EP0435276B1 - Appareil à jet d'encre et cartouche unité d'enregistrement - Google Patents

Appareil à jet d'encre et cartouche unité d'enregistrement Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0435276B1
EP0435276B1 EP19900125551 EP90125551A EP0435276B1 EP 0435276 B1 EP0435276 B1 EP 0435276B1 EP 19900125551 EP19900125551 EP 19900125551 EP 90125551 A EP90125551 A EP 90125551A EP 0435276 B1 EP0435276 B1 EP 0435276B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
recording
ink
recording head
cartridge
head
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP19900125551
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German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0435276A1 (fr
Inventor
Fumihiko Watanabe
Takeshi Ono
Akio Okubo
Atsushi Saito
Yasuhiko Ikeda
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Canon Inc
Original Assignee
Canon Inc
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Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from JP2402158A external-priority patent/JP2801409B2/ja
Application filed by Canon Inc filed Critical Canon Inc
Publication of EP0435276A1 publication Critical patent/EP0435276A1/fr
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Publication of EP0435276B1 publication Critical patent/EP0435276B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
    • B41J2/01—Ink jet
    • B41J2/135—Nozzles
    • B41J2/165—Prevention or detection of nozzle clogging, e.g. cleaning, capping or moistening for nozzles
    • B41J2/16585—Prevention or detection of nozzle clogging, e.g. cleaning, capping or moistening for nozzles for paper-width or non-reciprocating print heads

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus and a recording unit cartridge wherein a desired image is formed by ejection of ink.
  • an ink jet apparatus comprises a recording head 101 having an ejection outlet for ejecting ink, an ink container 102 for containing ink ejected from the head 101, a pipe 103 (ink supply pipe) for supplying the ink from the container 102 to the head 101, a pump 104 for the ink supply or for filling the head with the ink at the initial stage, an ink receptor 105 for receiving the ink not used for the recording or a cap member 105 for contacting the ejection side surface of the head 101 to protect it or to recover the ejection of the ink from the head, a pump 107 for collecting the ink not used, a residual ink container 106 and a controller for controlling them.
  • the ink container 102 When the ink container 102 becomes empty by consumption of the ink for the recording, the ink container 102 is replaced with a fresh container, so that the recording operation can be continued. If, however, when the recording head 101 is damaged or warn to be not usable for the good recording operation, the recording head 101 is removed from the pipe 103, and is replaced with a fresh recording head, by which the recording operation can be continued. If the quantity of the ink in the residual ink container increases beyond its capacity, the residual ink container 106 is replaced with an empty one, by which the contamination of the apparatus attributable to the overflow of the residual ink can be prevented. In the apparatus, the replacements have been possible for the respective constituent parts to maintain the quality of the recorded images.
  • the apparatus in which the parts are replaceable is advantageous in that the good operation of the system can be maintained simply by replacing only the part to be replaced.
  • such an apparatus involves the following problems.
  • a recording unit cartridge is known from the document EP 0 335 699 A2; it is detachably mountable to a main assembly of a recording apparatus comprising a recording head for ejecting ink to effect recording, an ink supply system for supplying the ink to said recording head, a capping member for covering an ink ejection side surface of said recording head, an ink collecting member for collecting ink discharged to recover said recording head and not to effect the recording, a cleaning member for cleaning the ink ejection side surface of said recording head, and a casing provided for containing said recording head and said members inside as a unit.
  • the recording head according to the EP 0 335 699 A2 is in a fixed position in the casing and, in order to get a good printing quality, it is at a small distance from the recording medium. Therefore, the danger of contamination of the recording medium is high and the accessibility of the recording head is impaired.
  • a recording unit cartridge comprising the features of claim 1
  • an ink jet apparatus comprising a recording unit cartridge according to claim 1,
  • Figure 1 shows a conventional ink jet apparatus.
  • Figure 2 is a sectional view of an ink jet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • Figures 3 and 4 are sectional views illustrating rotational motion of the recording head according to the embodiment of the present invention.
  • Figure 5 shows a positioning member used when the cartridge is mounted into the main assembly of the recording apparatus.
  • Figures 6A and 6B illustrate an ink jet recording head and an ink supply system.
