Patent ID: 8944587
Filing Date: 2015-02-03
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. A liquid ejection apparatus, comprising: a recording portion including a liquid ejection head having an ejection face, the liquid ejection head being elongated in a first direction as a main scanning direction parallel to the ejection face; a supply portion configured to supply a recording medium; a support member configured to support the recording medium while facing the ejection face; a conveyor mechanism including (i) a conveyance guide configured to guide the recording medium and defining a U-shaped curved path extending from the supply portion toward the support member and (ii) a conveyor roller configured to convey the recording medium along the conveyance guide, the conveyor mechanism being configured to convey the recording medium in a second direction as a sub-scanning direction parallel to the ejection face and perpendicular to the main scanning direction; a first housing accommodating the recording portion; and a second housing accommodating the supply portion, the support member, and the conveyor mechanism, wherein the first housing is pivotable about a pivot shaft extending along the main scanning direction, between (i) an ejection position at which the recording portion ejects liquid onto the recording medium supported by the support member and (ii) a distant position at which the recording portion is farther from the support member than the recording portion in a situation in which the first housing is located at the ejection position, wherein, when the first housing is located at the ejection position, the pivot shaft is located at a position that is farther from the support member than the ejection face in a third direction as a vertical direction perpendicular to the ejection face and that is downstream of the recording portion in the sub-scanning direction, wherein the recording portion is configured to move along an arc containing a component of the sub-scanning direction, while the first housing is pivoted about the pivot shaft, wherein the conveyance guide includes a guide portion disposed downstream of the conveyor roller and upstream of the recording portion in the sub-scanning direction, the guide portion having a guide face inclined obliquely downward toward a downstream side of the guide face in the sub-scanning direction, the guide portion being configured to guide the recording medium along the guide face, wherein a downstream end of the guide face is located at a position lower than an upstream end of the guide face in the vertical direction, wherein the downstream end of the guide face is disposed upstream of the recording portion, and is located at a position lower than the ejection face and higher than the support member in the vertical direction, wherein, when the first housing is located at the ejection position, the guide portion is opposed to the recording portion in the sub-scanning direction with a clearance therebetween, wherein the recording portion is configured to pass through a space corresponding to the clearance when the first housing is pivoted between the ejection position and the distant position, wherein the recording portion further includes an annular member enclosing the ejection face, and wherein the liquid ejection apparatus further comprises: a facing member allowed to face the ejection face; a moving mechanism configured to move the annular member in the vertical direction such that the annular member is selectively positioned at one of (i) a sealing position at which the annular member is held in contact with a facing face of the facing member to seal the ejection face and (ii) an open position at which the annular member is distant from the facing member; a limitation portion configured to limit the pivotal movement of the first housing located at the ejection position; a sensor configured to output a limitation release signal indicating a release of the limitation by the limitation portion; and a movement control section configured to control the moving mechanism to move the annular member to the open position when the limitation release signal outputted from the sensor is received.