JP2000085145A - Waste ink tank - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a low-cost waste ink tank which reuses reusable parts without discarding the parts. SOLUTION: A waste ink tank 40 has a case 50 of a rectangular parallelepiped and an ink-absorbing body 60 accommodated in the case 50. An upper wall of the case 50 is a lid 52 which freely opens centering a long side. A belt- shaped take-out member 56 for taking out the ink-absorbing body 60 is set to the case 50. A leading end part 56a of the take-out member 56 is fixed to an upper end of a side wall 50a of the case 50. A rear end part 56b of the member comes out of the case 50 from an upper end of a side wall 50b. The take-out member 56 is formed of a material not absorbing ink.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a waste ink tank for storing waste ink discharged or sucked from nozzles of a print head.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As one of output devices of computers and workstations, there is known an ink jet type image forming apparatus which forms an image on a recording medium such as recording paper by discharging ink. The inkjet type image forming apparatus includes, for example, a print head in which nozzles for discharging ink are formed, a carriage mounted with the print head and reciprocating in a predetermined direction, and a direction orthogonal to the predetermined direction (recording medium conveyance). And a recording medium transport device that transports the recording paper in the direction (1).

When an image is formed on a recording sheet, the recording sheet being conveyed by the recording medium conveying device is temporarily stopped, and while the carriage is reciprocated in the above-mentioned predetermined direction, an image signal carrying image information is generated. Discharging ink from the nozzle based on the
An image for one band is formed on a portion of the recording paper which is located in an image forming area facing an outlet (ink ejection port) of a nozzle. Thereafter, the paper is conveyed by the width of one band and stopped, and ink is ejected from the nozzles based on the image signal while the carriage is reciprocated again in the above-mentioned predetermined direction. Then, an image is formed in a newly located portion. By repeating such an operation, an image is formed on the recording paper.

In an image forming apparatus using ink, such as the above-mentioned ink jet type image forming apparatus, when images are continuously formed (printed), there is a possibility that the ink ejection state of the nozzles changes and the image quality deteriorates. is there. The reason why the ink ejection state from the nozzle changes is that bubbles are generated in the nozzle or foreign matter (for example, paper powder) is mixed therein. Therefore, in order to remove bubbles, foreign matter, and the like in the nozzle, a recovery device that forcibly sucks ink from the nozzle and recovers an ink discharge state to an initial state is used.

This recovery device is used by judging the ink discharge state during printing, or is used at predetermined time intervals of printing. In the recovery device, the nozzle outlet formed in the print head is covered with a rubber cap (capping), and a negative pressure is generated from the outside to forcibly suck ink from the nozzle to clean the inside of the nozzle. As a result, the ink is sucked from the nozzle, and the ink ejection state is restored to the initial normal ejection state.

Ink (waste ink) sucked by the recovery device
Is stored in the waste ink tank. When this waste ink tank is enlarged, a large amount of waste ink is stored. But,
In some cases, the size of the waste ink tank is reduced in order to reduce the size of the ink jet type image forming apparatus, and the removable ink tank is detachable from the main body of the image forming apparatus.

In the case of such a detachable waste ink tank, in order to prevent the waste ink from overflowing from the waste ink tank, the waste ink tank is imaged when a predetermined amount of waste ink has accumulated in the waste ink tank. Remove the waste ink from the forming apparatus main body and discard the waste ink.

[0008]

When discarding waste ink in this way, the entire waste ink tank is discarded. For this reason, even if there is a part that can be reused among the parts that constitute the waste ink tank, this part is also discarded.

An object of the present invention is to provide a low-cost waste ink tank that reuses reusable parts without discarding them.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above object, a waste ink tank according to the present invention discharges ink from said nozzle while reciprocating a print head having a nozzle for discharging ink in a predetermined direction. A waste ink tank for storing waste ink ejected or sucked from the nozzles in an ink-jet image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium by means of: (1) a case having an openable and closable lid; and (2) An ink absorber that absorbs ink and is housed inside the case by opening the lid.

Here, the waste ink tank may include (3) a take-out member for taking out the ink absorbent housed in the case.