  • Figure 7 is a block diagram of a facsimile machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • Figure 8 is a sectional view of an ink jet recording means in a facsimile machine.
  • Figure 9 is a flow chart illustrating the control operation of a main controller used in an embodiment of the present invention.
  • Figure 10 is a flow chart illustrating the control operation of a record controller according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • Figure 11 is a sectional view of an ink jet apparatus according to a further embodiment of the present invention.
  • Figure 12 is a sectional view of another example of a recording unit cartridge used with the apparatus of Figure 11, according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • a reference numeral 1 designates a rolled recording paper which is accommodated in a casing 2 of a main assembly of the recording apparatus.
  • the recording apparatus comprises a recording paper guide 3 for confining the recording paper, a conveying roller 4 driven by an unshown driving means, a roller 5 mounted on a cover 7 of the main assembly together with a contact guide 6 of the recording paper guide 3.
  • the roller 5 is urged to the conveying roller 4 through the recording paper, by which the recording paper can be fed.
  • the recording paper guide 3 is close to or contacted to the conveying roller 4, so that the recording paper passage position is limited.
  • a full-line ink jet recording head 8 is provided with ejection outlets for ejecting ink over the entire length (recording width), and each of the ejection outlets is provided with electrothermal transducer or energy generating element for generating energy contributable to the ejection of the ink.
  • the recording head 8 is rotatably supported on a rotational shaft 9. In this Figure, the recording head 8 is shown as being positioned at its printing position. By ejection of ink droplets through the ejection outlets 8a to the recording paper so that a desired image is recorded on the recording paper.
  • a cartridge detachably mountable to the main assembly is comprised of a casing 10, the recording head 8, the ink supply container 11, a residual ink receptor 12 having an ink absorbing material such as sponge, a wiping blade 13 for cleaning the ejection side surface of the fed and a cap 14 for contacting and capping an ejection side surface of the recording head during non-recording period and during the recording head recovery operation or the like.
  • the casing covers these element as a unit.
  • the blade 13 is made of elastic material such as silicone rubber, and it is hydrophilic to efficiently wipe the ejection side surface.
  • the ejection side surface of the head is in contact with the blade 13 so as to be wiped.
  • three blades 13 are provided. However, one blade may be enough, or more blades may be used. The number thereof is not limited if the ink can be satisfactorily wiped out from the ejection side surface.
  • a cap 14 functions to seal the ink ejection outlets so as not to permit the recording head to be dried during the rest period of the apparatus.
  • the cap 14 rotates about the center 14a in contact with a part of the recording head 8 and using the rotational motion of the recording head 8, by which it seals the ejection side surface of the recording head, as shown in Figure 3 (capped state).
  • the cartridge 10 is detachable or mountable relative to the main assembly 2.
  • the recording head 8, the ink container 11, the residual ink receptor 12, the wiping blade 13, the cap 14 and the like are replaced as a unit.
  • the cartridge 10 does not have a driving source for the rotational movement of the head 8 in the cartridge. Therefore, the head driving source is disposed in the main apparatus and is operatively coupled with the cartridge 10 to transmit the driving force to the cartridge 10.
  • the positioning is effected by aligning a guide 10a of the cartridge 10 and the corresponding guide (not shown) of the main assembly of the apparatus, by which the cartridge is correctly positioned relative to the main assembly. With this aligned state maintained, the cartridge is slid into the main assembly. By doing so, the cartridge falls to be set correctly, upon which the unshown driving gear of the cartridge and the drive transmission gear 9a are meshed to establish a driving correction therebetween.
  • the gear meshing is utilized in this embodiment as a part of positioning members, by which the positioning accuracy upon the mounting of the cartridge is improved.
  • the electric connection for the purpose of transmission of the image signals from the main assembly of the apparatus is also established.
  • positioning members 4a may be provided at the opposite ends of the conveying roller 4 of the main assembly to be contacted to the corresponding positioning members (limiting members) 10b of the cartridge.
  • a leaf spring or the like 17 may be used at a backside of the cartridge to urge the cartridge toward the positioning member 4a for the conveying roller, by which the accuracy is further improved.
