Liquid discharge head, liquid discharge device, and liquid discharge apparatus
| Title: | Liquid discharge head, liquid discharge device, and liquid discharge apparatus |
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| Patent Number: | 11640,128 |
| Publication Date: | May 02, 2023 |
| Appl. No: | 17/404804 |
| Application Filed: | August 17, 2021 |
| Abstract: | A sheet conveyor includes a conveyance belt configured to rotate to convey a sheet on which a liquid has been applied in a conveyance direction, and a guide configured to guide the sheet to the conveyance belt, a position of the guide being variable in the conveyance direction. |
| Inventors: | Shimojima, Kazuhiro (Ibaraki, JP); Nozawa, Kenji (Ibaraki, JP); Kawamichi, Genichiroh (Ibaraki, JP); Ogawa, Masato (Kanagawa, JP); Asada, Kohki (Tokyo, JP); Kamihara, Kazuaki (Tokyo, JP); Sawase, Hiroshi (Kanagawa, JP); Hida, Ryusaku (Kanagawa, JP) |
| Assignees: | Ricoh Company, Ltd. (Tokyo, JP) |
| Claim: | 1. A sheet conveyor comprising: a conveyance belt configured to rotate to convey a sheet on which a liquid has been applied in a conveyance direction; a guide configured to guide the sheet to the conveyance belt, a position of the guide being variable in the conveyance direction; wherein the guide includes: an inclined portion inclined upward from an upstream end toward a downstream end in the conveyance direction, wherein the upstream end of the inclined portion is lower than a conveyance path of the sheet; and a guide portion disposed downstream of the inclined portion in the conveyance direction and aligned horizontally; and another guide disposed upstream of the guide in the conveyance direction, and configured to guide the sheet to the guide; wherein said another guide includes: another inclined portion inclined upward from an upstream end toward a downstream end in the conveyance direction, wherein the upstream end of said another inclined portion is lower than the conveyance path of the sheet; and another guide portion disposed downstream of said another inclined portion in the conveyance direction and aligned horizontally. |
| Claim: | 2. The sheet conveyor according to claim 1 , wherein a position of said another guide is variable in the conveyance direction. |
| Claim: | 3. The sheet conveyor according to claim 1 , wherein the downstream end of said another guide in the conveyance direction is disposed directly above the upstream end of the guide. |
| Claim: | 4. The sheet conveyor according to claim 1 , further comprising: another conveyance belt disposed upstream of said another guide in the conveyance direction, and configured to convey the sheet to said another guide, wherein the upstream end of said another guide in the conveyance direction is lower than a conveyance surface of said another conveyance belt along which the sheet is conveyed. |
| Claim: | 5. The sheet conveyor according to claim 1 , further comprising a drive roller configured to rotate the conveyance belt; and a driven roller configured to be driven by a rotation of the conveyance belt, wherein the conveyance belt is wound around the drive roller and the driven roller, the driven roller is movable in the conveyance direction, and the guide is movable together with the driven roller in the conveyance direction. |
| Claim: | 6. The sheet conveyor according to claim 1 , wherein the guide portion of the guide is along a conveyance surface of the conveyance belt along which the sheet is conveyed. |
| Claim: | 7. The sheet conveyor according to claim 1 , further comprising: a frame, wherein the guide includes a flange having a long hole longer in the conveyance direction, and the guide is fixed to the frame with a screw inserted into the long hole. |
| Claim: | 8. The sheet conveyor according to claim 5 , further comprising: a tension plate, wherein the guide and the driven roller are fixed to the tension plate. |
| Claim: | 9. The sheet conveyor according to claim 1 , further comprising: a frame, wherein the guide includes a first flange having a first long hole longer in the conveyance direction, the guide is fixed to the frame with a first screw inserted into the first long hole of the guide, said another guide includes a second flange having a second long hole longer in the conveyance direction, and said another guide is fixed to the frame with a second screw inserted into the second long hole of said another guide. |
| Claim: | 10. The sheet conveyor according to claim 1 , further comprising: a frame; and an intermediate frame having a frame long hole longer in the conveyance direction, the intermediate frame fixed to the frame with a frame screw inserted through the frame long hole, wherein the guide includes a first flange having a first long hole longer in the conveyance direction, the guide is fixed to the intermediate frame with a first screw inserted into the first long hole of the guide, said another guide includes a second flange having a second long hole longer in the conveyance direction, and said another guide is fixed to the intermediate frame with a second screw inserted into the second long hole of said another guide. |
