Recording apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9150035-B2
Application number	US-201414168194-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2014
Priority date	Jan 31, 2013
Publication date	Oct 6, 2015
Grant date	Oct 6, 2015

Abstract

A support member includes first portions. At least one of upstream and downstream guides includes second portions. The first and second portions are arranged in an orthogonal direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction. Each of the first and second portions extends in the conveyance direction and includes a support surface for supporting the recording medium. At least one of the first portions is positioned between two second portions of the second portions in the orthogonal direction. The two second portions are adjacent to each other in the orthogonal direction. Each of the first portions is at a different position from each of the second portions with respect to the orthogonal direction. Each of the first portions overlaps the second portions with respect to the conveyance direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A recording apparatus, comprising:
a head including an ejection surface on which a plurality of ejection openings for ejecting liquid are formed;
a conveyor configured to convey a recording medium toward a space which opposes the ejection surface;
a support member configured to support the recording medium in the space;
a moving mechanism configured to move the support member in a conveyance direction in which the recording medium is conveyed by the conveyor to cause the support member to take an opposing position at which the support member opposes the ejection surface and a retracting position at which the support member does not oppose the ejection surface;
an upstream guide positioned upstream of the head in the conveyance direction and configured to support the recording medium; and
a downstream guide positioned downstream of the head in the conveyance direction and configured to support the recording medium;
wherein:
the support member includes a plurality of first portions arranged in an orthogonal direction which is orthogonal to the conveyance direction, each of the first portions extending in the conveyance direction and including a support surface for supporting the recording medium;
at least one of the upstream and downstream guides includes a plurality of second portions arranged in the orthogonal direction, each of the second portions extending in the conveyance direction and including a support surface for supporting the recording medium;
at least two of the first portions are positioned between adjacent two second portions of the second portions, the two adjacent second portions being adjacent to each other in the orthogonal direction;
each of the first portions is at a different position from each of the second portions with respect to the orthogonal direction;
each of the first portions overlaps the second portions with respect to the conveyance direction; and
with respect to the orthogonal direction, a distance between one of the first portions and one of the second portions adjacent to each other is smaller than a half of a distance between the two adjacent second portions.

2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1 ;
wherein each of the first portions includes a first slope inclined upward from an upstream end of the first portion in the conveyance direction toward a downstream direction of the conveyance direction.

3. The recording apparatus according to claim 1 ;
wherein:
each of the first portions includes a first side face being along the conveyance direction;
each of the second portions includes a second side face being along the conveyance direction; and
at least a part of each first side face contacts the corresponding second side face when the support member moves between the opposing position and the retracting position.

4. The recording apparatus according to claim 1 ;
wherein:
the second portions include a plurality of upstream second portions provided to the upstream guide, and a plurality of downstream second portions provided to the downstream guide; and
the upstream second portions are respectively at same positions as the downstream second portions with respect to the orthogonal direction.

5. The recording apparatus according to claim 4 ;
wherein each of the downstream second portions includes a second slope inclined upward from an upstream end of the downstream second portion in the conveyance direction toward a downstream direction of the conveyance direction.

6. The recording apparatus according to claim 4 ;
wherein:
the moving mechanism is configured to move the support member upstream in the conveyance direction from the opposing position to the retracting position; and
each of upstream ends of the first portions in the conveyance direction is positioned on the same level as the upstream second portions or lower than the upstream second portions when the support member is at the opposing position.

7. The recording apparatus according to claim 4 ;
wherein:
the moving mechanism is configured to move the support member downstream in the conveyance direction from the opposing position to the retracting position; and
each of upstream ends of the downstream second portions in the conveyance direction is positioned on the same level as the first portions or lower than the first portions when the support member is at the opposing position.

8. The recording apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a maintenance unit configured to conduct a maintenance operation when the support member is at the retracting position, the maintenance unit being positioned to oppose the ejection surface with the support member interposed between the maintenance unit and the ejection surface when the support member is at the opposing position.

9. The recording apparatus according to claim 8 ;
wherein the maintenance unit includes a cap which is configured to close the space which opposes the ejection surface.

10. The recording apparatus according to claim 8 ;
wherein the maintenance unit includes a receiver which is configured to receive the liquid discharged from the ejection openings.

11. The recording apparatus according to claim 1 ;
wherein, with respect to the orthogonal direction, a distance between two of the first portions which are adjacent to each other with one of the second portions interposed therebetween is smaller than a distance between two of the first portions which are positioned between the two adjacent second potions.

12. A recording apparatus, comprising:
a head including an ejection surface on which a plurality of ejection openings for ejecting liquid are formed;
a conveyor configured to convey a recording medium toward a space which opposes the ejection surface;
a support member configured to support the recording medium in the space;
a moving mechanism configured to move the support member in a conveyance direction in which the recording medium is conveyed by the conveyor to cause the support member to take an opposing position at which the support member opposes the ejection surface and a retracting position at which the support member does not oppose the ejection surface;
an upstream guide positioned upstream of the head in the conveyance direction and configured to support the recording medium; and
a downstream guide positioned downstream of the head in the conveyance direction and configured to support the recording medium;
wherein:
the support member includes a plurality of first portions arranged in an orthogonal direction which is orthogonal to the conveyance direction, each of the first portions extending in the conveyance direction and including a support surface for supporting the recording medium;
at least one of the upstream and downstream guides includes a plurality of second portions arranged in the orthogonal direction, each of the second portions extending in the conveyance direction and including a support surface for supporting the recording medium;
at least one of the first portions is positioned between two adjacent second portions of the second portions, the two adjacent second portions being adjacent to each other in the orthogonal direction;
each of the first portions is at a different position from each of the second portions with respect to the orthogonal direction;
each of the first portions overlaps the second portions with respect to the conveyance direction;
the second portions include a plurality of upstream second portions provided to the upstream guide, and a plurality of downstream second portions provided to the downstream guide;
the upstream second portions are respectively at same positions as t

Assignees

• Murakami Kenji
• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Murakami Kenji

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