JP2004009513A - Ink jet printer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ink jet printer which can be maintained by maintaining a positional accuracy of a head at the time of the maintenance even by suppressing global increase in the size of the device. <P>SOLUTION: The ink jet printer discharges an ink to a recording medium to form an image. The ink jet printer includes a conveying means for conveying the recording medium, a line head having a plurality of discharge ports each for discharging the ink to the recording medium and a discharging surface in which the ports are aligned perpendicularly to the conveying direction, a maintenance member for receiving the ink from the discharge ports, a platen for supporting the recording medium from a back surface side when an image is formed, and a switching means supporting the platen and the maintenance member for switching a position where the platen is opposed to the line head and a position where the maintenance member is opposed to the line head by integrally rotatably moving the platen and the maintenance member at a rotary shaft disposed on the back surface side of the recording medium as a center. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an inkjet printer equipped with a line head type head.
[0002]
[Prior art]
An ink jet printer forms an image on a recording medium by discharging ink from a discharge port of a head provided to face the recording medium. As the head is used for a long time, bubbles and fine dust are mixed into the discharge port and the thin tube connected to the discharge port, or the ink solidifies in the vicinity of the discharge port, so that it becomes impossible to discharge the ink as controlled, so It is necessary to perform maintenance for removal as appropriate.
[0003]
Maintenance for removing air bubbles, dust, solidified ink, and the like from the ejection port of the head and the thin tube connected to the ejection port is performed by sucking ink from the ejection port, or causing the ejection port to discharge ink idle. In addition, when the head is in a standby state, by covering the discharge port with a moisturizing cap near the discharge port, it is possible to prevent the ink from solidifying due to drying or the like and dust from being mixed into the ink.
[0004]
In order to perform the above-described maintenance, the inkjet printer is provided with a maintenance unit having a waste ink receiver that receives ink that has been idlely discharged from the discharge port, a suction cap for sucking ink from the discharge port, a moisturizing cap, and the like. .
[0005]
Unlike a capstan type ink jet printer in which a head scans over a recording medium, a line head type ink jet printer which forms an image mainly only by moving the recording medium, the ink jet printer has a width equivalent to the width of the recording medium. Discharge ports are arranged over the length. This line-head type ink jet printer does not need to move the head during image formation, so when performing maintenance on the head, the head and the maintenance means are perpendicular to the recording medium conveyance direction, and the maintenance is performed. Switching. In the case of such a configuration, the size of the entire ink-jet printer is increased, so that there is a problem that the installation location is restricted.
[0006]
For this reason, in the case of an ink jet printer having a line head type head, it is desired to reduce the size of components for causing the head and the maintenance unit to face each other. Then, in order to perform the above-described maintenance on the head while achieving the miniaturization of the above-described components, the head is rotated as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 5-177778 and 10-235885. There is known a method of causing the head to move up and down and moving the moisturizing cap in the horizontal direction to remove and attach the moisturizing cap as in the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-127362. Have been.
However, the above-described method has a problem that when the head is rotated or moved up and down, the positional accuracy of the head is reduced.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In order to solve this problem, a method is conceivable in which maintenance is performed without moving the head by arranging a maintenance unit on the back side of the recording medium. Since the platen to be supported is provided so as to face the ejection surface of the head, during maintenance, the platen must be moved and the maintenance means must be moved, which complicates the configuration. In addition, the space efficiency becomes worse.
[0008]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet printer that can maintain a head while maintaining the positional accuracy during maintenance, while suppressing an increase in the size of the entire apparatus.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The invention according to claim 1 is
In an ink jet printer that ejects ink to the front of a recording medium and forms an image,
Conveying means for conveying the recording medium,
A line head having an ejection port for ejecting ink toward a recording medium conveyed by the conveyance unit and an ejection surface in which a plurality of the ejection ports are arranged along a direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction of the recording medium;
When performing the maintenance of the ejection port, a maintenance member that faces the line head and receives ink from the ejection port,
A platen arranged to face the line head so as to support the recording medium from the back side when performing image formation,
Along with supporting the platen and the maintenance member, the platen and the maintenance member are integrally formed around a rotation axis parallel to a direction perpendicular to the recording medium conveyance direction and disposed on the back side of the recording medium. Switching means for rotating and switching between an arrangement in which the platen faces the line head and an arrangement in which the maintenance member faces the line head is provided.
