US 7,006,201 B2 · Photosensitive tabular member suction mechanism and image recording device

Abstract

A photosensitive tabular member suction mechanism that can reliably suck with a simple configuration, on a stage, photosensitive tabular members of different sizes by effectively using the suction force resulting from negative pressure, and an image recording device disposed with this photosensitive tabular member suction mechanism. Cylinder members are attached inside the stage in correspondence to respective suction holes, and the piston members accommodated in the suction holes are urged upward by springs. In a state where a substrate is not placed on a placement surface of the stage, the piston members are in a closed position due to the urging force of the springs and block off the suction holes. When the substrate is placed on the placement surface, the piston members move to an open position counter to the urging force of the springs and the suction holes are opened, whereby the substrate is sucked by a suction force resulting from negative pressure.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A suction mechanism for retaining a photosensitive tabular member including:

(a) a stage that includes an upper surface for placing the photosensitive tabular member, a suction path at least partially disposed along the stage, and plural suction holes that are connected to the suction path and are defined in the stage upper surface;
(b) a suction unit that is connected to the suction path and is operable for applying a reduced pressure to the suction path;
and
(c) mechanically-operated valve members disposed in the respective suction holes, with each valve member being capable of moving between an open position that substantially allows a fluid connection between the stage upper surface side and the suction path and a closed position that substantially blocks the fluid connection,
(d) wherein when the photosensitive tabular member is placed on the stage upper surface, only the valve members positioned in a projection region of the photosensitive tabular member on the stage upper surface move to the closed position on the basis of at least one of the self weight of the photosensitive tabular member and an external force applied to the photosensitive tabular member.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Photosensitive tabular member suction mechanism and image recording device

Life of this patent

Photosensitive tabular member suction mechanism and image recording device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20