section is a carriage that moves in the width direction of the short side of the medium support section as the first axial direction, the same operational effects as in any one of the first to fifth aspects can be obtained.

A seventh aspect is based on any one of the first to fifth aspects, characterized in that: the moving unit is a frame that moves in the longitudinal direction along the long side of the medium support unit as the first axial direction.

According to the present invention, in the recording apparatus in which the moving section is a carriage that moves in the longitudinal direction along the long side of the medium support section as the first axial direction, the same operational effects as in any one of the first to fifth aspects can be obtained.

The eighth aspect is, on the basis of the sixth aspect, characterized in that: when a direction intersecting the first axial direction is defined as a second axial direction, the recording apparatus includes: a frame that moves in a longitudinal direction along a long side of the medium support unit as the second axis direction; at least one second linear scale formed with graduations in the second axis direction and applied with tension in a direction along the second axis direction; a second detection portion that detects an amount of movement of the chassis by reading a scale of the at least one second linear scale while moving in the second axis direction relatively to the medium support portion together with the chassis; and a second length adjusting part adjusting a length of the at least one second linear scale in the second axis direction by adjusting the tension.

According to the present aspect, the length of the second linear scale in the second axis direction after being mounted on the apparatus can be adjusted by the second length adjusting portion that adjusts the length of the at least one second linear scale in the second axis direction by adjusting the tension. Therefore, it is possible to adjust the length deviation of the second linear scale in the second axis direction after the second linear scale is attached to the apparatus due to the dimensional tolerance of the second linear scale and the components of the apparatus, and to stabilize the detection accuracy of the second detection unit with respect to the movement amount of the carriage.

A ninth aspect is based on the seventh aspect, and is characterized in that: when a direction intersecting the first axial direction is defined as a second axial direction, the recording apparatus includes: a carriage that moves in a width direction along a short side of the medium support portion as the second axis direction; at least one second linear scale formed with graduations in the second axis direction and applied with tension in a direction along the second axis direction; a second detection portion that detects a movement amount of the carriage by reading a scale of the at least one second linear scale while moving in the second axis direction relatively to the medium support portion together with the carriage; and a second length adjusting part adjusting a length of the at least one second linear scale in the second axis direction by adjusting the tension.

According to the present aspect, the length of the second linear scale in the second axis direction after being mounted on the apparatus can be adjusted by the second length adjusting portion that adjusts the length of the at least one second linear scale in the second axis direction by adjusting the tension. Therefore, it is possible to adjust the length deviation of the second linear scale in the second axis direction after the second linear scale is attached to the apparatus due to the dimensional tolerance of the second linear scale and the components of the apparatus, and to stabilize the detection accuracy of the carriage movement amount by the second detection unit.

First embodiment

Hereinafter, a first embodiment of a recording apparatus will be described with reference to the drawings. In the X-Y-Z coordinate system shown in each drawing, the X-axis direction represents the device width direction, the Y-axis direction represents the device depth direction, and the Z-axis direction represents the device height direction.

Fig. 1 and 2 show schematic plan views of a recording apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. The recording apparatus 1 is an ink jet printer which ejects ink as a liquid from a recording head 3 described later and is capable of forming an image on a medium P.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the recording apparatus 1 includes a medium support 2 that supports a medium P, a recording head 3 that is an ejection portion that ejects ink toward the medium P supported by the medium support 2, and a carriage 4 that includes the recording head 3 and is movable in the Y-axis direction with respect to the medium support 2. The frame 4 can be said to be a moving part that moves in the first axis direction relative to the medium supporting part 2 with the Y axis direction as the first axis direction. The Y-axis direction is a longitudinal direction along the long side of the medium support 2 or the medium P.

Further, fig. 1 shows a state in which the chassis 4 is located at one end position in the Y-axis direction, i.e., the home position, and fig. 2 shows a state in which the chassis 4 is located at the opposite end of the home position.

In the present embodiment, the frame 4 may be configured to move with respect to the fixed-position medium support unit 2, but the medium support unit 2 may be configured to move with respect to the fixed-position frame 4.