[0010]
According to the first aspect of the present invention, the arrangement in which the platen is opposed to the line head and the arrangement in which the maintenance member is opposed to the line head are switched by the switching means according to the time of image formation and maintenance. The maintenance of the discharge port can be performed without moving the nozzle. Therefore, maintenance can be performed while maintaining the positional accuracy of the line head.
The switching means supports the platen and the maintenance member so as to be integrally rotatable about a rotation axis. In other words, by simply rotating the platen and the maintenance member, it is possible to switch between the arrangement in which the platen faces the line head and the arrangement in which the maintenance member faces the line head. Can be suppressed. In addition, since the platen and the maintenance member are switched by rotational movement, both can be switched in a small space, space efficiency can be increased, and an increase in the size of the entire apparatus can be suppressed.
[0011]
Here, the line head may be any line head as long as the ejection openings are arranged over the entire length of the recording medium along a direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the recording medium. And a plurality of heads arranged along a direction perpendicular to the recording medium conveyance direction. In the case of a plurality of heads, it is preferable to arrange the heads so that the pitch interval between the ejection ports is constant. For example, the heads may be arranged in a staggered manner. In addition, the maintenance member may be an ink receiving unit that receives ink that has been idle-discharged from the discharge port, or when suctioning ink from the discharge port, the ink suction unit that adheres to the discharge surface while covering the discharge port. May be used.
[0012]
The invention according to claim 2 is the ink jet printer according to claim 1,
When the platen faces the line head, the maintenance member is arranged apart from a recording medium conveyance path by the conveyance unit.
[0013]
According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the platen faces the line head, the maintenance member is disposed apart from the recording medium conveyance path, so that the recording medium contacts the maintenance member during image formation. Instead, the recording medium can be prevented from being stained by the maintenance member.
[0014]
The invention according to claim 3 is the inkjet printer according to claim 1 or 2,
Moving means for moving the maintenance member in a direction of coming and going with respect to the line head,
The maintenance member includes an ink receiving unit that receives ink that has been idlely discharged from the discharge port, and a cap unit that surrounds the discharge port and is in close contact with the discharge surface while the ink receiving unit covers the discharge port. Has,
The moving means moves the maintenance member toward the line head such that the cap portion is in close contact with the ejection surface.
[0015]
According to the third aspect of the invention, since the maintenance member includes the ink receiving portion and the cap portion, the maintenance of the idle discharge and the ink suction can be performed by one member. For this reason, maintenance can be performed in a small space, and space efficiency can be improved, as compared with a configuration in which maintenance is performed on the idle discharge and the ink suction using separate members.
[0016]
The invention according to claim 4 is the inkjet printer according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A waste ink tank for storing ink discharged from the discharge port by maintenance,
Suction means for sucking ink from the maintenance member and sending ink to the waste ink tank.
[0017]
According to the fourth aspect of the invention, the ink accumulated in the maintenance member due to the maintenance flows into the waste ink tank by the suction means. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the ink from being accumulated and overflowing in the maintenance member, and it is possible to always maintain a state in which maintenance can be performed.
The suction means not only sucks the ink accumulated in the maintenance member, but also sucks the ink of the line head if the suction is performed when the maintenance member is in close contact with the ejection surface while covering the ejection port. it can. In this case, there is no need to provide a separate suction unit for performing only ink suction, so that space efficiency can be further improved and costs can be suppressed.
[0018]
The invention according to claim 5 is the ink jet printer according to claim 4, wherein
The suction unit includes an ink path through which ink flows from the maintenance member to the waste ink tank,
A communication means is provided in the ink path for switching between a state in which the atmosphere communicates from outside the ink path and a state in which the atmosphere does not communicate.
