Gap adjusting method and ink jet recording apparatus having gap adjusting mechanism

A recording apparatus having a mechanism for adjusting a gap between a recording medium disposed on a platen and a recording head, said recording apparatus comprising:

• a recording medium pressure member;
• a biasing member engaged with said recording medium pressure member and biasing the recording medium against said platen, a position of said recording medium pressure member biased by said biasing member varying in a direction from and toward said platen in accordance with a change in thickness of the recording medium;
• a guide member extending along said recording medium pressure member;
• a guide shaft extending parallel to said recording medium pressure member;
• a carriage for moving said recording head along said recording medium pressure member, said carriage being guided by said guide shaft;
• a first pressing member provided on said carriage and engaging with said guide member, said first pressing member pressing against said guide member to bias said carriage in a direction from said guide member toward said platen;
• a second pressing member provided on said carriage, said second pressing member being in contact with and acting on said recording medium pressure member, said second pressing member pressing said carriage in a direction from said platen due to a variation of the position of said recording medium pressure member in accordance with the change in thickness of the recording medium;
• a first support portion which is provided on said carriage and supports said carriage on said guide shaft;
• and
• a second support portion which is provided on said carriage and supports said carriage on said guide shaft, said second support portion being a pivot portion, said carriage pivoting with a pivot motion about said second support portion in a plane including said first support portion and said second support portion by a force exerted by said second pressing member in a direction from said platen and by a force exerted by said first pressing member in a direction toward said platen,
• wherein said carriage pivots with the pivot motion in accordance with the change in thickness of the recording medium so that the gap between said recording head and said recording medium is kept to a predetermined amount.

A gap adjusting method for adjusting a gap between a recording face of a recording medium and a recording head mounted on a carriage in accordance with a thickness of the recording medium transported to a platen of a recording apparatus, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a recording medium pressure member which presses the recording medium to the platen and varies a position thereof in a direction from and toward the platen in accordance with a change in thickness of the recording medium;
• supporting the carriage on a guide shaft extending along the platen through two supporting portions;
• and
• varying the gap between the recording head and the recording face of the recording medium by pivoting the carriage, the carriage pivoting in a plane including the two supporting portions about one of the two supporting portions as a pivot portion.

A gap adjusting method for adjusting a gap between a recording medium disposed on a platen and a recording head, said method comprising the steps of:

• arranging a recording medium pressure member, a biasing member engaged with the recording medium pressure member and biasing the recording medium against the platen, a guide member extending along the recording medium pressure member, a guide shaft extending parallel to the recording medium pressure member, a carriage for moving the recording head along the recording medium pressure member, the carriage being guided by the guide shaft, a first pressing member provided on the carriage and engaging with the guide member, the first pressing member pressing against the guide member to bias the carriage in a direction from the guide member toward the recording medium pressure member, a second pressing member provided on the carriage, the second pressing member being in contact with and acting on the recording medium pressure member, a first support portion which is provided on the carriage and supports the carriage on the guide shaft, and a second support portion which is provided on the carriage and supports the carriage on the guide shaft, the second support portion being a pivot portion, the carriage pivoting with a pivot motion about the second support portion;
• and
• rotating the carriage with the pivot motion in a plane including the first support portion and the second support portion about the second support portion in accordance with a change in thickness of the recording medium so that the gap between the recording head and the recording medium is kept to a predetermined amount.

A gap adjusting method for adjusting a gap between a recording medium disposed on a platen and a recording head, said method comprising the steps of:

• arranging a recording medium pressure member, a biasing member engaged with the recording medium pressure member and biasing the recording medium against the platen, a position of the recording medium pressure member biased by the biasing member varying in a direction from and toward the platen in accordance with a change in thickness of the recording medium, a guide member extending along the recording medium pressure member, a guide shaft extending parallel to the recording medium pressure member, a carriage for moving the recording head along the recording medium pressure member, the carriage being guided by the guide shaft, a first pressing member provided on the carriage and engaging with the guide member, the first pressing member pressing against the guide member to bias the carriage in a direction from the guide member toward the platen, a second pressing member provided on the carriage, the second pressing member being in contact with and acting on the recording medium pressure member, the second pressing member pressing the carriage in a direction from the platen due to a variation of the position of the recording medium pressure member in accordance with the change in thickness of the recording medium, a first support portion which is provided on the carriage and supports the carriage on the guide shaft, and a second support portion which is provided on the carriage and supports the carriage on the guide shaft, the second support portion being a pivot portion, the carriage pivoting with a pivot motion about the second support portion in a plane including the first support portion and the second support portion by a force exerted by the second pressing member in a direction from the platen and by a force exerted by the first pressing member in a direction toward the platen;
• and
• rotating the carriage with the pivot motion in accordance with the change in thickness of the recording medium so that the gap between the recording head and the recording medium is kept to a predetermined amount.

A recording apparatus having means for adjusting a gap between a recording face of a recording medium and a recording head mounted on a carriage in accordance with a thickness of the recording medium transported to a platen, said recording apparatus comprising:

• recording medium pressing means for pressing the recording medium to the platen and varying a position thereof in a direction from and toward the platen in accordance with a change in thickness of the recording medium;
• supporting means for supporting the carriage on a guide shaft extending along the platen through two supporting portions;
• and
• varying means for varying the gap between the recording head and the recording face of the recording medium by pivoting the carriage in response to varying the position of said pressing means, the carriage pivoting in a plane including the two supporting portions about one of said two supporting portions as a pivot portion.