The medium support portion 2 includes a support surface 2A that supports the medium P. The recording apparatus 1 is a so-called flat-type recording apparatus that records on a medium P in a state of being supported and fixed in position by a medium support portion 2. When the support surface 2A is viewed in plan, the length of the medium support portion 2 in the Y-axis direction is longer than the length of the medium support portion 2 in the X-axis direction. That is, the side of the medium support 2 in the X-axis direction is a short side, and the side of the medium support 2 in the Y-axis direction is a long side. The length of the medium support 2 in the X-axis direction and the length of the medium support 2 in the Y-axis direction are designed in consideration of the maximum value of the length of the medium P used in the X-axis direction and the maximum value of the length of the medium P used in the Y-axis direction.

The user can manually set the medium P on the medium support 2, or can be configured to set a medium conveyance mechanism, not shown, capable of extracting the roller-shaped medium P, for example, and extract the medium P onto the support surface 2A before recording is started.

As the medium P, special paper for ink jet recording such as plain paper, high quality paper, glossy paper, and the like can be used. As the medium P, for example, a plastic film on which an ink-receiving layer is not formed without surface treatment for inkjet printing, a medium in which a plastic is coated on a substrate such as paper, or a medium in which a plastic film is adhered can be used. The plastic is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, polystyrene, polyurethane, polyethylene, polypropylene, and the like.

Further, as the medium P, a material to be printed such as a fabric can be preferably used. The fabric includes woven fabrics, knitted fabrics, nonwoven fabrics and the like of natural fibers such as cotton, silk, wool and the like, chemical fibers such as nylon and the like, or composite fibers obtained by mixing these.

As the ink, for example, dye ink, pigment ink, or the like can be used. In addition, UV (Ultraviolet) ink that is cured by irradiation of Ultraviolet rays may be used. When the UV ink is used, the recording head 3 is provided with a UV light source, not shown, which cures the ink and fixes it to the medium P.

The recording head 3 is provided at a position facing the support region of the medium P in the medium support 2, and is capable of ejecting ink toward the support region. The recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is capable of printing an image by moving the carriage 5 in the Y-axis direction while reciprocating the carriage 4 in the X-axis direction intersecting the Y-axis direction, and discharging ink from the recording head 3 to a medium P to be conveyed.

Fig. 1 shows a state in which the carriage 5 is located at one end position in the X-axis direction, i.e., a home position, and fig. 2 shows a state in which the carriage 5 is located at an opposite end of the home position. The carriage 5 is a moving portion that is movable in the first axial direction relative to the medium support portion 2 with the X-axis direction as the first axial direction. The X-axis direction is a width direction along the short side of the medium support 2 or the medium P.

The recording apparatus 1 includes a first moving mechanism 10 that moves the carriage 4 in the Y-axis direction and a second moving mechanism 20 that moves the carriage 5 in the X-axis direction.

Moving mechanism for frame and carriage

Hereinafter, the first moving mechanism 10 and the second moving mechanism 20 will be described in order with reference mainly to fig. 1 and 2.

The first moving mechanism 10 includes a first moving mechanism 10a and a first moving mechanism 10b, and when fig. 1 and 2 are viewed from the front, the first moving mechanism 10a and the first moving mechanism 10b are provided one on each of both sides in the X-axis direction with the medium supporting unit 2 interposed therebetween.

The first moving mechanism 10a includes: a first motor 11a as a driving source, a first driving roller 12a driven and rotated by the first motor 11a, a first driven roller 13a rotated in accordance with the rotation of the first driving roller 12a, an annular first driving belt 14a wound around the first driving roller 12a and the first driven roller 13a, and a first linear scale 15a for detecting the amount of movement of the frame 4.

The first motor 11a, the first driving roller 12a, the first driven roller 13a, and the first linear scale 15a are provided on a first frame 18a extending in the Y-axis direction.

The first linear scale 15a is a linear scale, is provided with scale marks along the Y-axis direction, is attached to a first attachment member 41 (fig. 6) described later in a state where tension is applied in the Y-axis direction, and is provided on the first frame 18 a. Further, the Y-axis direction is a moving direction of the frame 4 as a moving portion that is moved by the first moving mechanism 10a, and is a first axis direction. In this case, the X-axis direction is a moving direction of the carriage 5 moved by the second moving mechanism 20a, and is a second axis direction intersecting the first axis direction.