  • the cartridge 10 has a sensor for detecting a remaining amount of the ink 11, as indicated by a reference numeral 15 in Figure 2. It is of such a type that an electric resistance between electrodes is detected. Therefore, the timing of the cartridge 10 replacement is detected by the use-up of the ink.
  • Various parts of the cartridge 10 are designed in consideration of the operable driving period of the recording head, the capacity of the residual ink receptor 12, durability of the cap 14 and the durability of the wiping blade or the like matched with the use-up of the ink contained.
  • the recording head is positioned at the position shown in Figure 1 by an unshown recording head driving motor, and while the recording head 8 is stationary at this position, the recording operation is effected. At this time, the ink is supplied from the ink container disposed above the recording head 8.
  • the position of the ink container is not limited to this, but may be different if the ink can be satisfactorily supplied to the recording head. It is possible to dispose it below the recording head.
  • the supporting member for the recording head is bent, so that the position of the ejection outlets and the rotational shaft are deviated, as shown in Figure 1. Then, the ink passages having the electrothermal transducers in the recording head and the surface of the ink in the ink container 11 are maintained substantially parallel. Upon interruption or stop of the recording operation, the rotation of the motor is transmitted to the recording head so that the recording head 8 rotates downwardly from the recording position to the non-recording position.
  • the blade 13 is fixed in the cartridge at such a position that it wipes the plural ejection outlets during the rotational movement, by which all of the ejection outlets are cleaned by rotation of the recording head through 10 - 80 degrees.
  • the recording head 8 continues to rotate to reach a capping position where the cap 14 is disposed ( Figure 3 position, that is, capping position).
  • Figure 3 position that is, capping position.
  • the ink removed from the recording head by the above-described wiping action flows along the blade 13 and an inclined surface 101 on which the blades are mounted, into a residual ink container 12 disposed below the cap 14.
  • the residual ink container 12 contains an ink absorbing material made of porous material to retain the residual ink.
  • the cap 14 rotates about its supporting shaft by the rotational movement of the recording head and caps the ejection side of the recording head 8 when the ejection side surface faces down.
  • the recording head 8, the ink container 11, the cap 14, the residual ink container 12 and the blade 13 are contained as a unit in the cartridge. Therefore, it can be replaced without difficulty and without liability of the introduction of the foreign matter. Thus, the expertise is not required for the maintenance. Thus, the ordinary use can effect the maintenance operation without difficulty.
  • the recording head is moved away from the recording surface (recording position) by the rotational motion, and is returned to the recording position by the reverse rotation from the capping position, by which the driving system for the recording head is simplified, and the cost of the cartridge can be reduced.
  • FIG. 6A and 6B there is shown an example of a line recording ink jet head.
  • a large number of ink ejection outlets are distributed over the entire recording width.
  • the ink is supplied through the ink supply passage 21a-1.
  • Ink ejecting means (heater or the like not shown) is provided for each of the ejection outlets is controlled to effect the line recording, thus increasing the printing speed and the printing quality.
  • Peculiar to the ink jet recording there is a liability of improper printing attributable to evaporation, drying, leakage or the like of the ink, contamination thereby, contamination by foreign matter, production of bubble in the ink supply passage or the like.
  • a head recovery operation is desired in the printing intervals or in the rest period by idle ejections through all of the ejection outlets of the head or by filling the head with the ink or the like.
  • the ejection outlets of the head are sealed by a capping mechanism.
  • FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a facsimile machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. It comprises a main controller 31 to control the facsimile operations such as reading, recording, communication or the like, a modem controller 32 connected with a telephone line through NCU 33, an operation and display panel 34 including LCD and LED key switches, and a reader controller including CCD or contact sensor.
  • a controller 36 effects a control operation for recording the image read by the reader 35 or the image received by the modem controller 32.
  • the printing operation is started by actuating a driving circuit 36-a for the data transferred to the head 36-a.
  • a motor 36-c moves the head to a rest position, a recovery position, a printing position or the like.
  • a position detecting sensor 36-d detects the position of the head.
  • a circuit 36-e is provided to effect the ink supply to the line head. The ink supply operation is carried out after replacement of the ink cartridge or upon the recovery operation for the head.