[0019]
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the communication means is provided, when the maintenance member is in close contact with the discharge surface while covering the discharge port, if the suction is performed in a non-communication state, the ink of the line head is removed. It can also be aspirated. Then, if the state is switched to the communicating state after the suction, the maintenance member can be easily separated from the line head. In other words, ink suction can be performed by the suction means, and in this case, there is no need to provide a separate suction means for performing only ink suction, so that space efficiency can be further increased and costs can be reduced.
[0020]
The invention according to claim 6 is the inkjet printer according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The rotation angle of the maintenance member is set to less than 90 degrees.
[0021]
According to the invention of claim 6, since the rotation angle of the maintenance member is set to less than 90 degrees, when the platen faces the line head, that is, when the maintenance member is farthest from the line head. Even if there is, the inclination of the maintenance member does not incline from the vertical plane. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the ink accumulated in the maintenance member from spilling.
[0022]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.
[0023]
The ink jet printer 1 exemplified in this embodiment performs image formation by discharging ink onto a recording medium. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the main configuration of the ink jet printer 1 includes a conveying unit 3 that conveys a sheet-shaped recording medium 2 forward (arrow A) during image formation, and an image forming surface ( A head 4 for ejecting ink to the front, a head facing unit 5 facing the head 4 for supporting the recording medium 2 and maintaining the head 4, and a suction for discharging ink removed from the head 4 during maintenance. It comprises means 6 and a control unit (not shown) for controlling these units.
[0024]
The transport unit 3 transports the recording medium 2 in the transport direction (arrow A: sub-scanning direction) at the time of ink ejection of the head 4 during image formation. The transport unit 3 includes a first transport unit 31 that transports the recording medium 2 before image formation to the head 4, a second transport unit 32 that transports the recording medium 2 on which an image is formed by discharging ink from the head 4, It has.
[0025]
The first transport unit 31 includes a transport roller 31 a that propels the recording medium 2 in the transport direction above the recording medium 2, and a recording medium that supports the recording medium 2 from the back side below the transport roller 31 a. And a follow-up roller 31b that rotates in accordance with the conveyance of the sheet No. 2.
[0026]
The second transport unit 32 includes a spur 32a that propels the recording medium 2 in the transport direction above the recording medium 2 from which the ink has been ejected, and a spur 32a below the spur 32a while supporting the recording medium 2 from the back side. And a follow-up roller 32b that rotates as the recording medium 2 is conveyed.
The second transport unit 32 transports the recording medium 2 after image formation, but the ink discharged on the surface of the recording medium 2 may not be dry. For this reason, the spurs 32a that come into contact with the surface of the recording medium 2 are provided with needle-like projections in the radial direction so as to convey the recording medium 2 while minimizing the point of contact with the surface and soiling the formed image. The recording medium 2 is formed of a thin plate and is arranged in a plurality along the width direction of the recording medium 2.
[0027]
The transport roller 31a and the follow roller 31b of the first transport unit 31 and the follow roller 32b of the second transport unit 32 are formed to have lengths corresponding to all sub-lengths of the recording medium 2 so as to contact all sub-lines of the recording medium 2. ing.
[0028]
The head 4 is a line head capable of discharging ink over the entire width in the main scanning direction without moving in the main scanning direction, and includes a discharge port 41 for discharging ink toward the recording medium 2 conveyed by the conveyance unit 3, and a discharge port 41. An ejection surface 42 is provided over the entire width of the recording medium 2 along a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the recording medium 2. A plurality of heads 4 are provided along the transport direction according to the type of ink used in the inkjet printer 1 (Y: yellow, M: magenta, C: cyan, K: black).
[0029]
The head opposing portion 5 is provided with a platen 51 that supports the recording medium 2 from the back side when performing image formation, and an ink that is opposed to the head 4 from the ejection port 41 when performing maintenance on the ejection port 41 of the head 4. A maintenance member 52 for receiving the image, and a rotating unit (switching means) 53 for integrally supporting the platen 51 and the maintenance member 52 and rotating the two. The maintenance member 52 is disposed on the back side of the recording medium 2 during image formation. Have been.