The first moving mechanism 10b includes a second motor 11b, a second driving roller 12b, a second driven roller 13b, a second driving belt 14b, and a second linear scale 15b corresponding to the first motor 11a, the first driving roller 12a, the first driven roller 13a, the first driving belt 14a, and the first linear scale 15a of the first moving mechanism 10a, respectively, and has the same configuration as the first moving mechanism 10a, although detailed description thereof is omitted.

The second motor 11b, the second driving roller 12b, the second driven roller 13b, and the second linear scale 15b are provided on a second frame 18b extending in the Y-axis direction.

The second linear scale 15b is also a linear scale similar to the first linear scale 15a, has scale marks formed in the Y-axis direction, and is attached to a second attachment member 51 (fig. 6) described later in a state where tension is applied in the Y-axis direction, and is provided on the second frame 18 b. The structure in which the first linear scale 15a and the second linear scale 15b are attached to the first attachment member 41 and the second attachment member 51 will be described in detail later.

As shown in fig. 4, the frame 4 is attached to the first belt 14a and the second belt 14b via a first belt attachment portion 17a and a second belt attachment portion 17b provided at a lower portion of the frame 4, and moves in the Y-axis direction while moving integrally with the first belt 14a and the second belt 14b that are rotated by the power of the first motor 11a and the second motor 11 b. That is, the first belt mounting portion 17a is a member for mounting the frame 4 to the first belt 14a, and the second belt mounting portion 17b is a member for mounting the frame 4 to the second belt 14 b.

As shown in fig. 4, a first encoder 16a and a second encoder 16b for reading the respective scales of the first linear scale 15a and the second linear scale 15b are provided at a lower portion of the frame 4. The first encoder 16a and the second encoder 16b are detection units that detect the amount of movement of the carriage 4 by reading the scales of the first linear scale 15a and the second linear scale 15b while moving in the Y axis direction together with the carriage 4 relative to the medium support 2. More specifically, the position information of the gantry 4 and the moving speed of the gantry 4 are calculated from the scales read by the respective encoders, and the moving amount of the gantry 4 is calculated.

The first encoder 16a and the second encoder 16b may not have a function of calculating the position information of the rack 4 and the moving speed of the rack 4 from the scales read by the respective encoders. For example, the following structure is also possible: the first encoder 16a and the second encoder 16b output pulses corresponding to position information of the gantry 4 to a control unit 30 described later, and the control unit 30 calculates the position of the gantry 4 and the moving speed of the gantry 4 based on the pulses.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the second moving mechanism 20 includes: a carriage motor 21 as a driving source, a driving roller 22 driven and rotated by the carriage motor 21, a driven roller 23 rotated in accordance with the rotation of the driving roller 22, an endless belt 24 wound around the driving roller 22 and the driven roller 23, and a third linear scale 25 for detecting the amount of movement of the carriage 5.

The carriage motor 21, the drive roller 22, the driven roller 23, and the third linear scale 25 are provided on a third frame 28 extending in the Y-axis direction.

The third linear scale 25 is a linear scale having scale marks formed in the X-axis direction, and is attached to a third attachment member 61, which will be described later, in a state where tension is applied in the X-axis direction, and is provided on the third frame 28. The X-axis direction is the first axis direction of the carriage 5 as a moving portion moved by the second moving mechanism 20 a. In this case, the Y-axis direction is a moving direction of the frame 4 moved by the first moving mechanism 10a, and is a second axis direction intersecting the first axis direction. The first axis direction is a moving direction of the moving portion. The structure in which the third linear scale 25 is attached to the third attachment member 61 will be described in detail later.

As shown in fig. 4, the carriage 5 is attached to the transmission belt 24 via a carriage belt attachment portion 27, and moves in the X-axis direction while moving integrally with the transmission belt 24 rotated by the power of the carriage motor 21.

As shown in fig. 4, the carriage 5 is provided with a third encoder 26 that reads the scale of the third linear scale 25. The third encoder 26 is a detector that detects the amount of movement of the carriage 5 by reading the scale of the third linear scale 25 while moving in the X-axis direction together with the carriage 5 relative to the medium supporting portion 2. More specifically, the position information of the carriage 5 and the moving speed of the carriage 5 are calculated from the scale read by the third encoder 26, and the moving amount of the carriage 5 is calculated.