  • a motor 36-f is a line
  • Figure 8 is a sectional view of an ink jet recording device according to the embodiment of the present invention.
  • Recording paper is designed by a reference numeral 41. It comprises a recording paper feeding platen roller 42, an ink jet head maintaining cap 43 and a residual ink tray 44. It further comprises a printing position sensor 36d-1, a recovery position sensor 36d-2 and a rest position sensor 36d-3, and a blade 45.
  • the ink jet head of Figure 6A is a full-line type ink jet head wherein the number of ejection outlets covering the entire length of one recording line.
  • the ink supply pipe 36a-1 is used to supply the ink from the ink container by a gear pump.
  • the description will be made as to the operation at the stop position of the recording head.
  • the recording head is at the printing position, in which the head driving circuit 36-b is actuated to effect the recording.
  • the sensor 36d-2 is actuated, the head is at the head recovery position in which in order for the recovery from the improper printing attributable to the clogging of the nozzle or the ink evaporation, the ink supply operation (36-e) or the idle ejection (36-b) (solid black image).
  • the ink ejected is received by the residual ink tray.
  • the sensor 36d-3 is actuated, the head is at the rest position in which the head is capped for the purpose of prevention of the ink evaporation and the prevention of the clogging during the non-use of the head.
  • Designated by a reference 36a-2 is a gear pump for supplying the ink to the head from the ink cartridge 36a-3.
  • the pump By actuating the ink filling circuit 36-e in Figure 7, the pump is driven to supply the ink.
  • the recovery operation includes a method in which the ink is supplied by the pump and a method in which all black information is supplied to the recording head, and the head driver circuit 36-b' of Figure 7 is actuated to effect the solid black printing while the recording head at the recovery position.
  • the ejection side surface of the recording head is wiped by the blade 45, so that the residual ink adjacent the ejection outlets are removed.
  • Figure 9 is a flow chart of the operation of the main controller
  • Figure 10 is a flow chart of the operation of the record controller.
  • FIG 9 is the flow chart of the operation of the main controller during the regular recovery operations.
  • the discrimination is made as to whether the time T in the display circuit is equal to the predetermined time a .
  • a step S3 is executed to produce instructions for the regular recovery operation to the record controller, and the flow of the sequence returns to the step S1.
  • Figure 10 shows the flow chart of the operation of the record controller upon receiving the regular recovery instructions.
  • the head moving motor 36c is driven until the sensor 36d-3 is actuated, that is, until the head reaches the recovery position.
  • the recovery operation described hereinbefore is carried out.
  • the head moving motor 36c is driven through move the recording head from the recovery position to move in contact with the blade 45 and to return.
  • the head is moved to the rest position where it is capped, and the sensor 36d-3 is actuated. This is the end of the regular recovery operation.
  • a water absorbing sponge material or roller is usable.
  • the capping means may be equipped with a driving means therefor.
  • the cleaning position, the recovery position, the rest position and the printing position may be changed in their relative positional relation.
  • the record controller may contain the time counting function to effect its control. Other various modification is possible within the scope of the present invention.
  • the facsimile machine is usable with a cut sheet.
  • the recording head, the cap, the blade, the ink supply container and the residual ink container are contained as a unit in a cartridge.
  • the cartridge is detachably mountable into the recording apparatus.
  • Figure 11 shows a general arrangement of the facsimile machine 51. It comprises an image reader 52, a recording material container 54, a cartridge 53, an image fixing station 55, a recording sheet discharging station 56, a recording sheet conveying portion 57 and the like.
  • the image reader 52 is provided with an original feeding system (not shown) which feeds an original from an original tray 52a to an original discharge tray 52b, and during the feeding, a sensor of the reader 52 reads the original, and the read information is transmitted.
  • an original feeding system not shown
  • the image received thereby is recorded on a recording sheet 54a conveyed from the recording sheet supply tray 54 to the recording station by a feeding roller 57.
  • the image thus recorded is fixed in the fixing station 55, and the sheet is discharged to the discharge tray 56.
  • the recording sheet supply tray 54 is exchangeable when a cover 51b provided in a side of the apparatus 51 is opened in a direction indicated by an arrow.