[0030]
The platen 51 enables accurate image formation by maintaining the recording medium 2 facing the head 4 in a flat state during image formation. The arm 53a of the rotating unit 53 is fixed to the back of the platen 51.
[0031]
A plurality of maintenance members 52 are provided according to the number of heads 4 so that all the heads 4 can be maintained at once. The maintenance members 52 are integrally held by the frame 52a in a state where they are arranged in accordance with the arrangement of the heads 4. The platen 51 and the arm 53b of the rotating unit 53 are also held by the frame 52a. That is, the maintenance member 52 and the platen 51 are fixed by the frame 52a so that the relative positional relationship does not shift.
[0032]
The maintenance member 52 includes an ink receiving portion (not shown) for the ink ejected by the ejection port 41 of the head 4 and an ejection surface 42 surrounding the ejection port 41 with the ink receiving portion covering the ejection port 41. And a cap portion (not shown) that comes into close contact with the cap portion.
The ink receiving portion is provided with a concave portion at a portion facing the discharge port 41 of the head 4, and the ink removed by maintenance is stored in the concave portion.
[0033]
The maintenance member 52 is used to suck the ink from the discharge port 41 while sealing the discharge surface 42 while covering the discharge port 41 of the head 4 during ink suction for maintenance. The maintenance member 52 also receives ink that has been idle-discharged from the discharge port 41 while facing the head 4 at the time of idle discharge for maintenance. The maintenance member 52 seals the discharge surface 42 while covering the discharge port 41 of the head 4 during standby, and maintains moisture in the discharge port 41. That is, even if the idle discharge, the ink suction, and the moisturization are not performed by separate members, these can be performed only by the maintenance member 52, and the members and the installation space of the members can be reduced.
[0034]
The rotating unit 53 includes an arm 53a that supports the platen 51, an arm 53b that supports the maintenance member 52, and a shaft 53c that rotatably supports the arm 53a and the arm 53b.
[0035]
A maintenance member 52 is disposed on the arm 53b so as to be separated from the transport path of the recording medium 2 by the transport unit 3 when the platen 51 faces the head 4. This prevents the recording medium 2 from being stained by the maintenance member 52 without contact between the recording medium 2 and the maintenance member 52 during image formation.
[0036]
The shaft portion 53c fixes the two so that the angle D between the arm 53a and the arm 53b is less than 90 degrees. In the present embodiment, the angle is set to 70 degrees. The shaft portion 53c is a rotation shaft parallel to a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the recording medium 2, and the arms 53a and 53b rotate around the rotation shaft. That is, the platen 51 and the maintenance member 52 rotate integrally about the rotation axis. The shaft portion 53c is provided with a drive mechanism for rotating the rotating portion 53 itself around the shaft portion 53c and moving the rotating portion 53 up and down. This drive mechanism rotates the rotating unit 53 within the range of the set angle. That is, the drive mechanism rotates the rotating unit 53 from the state where the platen 51 faces the head 4 to the state where the maintenance member 52 faces. Therefore, even when the platen 51 faces the head 4, that is, even when the maintenance member 52 is farthest from the head 4, the inclination of the surface of the maintenance member 52 facing the head 4 is smaller than the vertical plane. Never lean. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the ink accumulated in the concave portion of the maintenance member 52 from spilling.
Further, when the maintenance member 52 and the head 4 face each other, the driving mechanism (moving means) moves the maintenance member 52 in a direction in which the maintenance member 52 comes into contact with or separates from the head 4 by moving the rotating portion 53 itself up and down. be able to.
[0037]
The suction means 6 includes a waste ink tank 61 for storing ink discharged from the ejection port 41 of the head 4 due to maintenance, and an ink pipe (ink path) piped so that ink flows from the maintenance member 52 to the waste ink tank 61. 62, a suction pump 63 for sucking ink accumulated in the concave portion of the maintenance member 52 on the path of the ink pipe 62, and a state where the atmosphere communicates with the inside of the ink pipe 62 from outside the ink pipe 62 on the path of the ink pipe 62. An air communication valve 64 (communication means) is provided for switching between a (communication state) and a non-communication state (non-communication state).