| Claim: | 11. The sheet conveyor according to claim 1 , wherein the guide portion of the guide and said another guide portion of said another guide are aligned along the conveyance path. |
| Claim: | 12. A sheet heater comprising: the sheet conveyor according to claim 1 ; and a heater configured to heat the sheet conveyed by the conveyance belt. |
| Claim: | 13. A liquid discharge apparatus comprising: a liquid application device configured to apply the liquid onto the sheet; and the sheet heater according to claim 12 . |
| Claim: | 14. A printer comprising: a liquid application device configured to apply the liquid onto the sheet; and the sheet heater according to claim 12 . |
| Claim: | 15. A sheet conveyor comprising: a conveyance belt configured to rotate to convey a sheet on which a liquid has been applied in a conveyance direction; a first guide disposed downstream of the conveyance belt; wherein the first guide includes: a first inclined portion inclined upward from an upstream end toward a downstream end in the conveyance direction, wherein the upstream end of the first inclined portion is lower than a conveyance path of the sheet; and a first guide portion disposed downstream of the first inclined portion in the conveyance direction and aligned horizontally; and a second guide disposed downstream of the first guide; wherein the second guide includes: a second inclined portion inclined upward from an upstream end toward a downstream end in the conveyance direction, wherein the upstream end of the second inclined portion is lower than the conveyance path; and a second guide portion disposed downstream of the second inclined portion in the conveyance direction and aligned horizontally. |
| Claim: | 16. The sheet conveyor according to claim 15 , wherein a position of at least one of the first guide and the second guide are variable in the conveyance direction. |
| Claim: | 17. The sheet conveyor according to claim 15 , wherein the second guide portion of the second guide is along a conveyance surface of another conveyance belt downstream from the second guide. |
| Claim: | 18. The sheet conveyor according to claim 15 , wherein the upstream end of the second guide is disposed directly below the downstream end of the first guide. |
| Claim: | 19. A sheet heater comprising: the sheet conveyor according to claim 17 ; and a heater configured to heat the sheet conveyed by said another conveyance belt. |
| Claim: | 20. A sheet conveyor comprising: a first guide and a second guide configured to convey a sheet between a first conveyance belt and a second conveyance belt; wherein the first guide is configured to receive the sheet from the first conveyance belt, and includes: a first inclined portion inclined upward from an upstream end toward a downstream end in the conveyance direction, wherein the upstream end of the first inclined portion is lower than a conveyance path of the sheet; and a first guide portion disposed downstream of the first inclined portion in the conveyance direction; wherein the second guide is disposed downstream from the first guide in the conveyance direction, and configured to guide the sheet to the second conveyance belt; wherein the second guide includes: a second inclined portion inclined upward from an upstream end toward a downstream end in the conveyance direction, wherein the upstream end of the second inclined portion is disposed directly below the downstream end of the first guide; and a second guide portion disposed downstream of the second inclined portion in the conveyance direction, the second guide portion is along a conveyance surface of the second conveyance belt. |
| Patent References Cited: | 5802444 September 1998 Takeuchi et al. 6108514 August 2000 Nakayama 20070165092 July 2007 Kito 20080101818 May 2008 Shimojima et al. 20130180187 July 2013 Takeshita et al. 20150253699 September 2015 Shimojima et al. 20170242370 August 2017 Takenaga et al. 20170253453 September 2017 Vos et al. 20210053370 February 2021 Numata 20210138807 May 2021 Shimojima et al. H02261746 October 1990 6-144677 May 1994 2003021941 January 2003 2008-162035 July 2008 2010-002644 January 2010 2019-151455 September 2019 2021-035761 March 2021 |
| Other References: | JP_02261746_A_I MachineTranslation, Japan, Takemura, 1990. cited by examiner JP_2003021941_A_T MachineTranslation, Japan, Mikita, 2003. cited by examiner European Search Report; Application EP21193012; dated Feb. 7, 2022. cited by applicant |
| Primary Examiner: | Verbitsky, Victor |
| Attorney, Agent or Firm: | Duft & Bornsen, PC |
| Accession Number: | edspgr.11640128 |
| Database: | USPTO Patent Grants |
| Language: | English |
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