  • a cartridge 53 which is detachably mountable into the recording apparatus comprises as a unit an ink cartridge 62 having a recording head 61, a cap 65, an ink supply container and a discharge ink container, an ink supply cube 63 for supplying the ink to the head 61, a residual ink cube 66 connected with the cap 65, and a blade 64 for cleaning the ejection side surface of the head 61.
  • the cartridge 53 is mounted to or dismounted from the main assembly of the apparatus 51 when the cover 51a formed in a part of a side wall of the apparatus 51.
  • the structure of the first embodiment is usable.
  • the cartridge 53 of this embodiment is also equipped with a driving system (not shown).
  • the driving system By the driving system, the recording head 61 is movable between a recording position indicated by a broken line and a non-recording position faced to the cap 65, indicated by the solid line.
  • the cartridge is provided with a shutter 53b at the recording position of the head 61, the shutter 53b being opened while it is mounted in the apparatus.
  • a blade 64 for cleaning the ejection side surface of the head.
  • the blade 64 accomplishes the cleaning by the rotation thereof while the recording head is retained at the cleaning position.
  • the rotational direction may be either, but if it is clockwise direction in the Figure, the recording region is prevented from contamination by ink mist upon the cleaning operation. If it is counterclockwise, a blocking wall may be used for the protection from the ink mist.
  • An ink absorbing material contactable to the cleaning surface of the blade may be disposed in the rotational path of the blade 64.
  • the cap 65 at the non-recording position is mounted to a rib 53a projected from the cartridge casing to cover the ejection side surface of the recording head. The cap is urged toward the head by a spring member 65a to buffer the impact of contact upon covering the head and to ensure the capping.
  • the ink cartridge 62 comprises an ink container 62a containing the ink to be supplied to the head 61 through the ink supply cube 63 and a residual ink container 62b for accommodating the ink discharged from the head 61 into the cap 65 by idle ejection, through an ink collecting tube 66, as a unit.
  • the ink cartridge 62 is detachably mountable to the cartridge 53. It is joined with the ink supply tube 63 and the ink collecting tube 66 by a joint 67 to establish the ink supply to the head 61 and the ink collection from the cap 65.
  • the consideration is made to the case in which the quantity of the ink in the ink container is relatively small as compared with the service life of the recording head, and therefore, even if the ink in the container is used up, the recording head is still usable. Accordingly, only the ink container 62 is replaceable upon use-up of the ink.
  • the cartridge 53 is removed from the main assembly of the recording apparatus, and another cartridge is mounted thereinto. In this manner, the maintenance is easy. It is the fact that the connection of the ink passage, for example, the fitting between the head and the ink supply tube or the fitting between the cap and the ink collection tube, is difficult, and in addition, it is possible that the apparatus is contaminated with the ink, or the operator's hand is contaminated thereby during the maintenance operation. Therefore, the cartridge structure of this embodiment is desirable.
  • the element such as the recording head having a relatively long service life and an element having a relatively shorter service life, can be separately replaceable, by which the long life element is effectively used.
  • the cartridge 53 contains all the system containing the ink and is separate from the other unit by the cartridge casing. Therefore, it does not easily accept the foreign matter such as paper dust produced from the recording paper or the dust in the apparatus, so that the ejection side surface of the recording head, the capping member and the blade are effectively protected; even if the ink is leaked, the leaked ink does not influence the other unit or units; and upon malfunction of the ink supply system, the maintenance is easy since it includes only the replacement of the cartridge, the maintenance operation otherwise having been difficult.
  • the unit may contained an original reader system and a recording system for recording an image received thereby.
  • the unit is easily replaced, as desired.
  • the easy maintenance is similarly accomplished by constructing as a unit the image reading system and constructing as a unit the recording system.
  • the unit structure is not limited to these two examples.
  • a sheet feeding system in the recording system, the ink (image) fixing system may be constituted as the respective units or as a unit to further facilitate the maintenance operation.
  • a plurality of feeding system units may be of different types, for example, one for cut sheets and another for rolled paper.
  • the fixing system is constituted as a unit, the fixing system may correspond to the used recording material.