[0038]
The ink tubes 62 are, for example, resin tubes or the like, and are attached to the respective maintenance members 52 so as to communicate with the recesses of the maintenance members 52.
[0039]
The suction pump 63 not only sucks the ink stored in the concave portion of the maintenance member 52, but also when the maintenance member 52 covers the discharge port 41 of the head 4 and is in close contact with the discharge surface 42, Aspirate ink.
In the present embodiment, the suction pump 63 has been exemplified as a means for sucking ink from the ejection port of the head 4. However, any means capable of sucking ink from the ejection port may be used. For example, a piston and a cylinder may be used. And a tube pump.
[0040]
The control unit includes an interface, a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and the like, and various devices connected to the interface according to a control program and control data written in the ROM. Is to be controlled.
[0041]
The interface is electrically connected to the transport means 3, the head 4, the driving mechanism of the rotating unit 53, the suction pump 63, the atmosphere communication valve 64, and the like.
[0042]
Various control programs and control data relating to the operation of each unit of the inkjet printer are written in the ROM.
[0043]
The RAM is capable of storing a plurality of pieces of input data only while power is being supplied, and includes a storage area for storing various data such as image data for forming an image, a work area for the CPU, and the like.
[0044]
The CPU develops a program designated from among various programs stored in the ROM into a work area in the RAM, and executes various processes according to the programs in accordance with input signals from each sensor.
[0045]
The control unit controls the entire operation of the ink jet printer 1. Here, control performed from the time of image formation to the time of maintenance of the head 4 will be described.
[0046]
When the image forming start timing comes, the control unit controls the driving mechanism of the rotating unit 53 so that the platen 51 faces the head 4 as shown in FIG. Thereafter, the control unit controls the transport unit 3 so that the recording medium 2 reaches a position facing the head 4. When the recording medium 2 and the head 4 face each other, the control unit controls the head 4 to eject the ink I toward the recording medium 2 supported by the platen 51, and to record the recording medium in accordance with the ejection timing of the head 4. The transporting means 3 is controlled so that 2 is transported.
When the image formation is completed, the control unit controls the transport unit 3 to transport the recording medium 2 and removes the recording medium 2 from the platen 51.
[0047]
When the recording medium 2 is conveyed and removed from the platen 51, maintenance of the head 4 is started. The control unit controls the driving mechanism of the rotating unit 53 to move the platen 51 and the maintenance member 52 integrally and counterclockwise by 70 degrees as shown in FIG. 2 so that the platen 51 faces the head 4. The arrangement is switched from the arrangement to the arrangement in which the maintenance member 52 faces the head 4. If there is a possibility that the platen 51 and the maintenance member 52 may interfere with the head 4 and the like during this rotational movement, the control unit controls the driving mechanism of the rotation unit 53 in advance, and the platen 51 and the maintenance member 52 The rotating unit 53 may be moved downward after the rotating unit 53 is lowered to a position where it does not interfere with the head 4 during the rotating movement.
[0048]
When the maintenance member 52 and the head 4 face each other, the control unit controls the activation mechanism of the rotation unit 53 to move the rotation unit 53 upward (arrow B) until the maintenance member 52 comes into close contact with the ejection surface 42 of the head 4. Let it. When the maintenance member 52 is in close contact with the ejection surface 42 of the head 4 and covers the ejection port 41, the control unit controls the atmosphere communication valve 64 to make the inside of the ink tube 62 not communicated with the atmosphere, and then the suction pump 63. Is controlled to suck ink from the ejection port 41. The ink removed by the suction is discharged to the waste ink tank 61 through the ink tube 62.
[0049]
When the ink suction is completed, the control unit controls the atmosphere communication valve 64 to switch the inside of the ink tube 62 to a state of communication with the atmosphere, and then controls the drive mechanism of the rotating unit 53, as shown in FIG. The rotating unit 53 is moved downward (arrow C) to separate the ejection surface 42 of the head 4 from the maintenance member 52.
