Image recording apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9254977-B2
Application number	US-201414185271-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 20, 2014
Priority date	Nov 28, 2011
Publication date	Feb 9, 2016
Grant date	Feb 9, 2016

Abstract

An image recording apparatus includes a recording section which is provided over a transport passage for transporting a sheet in a transport direction and which has nozzles for discharging an ink onto the sheet; a platen which is provided under the recording section with the transport passage intervening therebetween and which has a plurality of ribs provided to support the sheet while being separated from each other in a widthwise direction of the transport passage perpendicular to the transport direction, the respective ribs protruding upwardly and extending in the transport direction; and a plurality of holding members which are provided to be positioned between the plurality of ribs in the widthwise direction of the transport passage over the platen on an upstream side in the transport direction from the nozzles and which abut against an upper surface of the sheet and press the sheet toward the platen.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image recording apparatus comprising:
a recording section that records an image on a sheet conveyed in a transport passage in a transport direction; and
a corrugate mechanism including a plurality of first sheet contact members extending into the transport passage, wherein the plurality of first sheet contact members are spaced apart from one another in a widthwise direction of the transport passage perpendicular to the transport direction,
wherein at least one of the first sheet contact members, provided at a central portion in the widthwise direction, is disposed at least partially upstream, in the transport direction, of all other first sheet contact members provided outside of the central portion in the widthwise direction.

2. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first sheet contact members includes a corresponding contact surface that contacts the sheet, and
wherein an upstream end of the one or more contact surfaces corresponding to the at least one of the first sheet contact members, provided at the central portion in the widthwise direction, is disposed upstream, in the transport direction, of upstream ends of the one or more contact surfaces corresponding to all other first sheet contact members.

3. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the corrugate mechanism further comprises a plurality of second sheet contact members,
wherein the first sheet contact members comprises one of:
a plurality of ribs provided to support the sheet while being separated from each other in the widthwise direction of the transport passage and that abut against a lower surface of the sheet when the sheet is conveyed to the corrugate mechanism; and
a plurality of holding members that are separated from each other in the widthwise direction and are disposed upstream of nozzles of the recording section in the transport direction and that abut against an upper surface of the sheet when the sheet is conveyed to the corrugate mechanism,

wherein the plurality of holding members include abutment portions that abut against the sheet, at least a portion of the abutment portions being positioned lower than upper ends of the plurality of ribs,
wherein the plurality of ribs include a first rib and a second rib that is provided farther from a center of the transport passage in the widthwise direction of the transport passage than the first rib,
wherein the plurality of holding members include a first holding member and a second holding member that is provided farther from the center of the transport passage in the widthwise direction of the transport passage than the first holding member,
wherein the second sheet contact members include another of the plurality of holding members and the plurality of ribs, and
wherein the plurality of holding members are positioned between the plurality of ribs in the widthwise direction.

4. The image recording apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the plurality of holding members are arranged so that at most one holding member of the plurality of holding members is positioned between each pair of adjacent ribs among the plurality of ribs in the widthwise direction.

5. The image recording apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein:
the abutment portions respectively include abutment surfaces that are capable of abutting against the sheet,
the first sheet contact members include the plurality of holding members, and
the plurality of holding members are disposed in a manner where an upstream end of the abutment surface of the first holding member is positioned upstream of an upstream end of the abutment surface of the second holding member in the transport direction.

6. The image recording apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein:
the abutment portions respectively include abutment surfaces that are capable of abutting against the sheet; and
all of the abutment surfaces and all of the ribs at least partially overlap when viewed in the widthwise direction of the transport passage.

7. The image recording apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein all downstream ends of the plurality of first sheet contact members in the transport direction are positioned at a same position in the transport direction.

8. The image recording apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein:
the plurality of holding members are constructed so that the abutment portions are elastically urged downward respectively, and each of the plurality of holding members press the sheet with a respective pressing force when the sheet is conveyed to the corrugate mechanism, and
the respective pressing force of each of at least one holding member positioned at a central region of the transport passage in the widthwise direction is greater than the respective pressing force of each of other holding members of the plurality of holding members.

9. The image recording apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the plurality of holding members are respectively attached to a support member provided over the transport passage, and an attachment position of the first holding member is located upstream of an attachment position of the second holding member in the transport direction.

10. The image recording apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the plurality of ribs respectively have inclined portions that are inclined upwardly from upstream ends in the transport direction.

11. The image recording apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein at least two ribs of the ribs are positioned between each pair of adjacent holding members of the plurality of holding members in the widthwise direction of the transport passage.

12. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the corrugate mechanism further comprises a plurality of second sheet contact members,
wherein the first sheet contact members comprise one of:
a plurality of lower abutment members spaced apart from each other in the widthwise direction and that abut against a lower surface of the sheet when the sheet is conveyed to the corrugate mechanism; and
a plurality of upper abutment members spaced apart from each other in the widthwise direction and that abut against an upper surface of the sheet when the sheet is conveyed to the corrugate mechanism,

wherein the plurality of lower abutment members form a corrugated shape in the sheet in conjunction with the plurality of upper abutment members,
wherein the plurality of lower abutment members include a first lower abutment member and a second lower abutment member provided farther from a center of the transport passage in the widthwise direction than the first lower abutment member,
wherein the plurality of upper abutment members include a first upper abutment member and a second upper abutment member provided farther from the center of the transport passage in the widthwise direction of the transport passage than the first upper abutment member,
wherein the second sheet contact members include the other one of the plurality of upper abutment members and the plurality of lower abutment members, and
wherein a plurality of upper abutment members are positioned between the plurality of lower abutment members in the widthwise direction.

13. The image recording apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein lower ends of the plurality of upper abutment members are positioned lower than upper ends of the plurality of lower abutment members.

14. An image recording apparatus comprising:
a recording section that records an image on an upper surface of a sheet conveyed in a transport passage in a transport direction; and
a plurality of holding members spaced apart from

Assignees

• Ito Tsuyoshi
• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Ito Tsuyoshi

Classifications

• B65H5/062

  between rollers or balls · CPC title

• B41J13/00

  Devices or arrangements {of selective printing mechanisms, e.g. ink-jet printers or thermal printers,} specially adapted for supporting or handling copy material in short lengths, e.g. sheets · CPC title

• B65H9/04 Primary

  Fixed or adjustable stops or gauges (gauge pins B65H9/02) · CPC title

• B41J11/005

  Guides in the printing zone, e.g. guides for preventing contact of conveyed sheets with printhead · CPC title

• B41J13/03

  driven, e.g. feed rollers separate from platen · CPC title