  • the recording unit cartridge may be of the full-line type or a serial type or a multi-color recording head type (the driving system for the head is desirably provided in the cartridge for the purpose of simplified structure).
  • the present invention is particularly suitably usable in a bubble jet recording head and recording apparatus developed by Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Japan. This is because, the high density of the picture element, and the high resolution of the recording are possible.
  • the principle is applicable to a so-called on-demand type recording system and a continuous type recording system particularly however, it is suitable for the on-demand type because the principle is such that at least one driving signal is applied to an electrothermal transducer disposed on a liquid (ink) retaining sheet or liquid passage, the driving signal being enough to provide such a quick temperature rise beyond a departure from nucleation boiling point, by which the thermal energy is provide by the electrothermal transducer to produce film boiling on the heating portion of the recording head, whereby a bubble can be formed in the liquid (ink) corresponding to each of the driving signals.
  • the liquid (ink) is ejected through an ejection outlet to produce at least one droplet.
  • the driving signal is preferably in the form of a pulse, because the development and collapse of the bubble can be effected instantaneously, and therefore, the liquid (ink) is ejected with quick response.
  • the driving signal in the form of the pulse is preferably such as disclosed in U.S. Patents Nos. 4,463,359 and 4,345,262.
  • the temperature increasing rate of the heating surface is preferably such as disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,313,124.
  • the structure of the recording head may be as shown in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,558,333 and 4,459,600 wherein the heating portion is disposed at a bent portion in addition to the structure of the combination of the ejection outlet, liquid passage and the electrothermal transducer as disclosed in the above-mentioned patents.
  • the present invention is applicable to the structure disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 123670/1984 wherein a common slit is used as the ejection outlet for plural electrothermal transducers, and to the structure disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 138461/1984 wherein an opening for absorbing pressure wave of the thermal energy is formed corresponding to the ejecting portion. This is because, the present invention is effective to perform the recording operation with certainty and at high efficiency irrespective of the type of the recording head.
  • the present invention is effectively applicable to a so-called full-line type recording head having a length corresponding to the maximum recording width.
  • a recording head may comprise a single recording head and a plural recording head combined to cover the entire width.
  • the present invention is applicable to a serial type recording head wherein the recording head is fixed on the main assembly, to a replaceable chip type recording head which is connected electrically with the main apparatus and can be supplied with the ink by being mounted in the main assembly, or to a cartridge type recording head having an integral ink container.
  • the recovery means and the auxiliary means for the preliminary operation are preferable, because they can further stabilize the effect of the present invention.
  • the recording head mountable it may be a single corresponding to a single color ink, or may be plural corresponding to the plurality of ink materials having different recording color or density.
  • the present invention is effectively applicable to an apparatus having at least one of a monochromatic mode mainly with black and a multi-color with different color ink materials and a full-color mode by the mixture of the colors which may be an integrally formed recording unit or a combination of plural recording heads.
  • the ink has been liquid. It may be, however, an ink material solidified at the room temperature or below and liquefied at the room temperature. Since in the ink jet recording system, the ink is controlled within the temperature not less than 30 °C and not more than 70 °C to stabilize the viscosity of the ink to provide the stabilized ejection, in usual recording apparatus of this type, the ink is such that it is liquid within the temperature range when the recording signal is applied. In addition, the temperature rise due to the thermal energy is positively prevented by consuming it for the state change of the ink from the solid state to the liquid state, or the ink material is solidified when it is left is used to prevent the evaporation of the ink.
  • the ink may be liquefied, and the liquefied ink may be ejected.
  • the ink may start to be solidified at the time when it reaches the recording material.
  • the present invention is applicable to such an ink material as is liquefied by the application of the thermal energy.
  • Such an ink material may be retained as a liquid or solid material on through holes or recesses formed in a porous sheet as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 56847/1979 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 71260/1985.
  • the sheet is faced to the electrothermal transducers.
  • the most effective one for the ink materials described above is the film boiling system.
  • the ink jet recording apparatus may be used as an output terminal of an information processing apparatus such as computer or the like, a copying apparatus combined with an image reader or the like, or a facsimile machine having information sending and receiving functions.
