Medium transporting device and recording apparatus

Abstract

On a medium transporting surface, a dimple extending continuously from a transportation upstream end of a medium to a transportation downstream end are formed. Hereby, a leading end of the medium, after pulled into the dimples once, is transported in the pulled state. Therefore, it is prevented that the leading end of the medium is curled up by a conventional partition wall provided in the direction perpendicular to the medium transporting direction, so that it is possible to prevent a stain on the medium caused by contact with a recording head.

1. A medium transporting apparatus mounted in a liquid jet apparatus which comprises a liquid jet head provided in a liquid jet area, the medium transporting apparatus comprising:
 a transportation surface adapted to support a medium being transported, the transportation surface opposing the liquid jet head and extending to a downstream side of the liquid jet area relative to the direction that the medium is transported;   wherein a plurality of dimples are formed on said transportation surface and adapted to oppose an entire region of the medium;   wherein each of the dimples is formed with a plurality of suction holes adapted to suck the medium into the dimples;   wherein all of the dimples have closed shapes when viewed from above the transportation surface; and   wherein each of the dimples extends continuously from a transportation upstream side of said transportation surface to a transportation downstream side thereof, and the suction holes in each of the dimples are arrayed in the direction that the medium is transported.   
     
     
       2. The medium transporting apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said dimples are formed so that a depth thereof on said transportation downstream side becomes larger than that on said transportation upstream side. 
     
     
       3. The medium transporting apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein said dimples are formed so as to gradually become deeper from said transportation upstream side of the medium toward said transportation downstream side. 
     
     
       4. The medium transporting apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein said dimples are formed so as to gradually become deeper up to a predetermined distance from said transportation upstream side of said transportation surface, and are formed so that a depth of a further part of the dimples from the predetermined distance up to the said transportation downstream side of said medium becomes constant to said transportation downstream side of the transportation surface. 
     
     
       5. The medium transporting apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein said dimples are formed so that the dimples up to a predetermined distance from said transportation upstream side of said transportation surface are formed with a first depth and a further part of the dimples from the predetermined distance up to the said transportation downstream side of said transportation surface are formed with a second depth that is larger than the first depth. 
     
     
       6. The medium transporting apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of dimples are arranged in parallel in a direction perpendicular to the transporting direction of said medium. 
     
     
       7. The medium transporting apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a suction unit including:
 a plurality of suction openings provided on said medium transporting surface;   a pressure reduction chamber communicating with said suction openings; and   a suction device which sucks air in said pressure reduction chamber,   wherein each suction opening is provided with at least one of the suction holes communicating with said pressure reduction chamber and a suction chamber having a suction surface opposed to said medium, an area of which is larger than a cross-section of said suction holes, and   said suction chambers constitutes the dimples.   
     
     
       8. A liquid jet apparatus including a jetted material transporting device having a function of the medium transporting device according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
       9. A recording apparatus including the medium transporting device according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
       10. The medium transporting apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the portions of the transportation surface surrounding the dimples all lie in a single plane. 
     
     
       11. A liquid jet apparatus comprising a jetted material transporting device comprising the medium transporting apparatus device according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
       12. A medium transporting apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the suction holes of adjacent dimples located throughout the length of the transportation surface are aligned in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the medium is transported. 
     
     
       13. A medium transporting apparatus mounted in a liquid jet apparatus which comprises a liquid jet head provided in a liquid jet area, the medium transporting apparatus comprising:
 a transportation surface adapted to support a medium being transported, the transportation surface opposing the liquid jet head and extending to a downstream side of the liquid jet area relative to the direction that the medium is transported; and   a plurality of suction chambers formed in the transportation surface and adapted to oppose an entire region of the medium;   wherein each of the suction-chambers is formed with a plurality of suction holes adapted to suck the medium into the suction chambers;   wherein all of the suction chambers have closed shapes when viewed from above the transportation surface;   wherein each suction chamber comprises a bottom surface and a wall extending around substantially the entire periphery of the bottom surface; and   wherein each of the suction chambers extends continuously from a transportation upstream side of the transportation surface to a transportation downstream side of the transportation surface, and a plurality of suction holes are formed in each of the suction chambers and are arrayed in the direction that the medium is transported.   
     
     
       14. The medium transporting apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein a top of the wall defines at least a portion of the medium transportation surface. 
     
     
       15. The medium transporting apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the top of the wall along the entire length of the wall lies in substantially the same plane. 
     
     
       16. The medium transporting apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein a plurality of the suction chambers are arranged in parallel in a direction perpendicular to a transporting direction of said medium. 
     
     
       17. The medium transporting apparatus according to  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a pressure reduction chamber communicating with the suction holes; and   a suction device which sucks air in said pressure reduction chamber; and   wherein the suction holes are formed in the bottom surface of the suction chambers.   
     
     
       18. The medium transporting apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein the bottom surface of the suction chambers are opposed to the medium being transported and wherein the bottom surface of the suction chambers have a larger area than the suction holes. 
     
     
       19. A recording apparatus comprising the medium transporting device according to  claim 13 . 
     
     
       20. A medium transporting apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the suction holes of adjacent suction chambers located throughout the length of the transportation surface are aligned in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the medium is transported. 
     
