Head unit and liquid discharge apparatus including same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9895892-B2
Application number	US-201615334664-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2016
Priority date	Nov 18, 2015
Publication date	Feb 20, 2018
Grant date	Feb 20, 2018

Abstract

A head unit includes a plurality of heads; and a head mount on which the plurality of heads is arrayed. The head mount includes a position adjuster to adjust a position of each of the plurality of heads, each of the plurality of heads includes cutouts at both ends of each of the plurality of heads in a head alignment direction, the cutouts of adjacent heads are opposed each other, and the position adjuster is disposed between the opposed cutouts of the adjacent heads.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A head unit comprising:
a plurality of heads; and
a head mount on which the plurality of heads is arrayed,
wherein the head mount includes a plurality of position adjusters to adjust positions of the plurality of heads,
wherein each head amongst the plurality of heads includes a cutout, for at least one end of the head in a head alignment direction, and
wherein at least one position adjuster amongst the plurality of position adjusters is disposed inside at least one cutout amongst opposed cutouts of respective adjacent heads, the opposed cutouts being opposed to each other.

2. The head unit according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one position adjuster is disposed in contact with the at least one cutout amongst the opposed cutouts of the adjacent heads.

3. The head unit according to claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of heads is disposed in a staggered manner.

4. The head unit according to claim 1 ,
wherein the position adjuster includes an eccentric cam.

5. The head unit according to claim 4 , wherein a width of a gap between the adjacent heads in the head alignment direction is shorter than a length of a long axis of the eccentric cam.

6. The head unit according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of heads is a liquid discharge head, and
wherein each of the plurality of heads includes:
a frame; and
a nozzle plate including a plurality of nozzle arrays each having a plurality of nozzles to discharge a liquid;

wherein the frame includes a flange on a peripheral surface of the frame, and
wherein the cutouts of each of the plurality of heads are disposed at both ends of the flange in the head alignment direction.

7. A liquid discharge apparatus comprising the head unit according to claim 1 to discharge a liquid.

8. A head unit comprising:
a plurality of heads;
a plurality of intermediate members to hold the plurality of heads; and
a head mount on which the plurality of heads is arrayed,
wherein the head mount includes a plurality of position adjusters to adjust positions each of the plurality of heads,
wherein each intermediate member amongst the plurality of intermediate members includes a cutout, for at least one end of the intermediate member in a head alignment direction, and
wherein at least one position adjuster amongst the plurality of position adjusters is disposed inside at least one cutout amongst opposed cutouts of respective adjacent intermediate members, the opposed cutouts being opposed to each other.

9. The head unit according to claim 8 ,
wherein each of the plurality of heads is a liquid discharge head to discharge a liquid.

10. A liquid discharge apparatus comprising the head unit according to claim 9 to discharge the liquid.

Assignees

• Yoshiike Masataka
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yoshiike Masataka

Classifications

• B41J25/003

  for changing the angle between a print element array axis and the printing line, e.g. for dot density changes · CPC title

• B41J2/245

  line printer type (B41J2/25, B41J2/265 take precedence) · CPC title

• B41J2/16508 Primary

  connected with the printer frame · CPC title

• B41J2/16585

  for paper-width or non-reciprocating print heads · CPC title

• B41J25/001

  Mechanisms for bodily moving print heads or carriages parallel to the paper surface · CPC title