The ink absorber may be (4) wrapped in a sheet material that does not absorb ink.

Further, the ink absorber may have (5) a handle.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a waste ink tank according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Referring to FIG. 1, a plotter (an example of an ink jet type image forming apparatus according to the present invention) incorporating a waste ink tank of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a plotter incorporating a waste ink tank according to the present invention.

The plotter 10 has a platen 14 on which the recording paper 12 conveyed in the direction of arrow A is placed. Above the platen 14, two guide shafts 16 are extended in parallel with the platen 14. The guide shaft 16 is provided with a carriage 18 (not shown) that reciprocates freely in directions indicated by arrows B and C (a direction orthogonal to the direction of arrow A) by a motor (not shown) and a belt (not shown). Attached via).

The carriage 18 is mounted with a print head 20 having an ink discharge port (a nozzle outlet, not shown) for discharging ink. An image forming area 22 in which an image is formed is located in front of the ink ejection port. Ink is ejected from the ink ejection port to a portion of the recording paper 12 located in the image forming area 22 to form an image.

At a position on one side of the movable range of the carriage 18 away from the image forming area 22, ink is forcibly sucked from the nozzles to clean the ink supply paths and nozzles formed in the print head 20. A recovery device 30 is provided for setting the ink discharge state of the print head 20 to the initial discharge state. A waste ink tank 40 (see FIG. 2) is disposed below the recovery device 30.

In forming an image on the recording paper 12,
The recording paper 12 is placed on the platen 14, and the recording paper 12 is transported by a transport roller 24 having a part of the outer peripheral surface exposed from an opening (not shown) formed in the platen 14 and both ends of the recording paper 12. The sheet is nipped by a pinch roller 26 pressed from above, and is transported by rotating a transport roller 24 by a motor (not shown). The carriage 18 is reciprocated in the directions of arrows B and C above the recording paper 12, and ink is ejected from the nozzles based on an image signal carrying image information transmitted from the control device 28 to the print head 20. Out of 12,
An image is formed on a portion located in the image forming area 22. During the image forming operation, when it becomes necessary to suck ink from the nozzles to clean the nozzles, the carriage 18 is moved above the recovery device 30.

A first embodiment of the waste ink tank will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the waste ink tank of the first embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the waste ink tank of FIG. 2 in which a fixed amount of waste ink is stored. FIG.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state where a lid of the waste ink tank of FIG. 2 is opened, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a case of the waste ink tank of FIG. 2 and an ink absorber taken out of the case.

As described above, the waste ink tank 40
It is detachably attached below the recovery device 30 (see FIG. 1). The waste ink tank 40 has a rectangular parallelepiped case 50.
And an ink absorber 60 housed in the case 50. As shown in FIG. 4, the upper wall of the case 50 is a lid 52 that can be freely opened and closed about a long side. An ink inlet 54 into which waste ink sucked by the recovery device 30 flows is formed at one longitudinal end of the lid 52.

The case 50 is provided with a strip-shaped take-out member 56 for taking out the ink absorber 60.
The length of the extraction member 56 is longer than the sum of the height of the side walls 50a and 50b and the length of the bottom wall 50c. The distal end 56a of the take-out member 56 is fixed to the upper end of the side wall 50a of the case 50. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 2, even if the ink absorber 60 is housed in the case 50 so that the takeout member 56 is brought into close contact with the side walls 50a and 50b and the bottom wall 50c, the rear end portion 56b of the takeout member 56 It protrudes out of the case 50 from the upper end of the side wall 50b. The takeout member 56
Is made of a material that does not absorb ink.

The ink absorber 60 housed in the case 50
When the ink absorber 60 ′ absorbs the waste ink and absorbs a certain amount of waste ink, the lid 52 is opened in the direction of arrow D as shown in FIG. Subsequently, the rear end 5 of the extraction member 56
6b is pulled in the direction of arrow E as shown in FIG. Thereby, the ink absorber 60 'can be taken out of the case 50 as shown in FIG. In this case, since the rear end portion 56b of the takeout member 56 is pulled, the ink absorber 60 'can be taken out of the case 50 without directly touching the ink absorber 60' that has absorbed the waste ink. Therefore, the hands are not stained during the removal operation. In addition, empty case 5
By storing the new ink absorber 60 at 0 and closing the lid 52, it can be used again as a new waste ink tank 40. For this reason, the case 50 is reused, and accordingly, a low-cost waste ink tank 40 is obtained.