  • an information processing apparatus such as computer or the like
  • a copying apparatus combined with an image reader or the like or a facsimile machine having information sending and receiving functions.

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  • Ink Jet (AREA)

Claims (17)

  1. Cartouche d'unité d'enregistrement pouvant être montée de manière amovible sur l'assemblage principal d'un appareil d'enregistrement, comprenant
       une tête d'enregistrement (8, 61), pour éjecter de l'encre afin d'effectuer un enregistrement,
       un système (21a-1, 63) d'alimentation en encre, pour alimenter en encre ladite tête d'enregistrement,
       un élément (14, 65) de coiffage, pour recouvrir la surface latérale d'éjection d'encre de ladite tête d'enregistrement,
       un élément (12, 66) de collecte de l'encre, pour collecter l'encre déchargée pour restaurer ladite tête d'enregistrement et ne pas effectuer l'enregistrement,
       un élément de nettoyage (13, 45, 64), pour nettoyer la surface latérale d'éjection d'encre de ladite tête d'enregistrement,
       et un boîtier (10, 53) destiné à contenir ladite tête d'enregistrement, ledit système d'alimentation en encre et lesdits éléments situés à l'intérieur, sous la forme d'une unité,
       caractérisée en ce que
       ladite tête d'enregistrement est mobile entre une position d'enregistrement et une position de non enregistrement dans ledit boîtier.
  2. Cartouche selon la revendication 1, dans laquelle le mouvement de ladite tête d'enregistrement (8) est un mouvement de rotation autour d'un pivot fixe (9).
  3. Cartouche selon la revendication 1, dans laquelle le mouvement de ladite tête d'enregistrement (61) est un mouvement de translation.
  4. Cartouche selon la revendication 2, dans laquelle l'élément de nettoyage (13) est disposé dans un trajet de déplacement de ladite tête d'enregistrement (8), de telle sorte que la surface latérale (8a) d'éjection de ladite tête d'enregistrement soit nettoyée par le mouvement de rotation de ladite tête d'enregistrement.
  5. Cartouche selon la revendication 3, dans laquelle ledit élément de nettoyage (64) est disposé dans le trajet de déplacement de la tête d'enregistrement (61), de telle sorte que la surface latérale d'éjection de ladite tête d'enregistrement soit nettoyée par un mouvement relatif entre le mouvement de la tête d'enregistrement (61) et le mouvement dudit élément de nettoyage (64).
  6. Cartouche selon la revendication 1, dans laquelle ledit système (62, 63) d'alimentation en encre comporte un conteneur (62a) d'encre pour contenir l'encre à envoyer vers ladite tête d'enregistrement (61) et un passage (63) d'alimentation en encre pour envoyer l'encre vers ladite tête d'enregistrement, et dans laquelle ledit conteneur d'encre peut être monté de manière amovible sur ladite cartouche (53).
  7. Cartouche selon la revendication 1, dans laquelle ladite tête d'enregistrement est d'un type à ligne complète dans lequel une pluralité de sorties d'éjection sont réparties sur la largeur d'enregistrement d'un support d'enregistrement.
  8. Cartouche selon la revendication 1, dans laquelle ladite tête d'enregistrement éjecte l'encre en utilisant de l'énergie thermique produisant une ébullition pelliculaire.
  9. Cartouche selon la revendication 1, comprenant en outre dans l'unité, un système de commande pour déplacer la tête d'enregistrement.
  10. Appareil à jet d'encre, comprenant
       une cartouche selon la revendication 1,
       un support qui est utilisé pour le montage de manière amovible de ladite cartouche (62) et un système de commande pour déplacer ladite tête d'enregistrement (61) dans ladite cartouche lorsque ladite cartouche est montée sur ledit support.
  11. Appareil selon la revendication 10, dans lequel ledit appareil à jet d'encre est un appareil de télécopie comportant un moyen (52) pour lire l'image d'un original et pour transmettre l'information lue et un moyen pour recevoir l'information en provenance de l'extérieur et pour enregistrer l'information sur un support d'enregistrement.