In connection with mounting of linear scales to devices

The following describes the mounting structure of the first linear scale 15a, the second linear scale 15b, and the third linear scale 25 in the recording apparatus 1. First, referring to fig. 5, the third linear scale 25 corresponding to the carriage 5 will be described as an example.

The third linear scale 25 is formed of a thin film of a resin material or the like. On the third linear scale 25, a scale printed in a state before mounting is formed. The third linear scale 25 includes attachment holes 25A and 25B at both side ends in the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction in fig. 5). The mounting hole 25A is provided at a first end C1 that is one end of the third linear scale 25 in the X-axis direction. The first end C1 is the end of the third linear scale 25 in the-X direction. The mounting hole 25B is provided at a second end C2 that is an end opposite to the first end C1 in the X-axis direction. The second end C2 is the + X direction end of the third linear scale 25.

The third attachment member 61 to which the third linear scale 25 is attached includes a fixed member 62 having a hook 62A to which the attachment hole 25A is hooked, and a moving member 63 having a hook 63A to which the second end C2 is attached. The mounting hole 25B may be directly hooked to the hook portion 63A, but in the present embodiment, the second end portion C2 is attached to the hook portion 63A of the moving member 63 via a spring member 67 that is an elastic member having elasticity in the direction along the X-axis direction.

The fixed member 62 and the moving member 63 are provided on the third frame 28. The moving member 63 is provided to the third frame 28 via a bracket 65 described later.

As described above, the third linear scale 25 is attached to the third attachment member 61 in a state where tension is applied in the X-axis direction. Specifically, the distance between the fixing member 62 and the moving member 63, which are respectively hooked to the attachment holes 25A and 25B at both ends of the third linear scale 25, is set to be a distance at which tension is applied to the third linear scale 25.

Here, when the distance between the fixed member 62 and the moving member 63 for applying a predetermined tension to the third linear scale 25 is set to a constant value, the length of the third linear scale 25 attached to the third attachment member 61 may vary due to dimensional tolerances in manufacturing various components such as the third linear scale 25, the fixed member 62, and the moving member 63. The length deviation of the third linear scale 25 affects the accuracy of the movement amount detection of the carriage 5.

In particular, in the case where the recording apparatus 1 is a large-sized apparatus, since the length of each linear scale is also increased, for example, tolerance is accumulated when the scale is formed on the linear scale, and variation in accuracy is likely to be increased. The large-scale recording apparatus has a linear scale having a length of 2m or more, for example.

Therefore, the recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is characterized by including a length adjusting section 64 that adjusts the length of the third linear scale 25 attached to the third attachment member 61 by adjusting the tension applied to the third linear scale 25.

Since the length of the third linear scale 25 attached to the third attachment member 61 can be adjusted by the length adjustment portion 64, it is possible to adjust the length deviation of the third linear scale 25 attached to the third attachment member 61 due to the dimensional tolerance of each component, and to stabilize the detection accuracy of the third encoder 26 as a counter encoder.

A structure in which the length of the third linear scale 25 is adjusted by the length adjusting section 64 will be described more specifically.

The fixing member 62 constituting the third mounting member 61 is provided so as to be fixed in position in the X-axis direction. The fixing member 62 is fixed to the third frame 28 by fixing means 66 such as screws shown in fig. 5.

Further, the moving member 63 constituting the third mounting member 61 is provided movably in the X-axis direction. The moving member 63 is provided to the third frame 28 via a bracket 65. For example, the position of the bracket 65 in the X-axis direction is fixed to the third frame 28 by the screw member 68. As shown in the lower drawing of fig. 5, the screw member 68 penetrates the moving member 63, the bracket 65, and the third frame 28. The hole portion 65B provided in the bracket 65 has a size corresponding to the shaft portion 68A of the screw member 68 in the X-axis direction, and restricts movement of the bracket 65 in the X-axis direction. On the other hand, the hole portion 63B provided to the moving member 63 is formed as an elongated hole long in the X-axis direction, and even if the screw member 68 is inserted, the moving member 63 can move in the X-axis direction within the range of the elongated hole of the hole portion 63B.