[0050]
When the ejection surface 42 of the head 4 and the maintenance member 52 are separated from each other at a predetermined interval, the control unit controls the head 4 to cause the ejection port 41 to idle discharge the ink I from the ejection port 41 toward the maintenance member 52. Is restored. After the idle discharge, the control unit controls the suction pump 63 to discharge the ink accumulated in the maintenance member 52 to the waste ink tank 61. The maintenance of the head 4 is completed by the above steps.
[0051]
After the maintenance is completed, the control unit controls the driving mechanism of the rotating unit 53 to integrally rotate the platen 51 and the maintenance member 52 clockwise by 70 degrees, and arrange the maintenance member 52 so as to face the head 4. Then, the platen 51 is switched to the arrangement facing the head 4 to return to a state where image formation is possible.
[0052]
When the image formation is completed, the control unit controls the driving mechanism of the rotating unit 53 so that the maintenance member 52 faces the head 4, and then the ejection surface 42 of the head 4 and the maintenance member 52 come into close contact with each other. The rotating unit 53 is moved upward (arrow B) until the operation is completed (FIG. 2). Thus, even in the standby state, the maintenance member 52 can maintain the moist state of the ejection port 41 of the head 4.
[0053]
As described above, according to the ink jet printer 1 of the present embodiment, the rotating unit 53 has the arrangement in which the platen 51 faces the head 4 and the maintenance member 52 faces the head 4 at the time of image formation and maintenance. Therefore, maintenance of the ejection port 41 of the head 4 can be performed without moving the head 4. Therefore, maintenance can be performed while maintaining the positional accuracy of the head 4.
The rotating unit 53 supports the platen 51 and the maintenance member 52 so as to be integrally rotatable about a shaft 53c. That is, the switching between the platen 51 and the maintenance member 52 can be performed simply by rotating the platen 51 and the maintenance member 52, so that the configuration for switching between the two can be simplified and the cost can be reduced. Further, since the platen 51 and the maintenance member 52 are switched by the rotational movement, both can be switched in a small space, space efficiency can be increased, and an increase in the size of the entire apparatus can be suppressed.
In particular, when the space efficiency of the rotating unit 53 increases, the distance between the first transport unit 31 and the second transport unit 32 can be reduced. When the interval is wide, for example, when the recording medium 2 is curled, the leading end of the recording medium 2 is not pressed until the leading end of the recording medium 2 reaches from the first transport unit 31 to the second transport unit 32. May be unclear. On the other hand, even when the rear end of the recording medium 2 extends from the first transport unit 31 to the second transport unit 32, image formation may be unclear because the rear end is not pressed. However, when the interval is reduced, the state in which the leading and trailing ends of the recording medium 2 are not pressed can be shortened, so that the image forming area of the recording medium 2 can be expanded.
[0054]
It is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, but can be appropriately changed. For example, in the present embodiment, the ejection surface 42 of the head 4 and the maintenance member 52 are attached and detached by moving the rotating unit 53 up and down. However, other than this, for example, the arm 53b is expanded and contracted. Thus, a configuration in which the ejection surface 42 of the head 4 and the maintenance member 52 are attached and detached may be employed.
[0055]
Further, in the present embodiment, the configuration in which the line head is formed by one head 4 is illustrated, but a line head including a plurality of heads may be used. In such a case, a maintenance member is provided for each head.
[0056]
【The invention's effect】
According to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to perform maintenance of the discharge port without moving the line head. Therefore, maintenance can be performed while maintaining the positional accuracy of the line head.
The switching means supports the platen and the maintenance member so as to be integrally rotatable about a rotation axis. In other words, by simply rotating the platen and the maintenance member, it is possible to switch between the arrangement in which the platen faces the line head and the arrangement in which the maintenance member faces the line head. Can be suppressed. Further, since the platen and the maintenance member can be switched by the rotational movement, both can be switched in a small space, space efficiency can be improved, and an increase in the size of the entire apparatus can be suppressed.
[0057]
According to the second aspect of the invention, it is possible to prevent the recording medium from being stained by the maintenance member without contact between the recording medium and the maintenance member during image formation.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, maintenance of idle discharge and ink suction can be performed by one member. For this reason, maintenance can be performed in a small space, and space efficiency can be improved, as compared with a configuration in which maintenance is performed on the idle discharge and the ink suction using separate members.