A second embodiment of the waste ink tank will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a waste ink tank according to the second embodiment. In this figure, the same components as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

The waste ink tank 70 has a rectangular parallelepiped case 50 and an ink absorber 80 housed in the case 50.
It has. The case 50 has a take-out member 56 (FIG. 2).
Is not installed. The ink absorber 80 is
The entire circumference is wrapped by a film 82 (which is an example of a sheet-like substance according to the present invention) that does not absorb ink. However,
A hole (not shown) is formed in a portion of the film 82 near the ink inlet 54 so that the waste ink is absorbed by the ink absorber 80. A handle (handle) 84 is fixed to one surface of the ink absorber 80 wrapped in the film 82.

The ink absorber 80 housed in the case 50
Absorbs a certain amount of waste ink, the lid 52 is opened, the handle 84 is grasped, and the ink absorber 80 is taken out of the case 50. When taking out the ink absorber 80, the handle 84 is gripped, so that the hand is not stained with waste ink. Further, since the ink absorber 80 is wrapped with the film 82, the waste ink does not fall or scatter and the surroundings are not stained. The empty case 50 contains a new ink absorber 80.
Is stored and the lid 52 is closed, so that it can be used again as a new waste ink tank 70. For this reason, case 5
Since 0 is reused, a low-cost waste ink tank 70 is obtained.

[0030]

As described above, in the waste ink tank of the present invention, the waste ink accumulated in the waste ink tank is absorbed by the ink absorber. When the ink absorber absorbs a certain amount of waste ink and the waste ink tank is almost full of waste ink, the lid is opened and the ink absorber is taken out of the case and discarded. The case is not discarded and can be reused. Therefore, by storing a new ink absorber in this case, the waste ink tank can be used again.

Here, when a take-out member for taking out the ink absorber housed in the case is provided, the take-out member is used when the ink absorber that has absorbed the waste ink is taken out by the take-out member. Can be taken out without touching
For this reason, the ink absorber can be taken out without soiling the hand, and the waste ink can be treated.

When the ink absorber is wrapped in a sheet material that does not absorb ink, when the ink absorber that absorbs waste ink is taken out of the case,
Since the ink absorber is wrapped in a sheet material that does not absorb ink, the waste ink does not drop or scatter. For this reason, the periphery of the waste ink tank is not stained with the waste ink. Also, the case is not stained with waste ink.

Further, when the ink absorber is provided with a handle, when the ink absorber is taken out of the case, the handle can be taken out of the ink absorber so that the hand is not stained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a plotter in which a waste ink tank of the present invention is incorporated.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a waste ink tank according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the waste ink tank of FIG. 2 in which a certain amount of waste ink is stored.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state where a lid of the waste ink tank of FIG. 2 is opened.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a case of the waste ink tank of FIG. 2 and an ink absorber taken out of the case.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a waste ink tank according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Plotter 56 Extraction member 40, 70 Waste ink tank 60, 80 Ink absorber 82 Sheet material 84 Handle

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An ink jet type image forming apparatus which forms an image on a recording medium by discharging ink from said nozzle while reciprocating a print head having a nozzle for discharging ink in a predetermined direction. Alternatively, in a waste ink tank for storing sucked waste ink, a case having an openable and closable lid is provided, and an ink absorber for absorbing ink, which is stored inside the case by opening the lid, is provided. A waste ink tank. 2. The waste ink tank according to claim 1, further comprising a take-out member for taking out the ink absorber housed in the case. 3. The waste ink tank according to claim 1, wherein the ink absorber is wrapped with a sheet material that does not absorb ink. 4. The ink absorber according to claim 1, further comprising a handle.
4. The waste ink tank according to 2 or 3.