The length adjusting portion 64 is configured to adjust the position of the moving member 63 in the X-axis direction. The length adjustment portion 64 is formed as an adjustment screw that rotates the shaft portion 64A to adjust the position of the moving member 63 in the X-axis direction. The moving member 63 is provided at the tip of the shaft portion 64A so as to be fixed in position relative to the shaft portion 64A in the X-axis direction. The bracket 65 is provided with a screw hole 65A, and the screw hole 65A includes a screw groove, not shown, corresponding to the screw thread of the length adjuster 64. Thus, by rotating the length adjustment part 64, the length adjustment part 64 moves in the X-axis direction with respect to the holder 65, and the moving member 63 can be moved in the X-axis direction.

As described above, by adopting the structure in which the length adjustment portion 64 adjusts the position of the moving member 63 in the X-axis direction, the tension of the third linear scale 25 can be adjusted with a simple structure, thereby adjusting the length of the third linear scale 25.

Further, since the second end portion C2 of the third linear scale 25 is attached to the moving member 63 via the spring member 67, the spring member 67 absorbs the amount of movement of the moving member 63, and therefore, the tension on the third linear scale 25 can be stably adjusted as compared with a case where the third linear scale 25 is directly attached to the moving member 63.

As an example, the length of the third linear scale 25 can be specifically adjusted as follows.

First, the position of the carriage 5 at the home position (the position shown in fig. 1) is measured by a high-precision position detection unit such as a laser interferometer. The value read by the third encoder 26 on the third linear scale 25 at this time is set to zero.

Next, the carriage 5 is moved in the + X direction until the movement amount of the carriage 5 detected by the laser interferometer reaches a predetermined distance (for example, 1m), and after the carriage 5 is moved, the scale of the third linear scale 25 is read by the third encoder 26. The length of the third linear scale 25 is adjusted by the length adjusting section 64 so that the movement amount of the carriage 5 measured by the laser interferometer matches the read value of the third linear scale 25 by the third encoder 26.

In the present embodiment, the position of the moving member 63 in the Y-axis direction or the Z-axis direction with respect to the third mounting member 61 is configured to be adjustable. For example, the screw member 68 shown in fig. 5 is an adjustment screw, and the position of the bracket 65 in the Y-axis direction with respect to the third frame 28 can be adjusted. Further, as shown in the upper drawing of fig. 5, the hole portion 65B of the bracket 65 into which the screw member 68 is inserted is formed as an elongated hole long in the Z-axis direction, and even if the screw member 68 is inserted, the bracket 65 can be moved in the Z-axis direction within the range of the elongated hole of the hole portion 65B by a height adjustment mechanism, not shown.

By adjusting the position of the carriage 65, the position of the moving member 63 attached to the carriage 65 in the Y-axis direction or the Z-axis direction can be adjusted.

The position of the moving member 63 in both the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction other than the X-axis direction may be adjusted, but the position may be adjusted only in any one of the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction. Further, only the position of the moving member 63 in the X-axis direction may be adjusted. In this case, the length adjustment portion 64 and the moving member 63 may be directly attached to the third frame 28 by, for example, bending the end portion of the third frame 28 in the + X direction. That is, a structure in which the bracket 65 is omitted may be employed.

Further, the position of the fixing member 62 in the Y-axis direction or the Z-axis direction may be adjusted without adjusting the moving member 63. In addition, the positions of both the moving member 63 and the fixing member 62 in the Y-axis direction or the Z-axis direction can be adjusted.

Note that, when the X-axis direction, which is the extending direction of the third linear scale 25, is taken as the first axis direction, the Y-axis direction can be said to be the second axis direction intersecting the first axis direction. The Z-axis direction may be considered as a second axis direction intersecting the first axis direction.

Next, the first linear scale 15a and the second linear scale 15b corresponding to the carriage 4 will be described with reference to fig. 6. The first linear scale 15a and the second linear scale 15b are provided on the first frame 18a and the second frame 18b by a configuration substantially similar to that of the third linear scale 25. The first linear scale 15a is provided to the first frame 18a via the first mounting member 41. The second linear scale 15b is provided to the second frame 18b via the second mounting member 51.

