Apparatus to adjust the head gap in ink-jet printers

A head gap adjusting apparatus used with an ink-jet printer having a print head to carry out a print by discharging an ink to a paper, a carrier to install the print head and to carry the print head along a carrier shaft, and a chassis to secure the carrier shaft, comprising:

• at least one carrier shaft lifting unit disposed on the chassis with respect to the carrier shaft to convert a force of horizontal motion to a force of vertical motion and transmit the converted force to the carrier shaft to adjust a gap between the paper and the print head by lifting and lowering the carrier shaft.
• wherein the at least one carrier shaft lifting unit includes
• a vertical opening formed in the chassis to guide an end of the carrier shaft to be movable up and down, and
• an elastic supporting member to elastically support the carrier shaft within the vertical opening to prevent the carrier shaft from being freely moved during movements of the carrier to carry out a printing, wherein the horizontal moving device enables the end of the carrier shaft to move up and down within the vertical opening against elastic forces of the elastic supporting member,
• wherein the elastic supporting member having an elastic spring including
• an end portion supported by a first supporting protuberance, the first supporting protuberance being formed on the chassis, and
• another end portion supported by a second supporting protuberance on the chassis near the vertical opening to press down the end of the carrier shaft to below the vertical opening,
• wherein the horizontal moving device includes
• an actuation part disposed to contact the end of the carrier shaft to move the end of the carrier shaft up and down during its horizontal movements,
• a securing part to support the actuation part to contact the carrier shaft and
• a motion adjusting part to gradually move the actuation part in the horizontal direction to cause the end of the carrier shaft to progressively move up or down for fine adjustments of the head gap, and
• wherein the actuation part comprises a rod having a truncated conical portion formed to contact the end of the carrier shaft.

A head gap adjusting apparatus used with an ink-jet printer having a print head to carry out a print by discharging an ink to a paper, a carrier to install the print head and to carry the print head along a carrier shaft, and a chassis to secure the carrier shaft, comprising:

• at least one carrier shaft lifting unit disposed on the chassis with respect to the carrier shaft to convert a force of horizontal motion to a force of vertical motion and transmit the converted force to the carrier shaft to adjust a gap between the paper and the print head by lifting and lowering the carrier shaft,
• wherein the at least one carrier shaft lifting unit includes
• a vertical opening formed in the chassis to guide an end of the carrier shaft to be movable up and down, and
• an elastic supporting member to elastically support the carrier shaft within the vertical opening to prevent the carrier shaft from being freely moved during movements of the carrier to carry out a printing, wherein the horizontal moving device enables the end of the carrier shaft to move up and down within the vertical opening against elastic forces of the elastic supporting member,
• wherein the elastic supporting member having an elastic spring including
• an end portion supported by a first supporting protuberance, the first supporting protuberance being formed on the chassis, and
• another end portion supported by a second supporting protuberance on the chassis near the vertical opening to press down the end of the carrier shaft to below the vertical opening,
• wherein the horizontal moving device includes
• an actuation part disposed to contact the end of the carrier shaft to move the end of the carrier shaft up and down during its horizontal movements;
• a securing part to support the actuation part to contact the carrier shaft;
• and
• a motion adjusting part to gradually move the actuation part in the horizontal direction to cause the end of the carrier shaft to progressively move up or down for fine adjustments of the head gap, and
• wherein the actuation part is a stepped rod including:
• a minor diameter part;
• a major diameter part;
• and
• a truncated conical portion formed between the minor diameter part and the major diameter part.