Printing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10029488-B2
Application number	US-201615358247-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2016
Priority date	Nov 30, 2015
Publication date	Jul 24, 2018
Grant date	Jul 24, 2018

Abstract

A printing apparatus includes a transport drive roller that transports a medium, a roller support unit that supports the transport drive roller on one side in a first direction, a base member that supports the roller support unit on the one side in the first direction, and a first fulcrum portion via which the roller support unit and the base member are made to contact each other. The roller support unit is configured so as to pivot upon the first fulcrum portion about an axis oriented in the first direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printing apparatus comprising:
a transport roller that transports a medium;
a roller support unit that supports the transport roller on one side in a first direction;
a base member that supports the roller support unit on the one side in the first direction; and
a first fulcrum portion via which the roller support unit and the base member are made to contact each other,
wherein the roller support unit is configured so as to pivot upon the first fulcrum portion about an axis oriented in the first direction.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first fulcrum portion is provided on the roller support unit, and a region of the first fulcrum portion to contact the base member is formed in a spherical shape.

3. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first fulcrum portion is provided on the base member, and a region of the first fulcrum portion to contact the roller support unit is formed in a spherical shape.

4. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the roller support unit includes a second fulcrum portion that contacts the base member at a different position from the first fulcrum portion, so as to pivot upon the second fulcrum portion about an axis oriented in a second direction intersecting the first direction.

5. The printing apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the second fulcrum portion is formed such that a cross-section of a region to contact the base member has an arcuate shape when viewed in the second direction.

6. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the roller support unit includes a rotatable bearing unit and a bearing retainer unit that supports the bearing unit, and
the transport roller is supported by the bearing unit.

7. The printing apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the bearing unit includes a first bearing and a second bearing that support the transport roller at different positions, and
the roller support unit is caused to pivot when the first bearing and the second bearing are made to contact the transport roller.

8. The printing apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the bearing unit is inserted in an insertion direction coinciding with a direction in which the bearing unit is subjected to force from the transport roller, so as to be supported by the bearing retainer unit.

9. The printing apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the bearing unit includes a first bearing and a second bearing that support the transport roller at different positions,
the bearing retainer unit includes a first bearing retainer and a second bearing retainer in which the bearings are respectively inserted, and
the first bearing is inserted in a first insertion direction to be supported by the first bearing retainer, and the second bearing is inserted in a second insertion direction different from the first insertion direction, to be supported by the second bearing retainer.

10. The printing apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the bearing unit includes a first bearing and a second bearing that support the transport roller at different positions, and the first bearing and the second bearing are deviated from each other in the first direction.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Murotani Tomoya
• Miyazaki Kenichi
• Yanagidaira Naotoshi

Classifications

• B41J11/04 Primary

  Roller platens · CPC title

• B41J13/025 Primary

  Special roller holding or lifting means, e.g. for temporarily raising one roller of a pair of nipping rollers for inserting printing material · CPC title

• B41J15/04 Primary

  Supporting, feeding, or guiding devices; Mountings for web rolls or spindles · CPC title

• B41J2/01

  Ink jet · CPC title