     
       21. A medium transporting apparatus configured to transport a medium in a transporting direction while sucking the medium, the medium transporting apparatus comprising:
 a surface extending in the transporting direction, the surface above which the medium is transported;   a plurality of suction chambers adapted to oppose an entire region of the medium in a direction perpendicular to the transporting direction;   all of the suction chambers have closed shapes when viewed from above the surface;   a suction chamber of the plurality of suction chambers extending from a transportation upstream side of the surface to a transportation downstream side thereof;   a plurality of suction openings being formed in the suction chamber and communicating the suction chamber with a pressure reduction chamber; and   a suction device configured to suck air in the pressure reduction chamber,   wherein the suction chamber has a part in which a width of the part is larger than an aperture width of the suction openings in a direction perpendicular to the transporting direction; and   each suction chamber comprises a bottom surface and a wall extending around substantially the entire periphery of the bottom surface.   
     
     
       22. The medium transporting apparatus according to claim 21,
 wherein a pair of feeding rollers are disposed at an upstream side from the surface and a pair of discharging rollers are disposed at an downstream side from the surface in the transporting direction; and   wherein a range of the suction chambers formed on the surface are offset to the downstream side with respect to a center between a nip portion of the feeding rollers and a nip portion of the discharging rollers in the transporting direction.   
     
     
       23. The medium transporting apparatus according to claim 21, wherein a plurality of the suction chambers are arranged in parallel in a direction perpendicular to the transporting direction. 
     
     
       24. The medium transporting apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the suction openings are arranged in the transporting direction. 
     
     
       25. The medium transporting apparatus according to claim 21,
 wherein the suction openings are formed on a bottom surface of the suction chamber;   wherein the pressure reduction chamber is disposed below the surface; and   wherein the suction device is disposed below the pressure reduction chamber.   
     
     
       26. The medium transporting apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the suction chamber is formed so that a depth of the suction chamber on an upstream side becomes shallower than that of the suction chamber on a downstream side in the transporting direction. 
     
     
       27. The medium transporting apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the suction chamber is formed so as to gradually become deeper from an upstream side toward a downstream side in the transporting direction. 
     
     
       28. The medium transporting apparatus according to claim 26, wherein a depth of the suction chamber gradually becomes deeper from an upstream end of the suction chamber up to a predetermined position, and a depth of the suction chamber is constant from the predetermined position to a downstream end of the suction chamber. 
     
     
       29. The medium transporting apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the predetermined position corresponds to a downstream end of a recording area. 
     
     
       30. The medium transporting apparatus according to claim 24, wherein a part of the suction chamber from an upstream end thereof to a predetermined position is formed with a first depth and a further part of the suction chamber from the predetermined position to a downstream end thereof is formed with a second depth which is larger than the first depth. 
     
     
       31. The medium transporting apparatus according to claim 30, wherein the predetermined position corresponds to a downstream end of a recording area. 
     
     
       32. The medium transporting apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the suction chamber has a part of which a depth is smaller than the other part. 
     
     
       33. The medium transporting apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the suction chamber extending from a position in the vicinity of one end of the surface to a position in the vicinity of the other end of the surface. 
     
     
       34. A recording apparatus including the medium transporting apparatus according to claim 21. 
     
     
       35. A medium transporting apparatus configured to transport a medium in a transporting direction while sucking the medium, the medium transporting apparatus comprising:
 a surface extending in the transporting direction, the surface above which the medium is transported;   a plurality of suction chambers adapted to oppose an entire region of the medium in a direction perpendicular to the transporting direction;   all of the suction chambers have closed shapes when viewed from above the surface;   a suction chamber of the plurality of suction chambers extending from a transportation upstream side of the surface to a transportation downstream side thereof;   a plurality of suction openings being formed in the suction chamber and communicating the suction chamber with a pressure reduction chamber; and   a suction device configured to suck air in the pressure reduction chamber,   wherein a width of each of the suction openings is smaller than a width of a bottom face of the suction chamber in a direction perpendicular to the transporting direction when viewed from above the surface; and   each suction chamber comprises a bottom surface and a wall extending around substantially the entire periphery of the bottom surface.   
     
     
       36. A medium transporting apparatus configured to transport a medium in a transporting direction while sucking the medium, the medium transporting apparatus comprising:
 a surface extending in the transporting direction, the surface above which the medium is transported;   a plurality of suction chambers adapted to oppose an entire region of the medium in a direction perpendicular to the transporting direction;   all of the suction chambers have closed shapes when viewed from above the surface;   a suction chamber of the plurality of suction chambers continuously extending beyond a recording area toward a downstream side of the surface in the transporting direction;   a plurality of suction openings being formed in the suction chamber and communicating the suction chamber with a pressure reduction chamber; and   a suction device configured to suck air in the pressure reduction chamber,   wherein the suction chamber has a part in which a width of the part is larger than an aperture width of the suction openings in a direction perpendicular to the transporting direction; and   each suction chamber comprises a bottom surface and a wall extending around substantially the entire periphery of the bottom surface.