Movable assembly and printing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11890865-B2
Application number	US-202217709983-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2022
Priority date	Mar 31, 2021
Publication date	Feb 6, 2024
Grant date	Feb 6, 2024

Abstract

A movable assembly configured to move a table in a first direction is provided. The movable assembly includes a first link member including a first elongated member and a second elongated member coupled in an X formation, a second link member including a third elongated member and a fourth elongated member coupled in the X formation, a first frame member, a second frame member, and a rotatable member being a threaded rod. The first frame member includes a first supporting portion and a first guiding portion, which support ends of the first, second, third, and fourth elongated members on one side rotatably. The second frame member includes a second supporting portion and a second guiding portion, which support other ends of the first, second, third, and fourth elongated members located on the other side movably in the third direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A movable assembly configured to move a table in a first direction, comprising:
a first link member including a first elongated member and a second elongated member coupled in an X formation pivotably with respect to each other, the first link member being expandable and contractable in the first direction;
a second link member including a third elongated member and a fourth elongated member coupled in the X formation pivotably with respect to each other, the second link member being expandable and contractable in the first direction, the third elongated member being arranged to face the first elongated member in a second direction, the second direction intersecting with the first direction, the fourth elongated member being arranged to face the second elongated member in the second direction;
a first frame member, on which one end, in the first direction, of the first link member and one end, in the first direction, of the second link member are located;
a second frame member, on which the other end, in the first direction, of the first link member and the other end, in the first direction, of the second link member are located, the second frame member supporting the table thereon, the table being positioned opposite to the first frame member with respect to the second frame member in the first direction, the second frame member including an engagement part; and
a rotatable member being a threaded rod, the rotatable member being engaged with the engagement part, the rotatable member being configured to move the second frame member and the table in the first direction by its rotation,
wherein the first frame member includes:
a first supporting portion supporting one end, in a third direction, of the first elongated member in the first link member and one end, in the third direction, of the third elongated member rotatably, the third direction intersecting with the first direction and the second direction; and
a first guiding portion supporting one end, in the third direction, of the second elongated member in the first link member and one end, in the third direction, of the fourth elongated member in the second link member movably in the third direction,

wherein the second frame member includes:
a second supporting portion supporting the other end, in the third direction, of the second elongated member in the first link member and the other end, in the third direction, of the fourth elongated member in the second link member rotatably; and
a second guiding portion supporting the other end, in the third direction, of the first elongated member in the first link member and the other end, in the third direction, of the third elongated member in the second link member movably in the third direction.

2. The movable assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein each of the first elongated member and the second elongated member in the first link member and each of the third elongated member and the fourth elongated member in the second link member has a tapered shape, in which a width thereof is reduced from a lengthwise center toward each lengthwise end.

3. The movable assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein the engagement part is arranged at one end, in the third direction, of the second frame member closer to the first supporting portion and the second supporting portion than the first guiding portion and the second guiding portion in the third direction.

4. The movable assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an extending member extending in the first direction; and
a guiding member arranged at one end, in the third direction, of the second frame member closer to the first supporting portion and the second supporting portion than the first guiding portion and the second guiding portion in the third direction, the guiding member being configured to retain the extending member and guide the extending member moving in the first direction relatively to the guiding member.

5. The movable assembly according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a first plate member connected to the first frame member at one end, in the third direction, of the first frame member closer to the first supporting portion and the second supporting portion than the first guiding portion and the second guiding portion in the third direction, the first plate member being a plate spreading in the second direction and the third direction, the first plate member retaining one end, in the first direction, of the extending member;
a second plate member connected to the second frame member at the other end, in the third direction, of the second frame member, the second plate member being a plate spreading in the first direction and the second direction, the second plate member including a bent part, the bent part being a part of the second plate member located at one end, in the first direction, of the second plate member closer to the table than the first frame member and bent toward the one end, in the third direction, of the second frame member, the bent part retaining the other end, in the first direction, of the extending member: and
a third plate member being a bent plate, the third plate member connecting the first plate member and the second plate member.

6. The movable assembly according to claim 5 , wherein the first plate member includes a bearing, the bearing supporting the rotatable member rotatably.

7. The movable assembly according to claim 5 , further comprising a driving device arranged on the first plate member, the driving device being configured to apply a driving force for rotation to the rotatable member.

8. The movable assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising
a first shaft member, a second shaft member, a third shaft member, and a fourth shaft member, each of which is a rod extending in the second direction,
wherein the first supporting portion and the second supporting portion are round holes engaged with the first shaft member and the second shaft member, respectively, and
wherein the first guiding portion and the second guiding portion are elongated holes engaged with the third shaft member and the fourth shaft member, respectively.

9. The movable assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second frame member includes at least:
a first frame part extending in the second direction, the first frame part having the engagement part engaged with the rotatable member;
a pair of second frame parts, one and the other of which extend from one and the other ends of the first frame part in the second direction, respectively, in the third direction extending away from the engagement part, each of the pair of second frame parts having the second supporting portion and the second guiding portion.

10. The movable assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein the rotatable member is a trapezoidal thread, of which thread is in a trapezoidal form.

11. A printing apparatus, comprising:
a movable assembly configured to move a table in a first direction, the movable assembly comprising:
a first link member including a first elongated member and a second elongated member coupled in an X formation pivotably with respect to each other, the first link member being expandable and contractable in the first direction;
a second link member including a third elongated member and a fourth elongated member coupled in the X formation pivotably with respect to each other, the second link member being expandable and contractable in the first direction, the third elongated member being arranged to face the first elongated member in a second direction, the second direction intersecting with the first direction, the fourth elongated member being arranged to face the second elongated member

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Kobayashi Akihiro
• Takeda Kengo
• Akimatsu Takayuki
• Nishimoto Takahiro

Classifications

• B41J11/06 Primary

  Flat page-size platens {or smaller flat platens having a greater size than line-size platens (B41J11/0085 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B41J11/00214

  using UV radiation · CPC title

• B41J11/20

  Platen adjustments for varying the strength of impression, for a varying number of papers, for wear or for alignment {, or for print gap adjustment} · CPC title

• B66F7/025

  screw operated · CPC title