According to the fourth aspect of the invention, the ink accumulated in the maintenance member due to the maintenance flows into the waste ink tank via the ink tube by suction of the suction means. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the ink from being accumulated and overflowing in the maintenance member, and it is possible to always maintain a state in which maintenance can be performed.
The suction means not only sucks the ink accumulated in the maintenance member, but also sucks the ink of the line head if the suction is performed when the maintenance member is in close contact with the ejection surface while covering the ejection port. it can. In this case, there is no need to provide a separate suction unit for performing only ink suction, so that space efficiency can be further improved and costs can be suppressed.
[0058]
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, when the maintenance member covers the discharge port and comes into close contact with the discharge surface, if the suction is performed in a non-communication state with the atmosphere, the ink of the line head can also be suctioned. Then, if the state is switched to the state of communication with the atmosphere after the suction, the maintenance member can be easily separated from the head. In other words, ink suction can be performed by the suction means, and in this case, there is no need to provide a separate suction means for performing only ink suction, so that space efficiency can be further increased and costs can be reduced.
According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, even when the platen faces the line head, that is, even when the maintenance member is farthest from the head, the inclination of the maintenance member does not tilt more than horizontal. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the ink accumulated in the maintenance member from spilling.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side view illustrating a main part of an ink jet printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating a state of the inkjet printer of FIG. 1 at the time of ink suction and at the time of standby.
FIG. 3 is a side view illustrating a state of the inkjet printer in FIG. 1 during idle ejection.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Inkjet printer
2 Recording media
4 head (line head)
6 suction means
41 Discharge port
42 Discharge surface
51 Platen
52 Maintenance parts
53 Rotating part (switching means)
53c Shaft (rotary axis)
61 Waste ink tank
62 ink tube
64 Atmosphere communication valve (communication means)
I ink

Claims (6)

In an ink jet printer that ejects ink to the front of a recording medium and forms an image,
Conveying means for conveying the recording medium,
A line head having an ejection port for ejecting ink toward a recording medium conveyed by the conveyance unit and an ejection surface in which a plurality of the ejection ports are arranged along a direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction of the recording medium;
When performing the maintenance of the ejection port, a maintenance member that faces the line head and receives ink from the ejection port,
A platen arranged to face the line head so as to support the recording medium from the back side when performing image formation,
Along with supporting the platen and the maintenance member, the platen and the maintenance member are integrally formed around a rotation axis parallel to a direction orthogonal to the recording medium conveyance direction and disposed on the back side of the recording medium. An ink jet printer comprising: a switching unit that rotates and switches between an arrangement in which the platen faces the line head and an arrangement in which the maintenance member faces the line head. The inkjet printer according to claim 1,
The ink jet printer, wherein when the platen faces the line head, the maintenance member is disposed apart from a recording medium conveyance path by the conveyance unit. The inkjet printer according to claim 1 or 2,
Moving means for moving the maintenance member in a direction of coming and going with respect to the line head,
The maintenance member includes an ink receiving unit that receives ink that has been idlely discharged from the discharge port, and a cap unit that surrounds the discharge port and is in close contact with the discharge surface while the ink receiving unit covers the discharge port. Has,
The ink jet printer, wherein the moving unit moves the maintenance member toward the line head so that the cap unit comes into close contact with the ejection surface. The inkjet printer according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A waste ink tank for storing ink discharged from the discharge port by maintenance,
An ink jet printer comprising: a suction unit that sucks ink from the maintenance member and sends the ink to the waste ink tank. The inkjet printer according to claim 4,
The suction unit includes an ink path through which ink flows from the maintenance member to the waste ink tank,
An ink jet printer, wherein a communication unit is provided in the ink path for switching between a state in which the atmosphere communicates from outside the ink path and a state in which the atmosphere does not communicate. The inkjet printer according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
An ink jet printer, wherein a rotation angle of the maintenance member is set to less than 90 degrees.

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