JP2000141819A - Head cooling mechanism ink jet printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a structure capable of efficiently cooling the head unit of an ink jet printer. SOLUTION: A cooling air passage 605 is formed between the carriage 8 of an ink jet printer and the head radiation plate 604 of the head unit 6 mounted thereon by the rib 804 formed to the surface of the side wall of the carriage. Since air flows through the cooling air passage 605 by the movement of the carriage 8, the radiation due to the head radiation plate 604 can be performed efficiently.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a cooling mechanism for an ink jet head of an ink jet printer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, an ink jet printer performs printing while moving a carriage carrying an ink jet head in a direction perpendicular to a recording paper conveyance direction. In a piezoelectric type ink jet head or the like, heat generated by driving is designed to be released to the outside from a head heat sink attached to the ink jet head.

[0003]

However, since the ink jet head mounted on the carriage is surrounded by the inner peripheral surface of the carriage, the head radiating plate is also surrounded by the inner peripheral surface of the carriage. . Therefore, there is a problem that heat cannot be efficiently released from the head heat sink.

An object of the present invention is to propose a head cooling mechanism that can efficiently cool an ink jet head.

[0005]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in an ink jet printer according to the present invention, a cooling device is provided between a heat sink of an ink jet head and an inner surface of a carriage facing the heat sink. The air passage is formed.

[0006] When the carriage moves, an air flow is generated in the cooling air passage. Therefore, heat can be efficiently radiated from the head radiator plate through the air flow.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an ink jet printer to which the present invention is applied will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(Overall Configuration) FIGS. 1 and 2 are a plan configuration diagram and a sectional configuration diagram showing a recording paper transport path of an ink jet printer to which the present invention can be applied. Referring to these drawings, the inkjet printer 1 has a printer main unit 2 and a paper feed unit 4 connected to the unit 2. The printer main unit 2 includes a carriage unit 8 on which a head unit 6 and an ink cartridge 7 are mounted.

The carriage unit 8 includes a pair of gears 81.
When the carriage motor 83 is driven by being connected to the timing belt 82 bridged over the a and 81b, it can reciprocate in the unit width direction along the carriage guide 84. The ink nozzle surface 61 of the head unit 6 can be reciprocated in the print area 62 by the carriage unit 8. Further, the user can move to a home position 63 outside the print area 62.

A head maintenance unit 9 is mounted on a portion of the printer main unit 2 near the home position 63. The head maintenance unit 9 includes a head cap 91 and a head wiper 92 that can move up and down. When the head unit 6 is located at the home position 63, the head nozzle 92 can cap the ink nozzle surface 61. With 92, the ink nozzle surface 61 can be wiped.

The waste ink collected by the head cap 91 is collected in the waste ink tank of the ink cartridge 7 by the pumping action of the ink pump 93. Further, the waste ink wiped off by the head wiper 92 can be collected in a waste ink tank 21 arranged at the bottom of the printer main unit 2. Each operating part of the head maintenance unit 9 is driven by a motor 94.

In the main unit 2, the platen guide 22 is disposed at a position facing the ink nozzle surface 61 of the head unit 6 over the entire width of the printing range 63. Recording paper is supplied from the paper feed unit 4 to the print position defined by the platen guide 22.

The paper feed unit 4 includes a paper feed tray 41 and a paper feed roller 42 for feeding out the recording paper loaded therein one by one from above. A paper feed motor 23 (hereinafter, referred to as an LF motor) is disposed on the side of the printer main unit 2, and the LF motor 23 drives a paper feed roller 42 to rotate, thereby recording from the paper feed tray 41. Paper is sent out.

At the upstream end of the platen guide 22 in the sheet feeding direction, a feed roller 24, which is also driven to rotate by an LF motor 23, is disposed. A press roller 25 is pressed against the feed roller 24 by a spring force. I have. The recording paper sent from the paper feed tray 41 is held by the feed roller 24 and the press roller 25,
The sheet is conveyed toward the platen guide 22.

A predetermined recording is performed on the recording paper conveyed along the platen roller 22 while the head unit mounted on the carriage unit 6 moves directly above the recording paper. Discharge rollers 26 and 27 are disposed on the downstream side of the platen guide 22 in the sheet feeding direction. These rollers are also driven to rotate by the LF motor 23, and the recorded recording paper is discharged from the discharge port 28 to the outside. Discharge.

(Head Cooling Mechanism) FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a cooling mechanism of the head unit 6 in which the ink jet head is incorporated. The head unit 6 is detachably mounted on the carriage 8, and the ink cartridge 7 is also detachably mounted thereon. The head unit 6 includes an ink jet head 601 protruding downward from a bottom surface 801 of the carriage 8 and an ink supply having a manifold for supplying ink from the ink cartridge 7 to each nozzle (not shown) of the ink jet head 601. Unit 602 and the ink supply unit 602
And a substrate portion 603 on which a circuit pattern vertically rising from the side surface is formed, and a head radiating plate 604 is attached to the substrate portion 603.

On the inner peripheral surface of the carriage side wall 803 facing the head radiating plate 604, ribs or bosses 804 extending vertically are formed at predetermined intervals.
A cooling air passage 605 is defined between the rib 804 and the head heat sink 604. Also, a carriage bottom surface 801 located at the lower end of the cooling air passage 605.
An opening 806 is formed in the portion.

When the carriage 8 moves in the direction indicated by the arrow A, air flows in the directions indicated by the arrows B and C via the cooling air passage 605 and the opening 806. As a result, heat can be efficiently radiated from the head heat sink 604.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Since the air flow is formed along the surface of the head heat radiating plate by using the movement of the carriage, the heat radiating by the head heat radiating plate can be efficiently performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a planar configuration of an inkjet printer to which the present invention has been applied.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a cross-sectional configuration of the inkjet printer of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a head cooling mechanism in the ink jet printer of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ink jet printer 2 Printer main unit 23 Paper feed motor 4 Paper feed unit 41 Paper feed tray 42 Paper feed roller 6 Head unit 61 Nozzle surface 601 Ink jet head 602 Ink supply unit 603 Drive unit 604 Head radiator plate 605 Cooling air passage 7 Ink Cartridge 8 Carriage 801 Carriage bottom surface 803 Carriage side wall 804 Rib 806 Opening

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An ink jet printer which performs printing while moving a carriage carrying an ink jet head with respect to a recording medium, wherein a heat sink of the ink jet head and an inner surface of the carriage facing the heat sink are arranged. A head cooling mechanism, wherein a cooling air passage is formed therebetween.