Transport device and droplet ejecting device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12522011-B2
Application number	US-202318171916-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2023
Priority date	Feb 21, 2022
Publication date	Jan 13, 2026
Grant date	Jan 13, 2026

Abstract

A transport unit includes a glue belt, a cleaning unit, and a support unit. The glue belt can transport a medium. The cleaning unit can clean the glue belt with a cleaning liquid. The support unit includes a support surface capable of supporting a sponge that comes into contact with the glue belt cleaned by the cleaning unit. At least one opening is provided in the support surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A transport device comprising:
a transport member configured to transport a medium; a cleaning unit configured to clean the transport member with a liquid; a support unit including a support surface configured to support a sponge that comes into contact with the transport member cleaned by the cleaning unit; a shaft member that includes an outer peripheral surface facing an inner peripheral surface of the support unit and that is configured to rotatably support the support unit; and a negative pressure generating unit coupled to the shaft member and configured to generate a negative pressure inside the shaft member by reducing an air volume in an inside space of the shaft member, wherein at least one opening is provided in the support surface, and both ends of the shaft member along a longitudinal axis of the shaft member are closed.

2 . The transport device according to claim 1 , wherein
the support unit is the shaft member and the sponge is provided on an outer periphery of the shaft member, is pressed against the transport member, and is configured to be driven to rotate with respect to the transport member.

3 . The transport device according to claim 2 , wherein
the shaft member is a tubular member including the inner peripheral surface, a squeezing member configured to squeeze the sponge by pressing the sponge are provided, at least one communication port brought into communication with the at least one opening as the shaft member rotates is provided in the outer peripheral surface, and when a region of the outer peripheral surface aligned with the squeezing member in a radial direction of the shaft member is referred to as a first region and a region of the outer peripheral surface shifted in a rotational direction of the shaft member with respect to the first region is referred to as a second region, the communication port is provided in the second region.

4 . The transport device according to claim 3 , wherein
the shaft member is a tubular member, and the communication port allows communication between an inside and an outside of the shaft member.

5 . The transport device according to claim 1 , wherein
the support unit includes a chamber and a suction unit configured to suck a gas inside the chamber is included.

6 . The transport device according to claim 1 , wherein
the negative pressure generating unit includes a fan configured to rotate to absorb the air volume from the inside space of the shaft member.

7 . The transport device according to claim 1 , wherein
absorption of the air volume is performed to an extent that a part of the sponge expands into the at least one opening.

8 . A droplet ejecting device comprising:
an ejecting unit configured to eject a droplet on a medium; a transport member configured to transport the medium; a cleaning unit configured to clean the transport member with a liquid; a support unit including a support surface configured to support a sponge that comes into contact with the transport member cleaned by the cleaning unit; a shaft member that includes an outer peripheral surface facing an inner peripheral surface of the support unit and that is configured to rotatably support the support unit; and a negative pressure generating unit configured to generate a negative pressure inside the shaft member is provided, wherein at least one opening is provided in the support surface, and both ends of the shaft member along a longitudinal axis of the shaft member are closed.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Sato Koji
• Nishizawa Shuhei
• Horikawa Yoshihisa

Classifications

• B41J15/048

  Conveyor belts or like feeding devices (B41J11/007 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65G45/18

  comprising brushes · CPC title

• B08B1/20

  Cleaning of moving articles, e.g. of moving webs or of objects on a conveyor · CPC title

• B41J11/007

  Conveyor belts or like feeding devices · CPC title

• B41J29/17 Primary

  Cleaning arrangements · CPC title