Medium supporting unit, recording apparatus, and medium supporting method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9662902-B2
Application number	US-201615054338-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2016
Priority date	Mar 20, 2015
Publication date	May 30, 2017
Grant date	May 30, 2017

Abstract

A medium supporting unit includes a supporting portion that supports a medium and a holding portion that holds the medium that is in a state of being supported by the supporting portion, and the holding portion includes a first portion that is a portion at one side of a straight line passing on a center of the holding portion in a plan view of the holding portion, and a second portion that is a portion at the another side of the straight line, a weight of the first portion being different from a weight of the second portion. This configuration of the medium supporting unit enables suppression of floating of the medium without impairing the ease of handling of the medium supporting unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A medium supporting unit comprising:
a tray shaped supporting portion that supports a medium; and
a holding portion that holds the medium that is in a state of being supported by the supporting portion,
wherein the holding portion includes a first portion that is a portion at one side of a straight line passing through a center of the holding portion in a plan view of the holding portion, and a second portion that is a portion at the another side of the straight line, a weight of the first portion being different from a weight of the second portion,
wherein the holding portion is a frame member that surrounds the supporting portion when the medium is in the state of being supported by the supporting medium.

2. The medium supporting unit according to claim 1 , wherein the holding portion rotates relative to the supporting portion about a base rotate axis that is located at a second portion-side, and the weight of the first portion is larger than the weight of the second portion.

3. A recording apparatus comprising:
the medium supporting unit according to claim 2 ; and
a recording portion that performs recording on a medium that is in a state of being supported by the medium supporting unit.

4. The medium supporting unit according to claim 1 , wherein the holding portion rotates relative to the supporting portion about a base rotate axis that is located at a second portion-side, and the weight of the second portion is larger than the weight of the first portion.

5. A recording apparatus comprising:
the medium supporting unit according to claim 4 ; and
a recording portion that performs recording on a medium that is in a state of being supported by the medium supporting.

6. The medium supporting unit according to claim 1 , wherein the holding portion is hitched to the supporting portion at a second portion-side and rotates relative to the supporting portion about a base rotate axis that is located at a position of the hitch.

7. A recording apparatus comprising:
the medium supporting unit according to claim 6 ; and
a recording portion that performs recording on a medium that is in a state of being supported by the medium supporting unit.

8. The medium supporting unit according to claim 1 , wherein the holding portion is fixed to the supporting portion at a second portion-side so as to be rotatable relative to the supporting portion.

9. A recording apparatus comprising:
the medium supporting unit according to claim 8 ; and
a recording portion that performs recording on a medium that is in a state of being supported by the medium supporting unit.

10. The medium supporting unit according to claim 1 , wherein a portion having a larger weight out of the first portion and the second portion has a larger volume than a portion having a smaller weight out of the first portion and the second portion.

11. A recording apparatus comprising:
the medium supporting unit according to claim 10 ; and
a recording portion that performs recording on a medium that is in a state of being supported by the medium supporting unit.

12. The medium supporting unit according to claim 1 , wherein a portion having a larger weight out of the first portion and the second portion contains a portion having a larger specific gravity than a specific gravity of a portion having a smaller weight out of the first portion and the second portion.

13. A recording apparatus comprising:
the medium supporting unit according to claim 12 ; and
a recording portion that performs recording on a medium that is in a state of being supported by the medium supporting unit.

14. The medium supporting unit according to claim 1 , wherein the holding portion includes a weight whose location on the holding portion is changeable, and a portion which is one of the first portion and the second portion and at which the weight is located constitutes a portion having a larger weight out of the first portion and the second portion.

15. A recording apparatus comprising:
the medium supporting unit according to claim 14 ; and
a recording portion that performs recording on a medium that is in a state of being supported by the medium supporting unit.

16. A recording apparatus comprising:
the medium supporting unit according to claim 1 ; and
a recording portion that performs recording on a medium that is in a state of being supported by the medium supporting unit.

17. A medium supporting method for a medium supporting unit including a tray shaped supporting portion that supports a medium and a holding portion that holds the medium that is in a state of being supported by the supporting portion, the medium supporting method comprising: supporting the medium by the supporting portion including the holding portion provided with a first portion that is a portion at one side of a straight line passing through a center of the holding portion in a plan view of the holding portion, and a second portion that is a portion at the another side of the straight line, a weight of the first portion being different from a weight of the second portion, wherein the holding portion is a frame member that surrounds the supporting portion when the medium is in the state of being supported by the supporting medium.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Anzai Sumito
• Yamashita Norihiro

Classifications

• B41J3/4073 Primary

  Printing on three-dimensional objects not being in sheet or web form, e.g. spherical or cubic objects (B41J3/283, B41J3/286 take precedence; building up a 3D object using individual droplets from jetting heads B29C64/112) · CPC title

• B41J11/06

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

• B41J11/00 Primary

  Devices or arrangements  {of selective printing mechanisms, e.g. ink-jet printers or thermal printers,} for supporting or handling copy material in sheet or web form (script supports connected to the typewriter or printer B41J29/15) · CPC title

• B41J3/4078

  Printing on textile · CPC title