  12. Cartouche selon la revendication 1, dans laquelle ladite tête d'enregistrement est d'un type à balayage en série qui effectue l'enregistrement tout en réalisant le mouvement de balayage dans la direction de la largeur d'enregistrement.
  13. Cartouche selon la revendication 2, dans laquelle le mouvement de rotation est effectué par un moyen disposé dans l'assemblage principal d'un appareil d'enregistrement.
  14. Cartouche selon la revendication 3, dans laquelle le mouvement de translation est effectué par un moyen disposé dans l'assemblage principal d'un appareil d'enregistrement.
  15. Cartouche selon la revendication 1, comprenant en outre une source d'entraînement pour effectuer le déplacement de ladite tête d'enregistrement.
  16. Appareil selon la revendication 11, dans lequel le lecteur d'image et l'enregistreur d'image dudit appareil de télécopie sont constitués sous la forme d'unités respectives pouvant être remplacées.
  17. Appareil selon la revendication 10, dans lequel ledit appareil à jet d'encre comprend en outre un système d'alimentation en supports d'enregistrement pour faire avancer un support d'enregistrement et un système de fixage d'image pour fixer l'encre dans le support d'enregistrement, l'un du système d'alimentation en supports d'enregistrement et du système de fixage, ou les deux, étant constitué(s) sous la forme d'une unité ou d'unités pouvant être remplacée(s).
EP19900125551 1989-12-26 1990-12-27 Appareil à jet d'encre et cartouche unité d'enregistrement Expired - Lifetime EP0435276B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (8)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP33920589 1989-12-26
JP339206/89 1989-12-26
JP33920789 1989-12-26
JP339207/89 1989-12-26
JP33920689 1989-12-26
JP339205/89 1989-12-26
JP402158/90 1990-12-14
JP2402158A JP2801409B2 (ja) 1989-12-26 1990-12-14 インクジェット装置及び記録系ユニットカートリッジ

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0435276A1 EP0435276A1 (fr) 1991-07-03
EP0435276B1 true EP0435276B1 (fr) 1996-07-03

Family

ID=27480576

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19900125551 Expired - Lifetime EP0435276B1 (fr) 1989-12-26 1990-12-27 Appareil à jet d'encre et cartouche unité d'enregistrement

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0435276B1 (fr)
DE (1) DE69027660T2 (fr)

Families Citing this family (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0430077B1 (fr) * 1989-11-22 1996-03-20 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Appareil d'enregistrement par jet d'encre
DE69115946T2 (de) * 1990-02-13 1996-06-13 Canon Kk Tintenstrahlaufzeichnungsgerät
EP0527504A1 (fr) * 1991-08-14 1993-02-17 Antoinette Zosi Tête à jet d'encre laminée et appareil à imprimer
EP0786351B1 (fr) 1995-08-10 2001-10-31 Seiko Epson Corporation Cartouche pour imprimante a jet d'encre et imprimante a jet d'encre
US7478895B2 (en) * 2003-12-05 2009-01-20 Eastman Kodak Company Backprinting assembly for a photographic printer
US7461916B2 (en) 2004-12-06 2008-12-09 Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd Inkjet printer with arcuately moveable simplex printhead and capping mechanism
US6984017B1 (en) 2004-12-06 2006-01-10 Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd Inkjet printer incorporating a reel-to-reel flexible capping member
US7258416B2 (en) 2004-12-06 2007-08-21 Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd Inkjet printer with pivotal capping member
US7510264B2 (en) 2004-12-06 2009-03-31 Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd Inkjet printer with arcuately moveable simplex printhead and capping/purging mechanism

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2087800B (en) * 1980-11-20 1985-01-09 Epson Corp Printing device
US4698650A (en) * 1984-03-28 1987-10-06 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Recording apparatus and cassette for recording medium
JP2527774B2 (ja) * 1987-12-29 1996-08-28 キヤノン株式会社 インクジェット記録装置
DE68923025T2 (de) * 1988-03-31 1995-11-16 Canon Kk Austauschbare Tintenstrahlkassette und Tintenstrahldruckgerät mit einer solchen.

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE69027660T2 (de) 1996-12-05
EP0435276A1 (fr) 1991-07-03
DE69027660D1 (de) 1996-08-08

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