The first mounting member 41 to which the first linear scale 15a is mounted includes a fixing member 42 and a moving member 43, the fixing member 42 is provided so as to be fixed in position in the Y axis direction, and a first end portion D1, which is one end portion of the first linear scale 15a in the Y axis direction, is mounted, and the moving member 43 is mounted with a second end portion D2, which is an end portion opposite to the first end portion D1 of the first linear scale 15a in the Y axis direction.

The fixing member 42 includes a hooking portion 42A that hooks the first end portion D1 of the first linear scale 15 a. The fixing member 42 is fixed to the first frame 18a by fixing means 46 such as screws.

The moving member 43 includes a hook 43A to which the second end D2 of the first linear scale 15a is attached via a spring member 47 as an elastic member.

The moving member 43 is provided to the first frame 18a via a bracket 45. For example, the position of the holder 45 in the Y-axis direction is fixed to the third frame 28 by the screw member 48.

Further, a length adjusting portion 44 is provided for adjusting the length of the first linear scale 15a attached to the first attachment member 41 by adjusting the tension of the first linear scale 15a, and the length adjusting portion 44 is configured to adjust the position of the moving member 43 in the Y axis direction.

The second mounting member 51 for mounting the second linear scale 15b on the second frame 18b is not described in detail, but includes the second mounting member 51, the fixed member 52, the moving member 53, the length adjusting portion 54, the bracket 55, the fixed unit 56, the spring member 57, and the screw member 58 corresponding to the first mounting member 41, the fixed member 42, the moving member 43, the length adjusting portion 44, the bracket 45, the fixed unit 46, the spring member 47, and the screw member 48 in the mounting structure of the first linear scale 15 a. The fixed member 52 has a hook portion 52A to which a first end E1, which is an end in the + Y direction of the second linear scale 15b, is attached, and the moving member 53 has a hook portion 53A to which a second end E2, which is an end in the-Y direction of the second linear scale 15b, is attached via a spring member 57.

In the case where two linear scales, i.e., the first linear scale 15a and the second linear scale 15b, are arranged in the same Y-axis direction with respect to the carriage 4, the phases of the two linear scales can be matched, thereby suppressing the tilt of the carriage 4 with respect to the X-axis. However, if the lengths of the first linear scale 15a attached to the first attachment member 41 and the second linear scale 15b attached to the second attachment member 51 are different from each other, the phases of the first linear scale 15a and the second linear scale 15b do not match, and the carriage 4 may be tilted with respect to the X-axis.

In the present embodiment, since the length adjusting portion 44 and the length adjusting portion 54 are provided for both the first linear scale 15a and the second linear scale 15b, the lengths of at least one of the first linear scale 15a and the second linear scale 15b can be adjusted to match the lengths of the first linear scale 15a and the second linear scale 15 b. This can align the phases of the first linear scale 15a and the second linear scale 15b, thereby achieving stable movement of the carriage 4.

Further, the length adjustment portion may be provided only on one of the first linear scale 15a and the second linear scale 15 b.

For example, the length of the first linear scale 15a and the second linear scale 15b may be specifically adjusted as follows.

First, the position of the gantry 4 located at the home position (the position shown in fig. 1) is measured by a high-precision position detection unit such as a laser interferometer. At this time, the reading value of the first linear scale 15a by the first encoder 16a and the reading value of the second linear scale 15b by the second encoder 16b are set to zero points of the two scales.

Next, the carriage 4 is moved in the + Y direction until the movement amount of the carriage 4 detected by the laser interferometer reaches a predetermined distance (for example, 1m), and after the carriage 4 is moved, the scales of the first linear scale 15a and the second linear scale 15b are read by the first encoder 16a and the second encoder 16 b. The length of the first linear scale 15a is adjusted by the length adjusting unit 44, and the length of the second linear scale 15b is adjusted by the length adjusting unit 54 so that the movement amount of the carriage 5 measured by the laser interferometer matches both the read value of the first linear scale 15a by the first encoder 16a and the read value of the second linear scale 15b by the second encoder 16 b.

