Image recording apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9481187-B2
Application number	US-201615014531-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2016
Priority date	Nov 28, 2011
Publication date	Nov 1, 2016
Grant date	Nov 1, 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 roller pair configured to nip a sheet therebetween and transport the sheet in a transport direction;
a recording section provided downstream of a nip point of the roller pair in the transport direction and including nozzles that discharge ink to an upper surface of the sheet;
a platen provided below the recording section and configured to support the sheet; and
a sheet contact unit configured to contact the upper surface of the sheet,
wherein the sheet contact unit includes a first sheet contact surface that is located within a central area in a width direction perpendicular to the transport direction and a second sheet contact surface that is located at another area different from the central area in the width direction, the central area including a center point of the sheet contact unit in the width direction,
wherein a downstream end of the first sheet contact surface and a downstream end of the second sheet contact surface in the transport direction are positioned between the recording section and the platen, and
wherein the downstream end of the first sheet contact surface is positioned upstream of the downstream end of the second sheet contact surface in the transport direction.

2. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first sheet contact surface is adjacent to the second sheet contact surface in the width direction.

3. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the downstream end of the first sheet contact surface and the downstream end of the second sheet contact surface are positioned upstream of the nozzles in the transport direction.

4. The image recording apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the downstream end of the first sheet contact surface and the downstream end of the second sheet contact surface are disposed in proximity to the nozzles in the transport direction.

5. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the sheet contact unit includes a first contact portion having the first sheet contact surface and a second contact portion having the second sheet contact surface, and
wherein the first contact portion and the second contact portion have plate-shaped forms.

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Ito Tsuyoshi

Classifications

• B65H9/04

  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

• B41J13/14

  Aprons or guides {for the printing section} · CPC title

• B41J13/03 Primary

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