Further, even if the adjustment is made so that the read value of the first encoder 16a on the first linear scale 15a matches the read value of the second encoder 16b on the second linear scale 15b, regardless of the matching with the movement amount of the carriage 5 measured by the laser interferometer, the phases of the first linear scale 15a and the second linear scale 15b can be matched.

Further, the first mounting member 41 or the second mounting member 51 may be configured to be able to adjust the position of the moving member 43 or the moving member 53 in the Y-axis direction or the Z-axis direction, for example.

The first frame 18a and the second frame 18b may be formed integrally with the medium support portion 2, for example. That is, the first linear scale 15a and the second linear scale 15b may be provided on the medium support 2.

Further, a configuration may be adopted in which two linear scales are provided to the carriage 5.

With regard to the electrical constitution

Next, an electrical configuration of the recording apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 3.

The recording apparatus 1 includes a control unit 30 that performs various controls in the recording apparatus 1. The control unit 30 is provided with a CPU31 that is responsible for overall control of the recording apparatus 1. The CPU31 is connected via a system bus 32 to a ROM33 that stores various control programs and the like executed by the CPU31 and a RAM34 that can temporarily store data.

The CPU31 is connected to a head control unit 35 for performing an operation of ejecting ink from the recording head 3 via the system bus 32.

The CPU31 is connected to a receiving unit 36 for receiving scale information of each linear scale read by the first encoder 16a, the second encoder 16b, and the third encoder 26, and a motor control unit 37 for driving the first motor 11a, the second motor 11b, and the carriage motor 21, via the system bus 32.

Further, the CPU31 is connected to the input/output unit 38 via the system bus 32, and the input/output unit 38 may be connected to a PC40 serving as a computer for transmitting and receiving data such as recording data and signals.

In the present embodiment, the recording head 3 is formed in a serial type that performs recording while moving in the X-axis direction, but may be formed in a line head type that enables recording in a medium maximum width range while fixing the position of the recording head 3 in the X-axis direction. That is, a line head as a discharge portion may be provided on the carriage 4, and recording may be performed while the carriage 4 is moved in the Y-axis direction.

In addition, the following structure may be adopted: the recording apparatus 1 is not limited to a flat plate type, and is formed, for example, in a serial type that performs recording while moving in the X-axis direction, and performs recording on the medium P that is conveyed to the recording area of the recording head 3.

In the case where the carriage 5 is used as the moving portion, the first axis direction is the moving direction of the carriage 5, i.e., the X axis direction. At this time, when the Y-axis direction intersecting the X-axis direction, which is the first axis direction, is the second axis direction, the frame 4 moves in the longitudinal direction along the long side of the medium support 2, which is the second axis direction. The first linear scale 15a and the second linear scale 15b are second linear scales on which scales are formed in the second axis direction (Y axis direction) and tension is applied in the direction along the second axis direction. The second linear scale may be only one of the first linear scale 15a and the second linear scale 15 b. The first encoder 16a and the second encoder 16b are second detection units that detect the amount of movement of the frame 4 by reading the corresponding first linear scale 15a and the second linear scale 15 b. The length adjusting portions 44 and 54 are second length adjusting portions that adjust the lengths of the first linear scale 15a and the second linear scale 15b in the second axis direction (Y axis direction) by adjusting the tensions of the corresponding first linear scale 15a and second linear scale 15 b.

In the case where the frame 4 is used as the moving portion, the first axis direction is the moving direction of the frame 4, i.e., the Y axis direction. At this time, when the X-axis direction intersecting the Y-axis direction, which is the first axis direction, is the second axis direction, the carriage 5 moves in the width direction along the short side of the medium support portion 2, which is the second axis direction. The third linear scale 25 is a second linear scale on which a scale is formed in the second axis direction (X-axis direction) and tension is applied in the direction along the second axis direction. Other second linear scales different from the third linear scale 25 may also be provided. The third encoder 26 is a second detection unit that detects the amount of movement of the carriage 5 by reading the third linear scale 25. The length adjusting part 64 is a second length adjusting part that adjusts the length of the third linear scale 25 in the second axis direction (X axis direction) by adjusting the tension of the third linear scale 25.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention described in the claims, and these modifications are also included in the scope of the present invention.