JP2001301182A - Ink jet printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ink jet printer provided with a wiper cleaning mechanism section of simple structure which can suppress increase in the size and cost of the printer. SOLUTION: When a carriage 6 begins to move from a home position to a print position, a wiper 7 is rubbed against a cleaning member 8 provided in the carriage 6 and ink and dust adhering to the wiper 7 are removed. When the carriage 6 moves further, the print head 11 of an ink cartridge 10 set in the carriage 6 is rubbed against the wiper 7 and ink and dust adhering to the print head 11 are removed. Since the wiper 7 for cleaning the print head 11 is cleaned by means of the cleaning member 8, the wiper 7 is cleaned automatically. Since the cleaning member 8 is provided in the carriage 6, cleaning work of the cleaning member 8 is facilitated for the user.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink jet printer for printing characters and images by spraying ink on paper, and more particularly to an ink jet printer having a cleaning function for removing ink and dust attached to a print head of an ink cartridge.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Heretofore, printing apparatuses capable of printing characters and images on the basis of print data input from an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer have been put into practical use. Among printing devices that have been put into practical use, there is an ink jet printer that prints characters and images by spraying ink from a print head of an ink cartridge set in a carriage configured to be reciprocally movable in a direction perpendicular to a sheet conveying direction. .

As is well known, an ink jet printer is configured to eject characters from a print head of an ink cartridge to print characters and images, and is attached to the print head to prevent the print head from being clogged. It has been proposed to provide a cleaning function for removing ink, dust, and the like. In a conventional general inkjet printer, when a carriage is moved from a home position to a printing position during a printing operation, a rubber wiper is arranged at a position where a print head of an ink cartridge set in the carriage comes into contact with the printing head. Was. Thus, when the carriage moves from the home position to the print position, the print head is rubbed against the wiper, and ink, dust, and the like adhering to the print head are removed.

[0004]

However, in the above-described conventional configuration, the ink or dust removed from the print head is attached to the wiper, so that the wiper gradually becomes dirty. If the amount of ink or dust adhering to the wiper increases, the ink or dust adhering to the print head is not removed when the print head is rubbed against the wiper. And dust adhere to the print head. Therefore, in the conventional ink jet printer, the user is required to periodically clean the wiper.

On the other hand, the wiper has been disposed near the home position of the carriage and between the home position and the printing position. Since a number of components such as a home position sensor, a motor and a mechanism for reciprocating the carriage, and many other components are closely arranged in the vicinity of the home position, the workability of cleaning the wiper is poor and it takes time and effort. there were.

Accordingly, an ink jet printer provided with a wiper cleaning mechanism has been proposed (for example,
(Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 7-50204), the configuration of which is complicated, and there is a problem that the size of the apparatus main body is increased and the cost is increased.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet printer provided with a wiper cleaning mechanism having a simple structure capable of suppressing an increase in the size and cost of the apparatus main body.

[0008]

An ink jet printer according to the present invention has the following arrangement to solve the above-mentioned problems.

(1) A paper transport path extending from a paper supply section to a paper discharge section, a carriage mounted reciprocally in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the paper being transported in the paper transport path, and the carriage A print control unit that prints characters and images by spraying ink from a print head of an ink cartridge set in the carriage on paper conveyed through the paper conveyance path while reciprocating; And a wiper disposed at a position in contact with a print head of an ink cartridge set in the carriage when reciprocated. A cleaning member to contact was provided.

(2) In the cleaning member, the outer side surface of the tip portion which comes into contact with the wiper is formed as an inclined surface having an acute angle.

(3) The cleaning members are provided on both sides of the carriage.

In the above arrangement, the wiper is provided so that the print head of the ink cartridge set in the carriage is brought into contact with the carriage when the carriage is reciprocated. Therefore, the print head rubs against the wiper when the carriage is reciprocated. And the ink, dust and the like adhering to the print head are removed.

Since the carriage has a cleaning member in contact with the wiper, the cleaning member is also rubbed against the wiper when the carriage is reciprocated. Therefore, the cleaning member removes ink, dust, and the like adhering to the wiper, so that the user does not clean the wiper, but the cleaning member that finally adheres the ink, dust, and the like removed from the print head. Will be cleaned. Since the cleaning member is provided on the carriage, the cleaning member can be cleaned at the printing position by moving the carriage (cleaning member) to the printing position. Since a space for reciprocating the carriage is formed at the printing position, cleaning of the cleaning member can be easily performed.

Further, since the shape of the tip of the cleaning member to be rubbed against the wiper is made acute, ink and dust adhering to the wiper can be more finely removed.

Further, since the cleaning members are provided on both sides of the carriage, the wipers can be cleaned immediately before the print head is rubbed against the wipers. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the print head from being rubbed against the wiper to which dust or the like has adhered.

[0016]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a main part of an ink jet printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1A is a front sectional view, and FIG. 1B is a side sectional view. 2A and 2B are external views of an ink cartridge set in the ink jet printer of this embodiment. FIG. 2A is a front view, and FIG. 2B is a side view. The ink jet printer 1 according to this embodiment includes a paper feed unit 2 for setting paper and a paper discharge unit 3 for discharging paper fed to the apparatus main body, and between the paper feed unit 2 and the paper discharge unit 3. A paper transport path 4 is formed. The paper feed unit 2 is provided with a pickup roller (not shown) for feeding out the set paper one by one, and a transport roller (not shown) for transporting the paper fed to the main body is provided in the paper transport path 4. ) Is provided. Further, a carriage 6 for setting the ink cartridge 10 shown in FIG. 2 is attached to a guide 5 arranged in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction in the sheet conveying path 4. The carriage 6 is mounted so as to reciprocate along the guide 5. The position of the carriage 6 shown in FIG. 1A is the home position. The print head 11 of the ink cartridge 10 set on the carriage 6 faces the paper being transported along the paper transport path 4.
The position where the print head 11 faces the paper is the print position referred to in the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1A, a rubber wiper 7 is disposed between the printing position and the home position. The upper surface of the wiper 7 is located slightly above the print head 11 of the ink cartridge 10 set on the carriage 6. Further, the wiper 7 is fixed to the main body. On both sides of the carriage 6, there are provided cleaning members 8 whose outer ends of the front end are made acute angles (see FIG. 3). FIG. 3A is a front view of the carriage,
FIG. 3B is a side view of the carriage. The height of the tip of the cleaning member 8 is slightly lower than the print head 11.

Next, the printing operation of the ink jet printer 1 of this embodiment will be described. When print data is input from an information processing device such as a personal computer connected via a data communication line, the inkjet printer 1 starts a printing operation for printing characters and images based on the input print data. Inkjet printer 1
First, the carriage 6 is moved to the home position. A home position sensor (not shown) is used to move the carriage 6 to the home position.

When the movement of the carriage 6 to the home position is completed, the ink jet printer 1 moves the carriage 6 to the printing position. At this time, the paper set in the paper supply unit 2 is also supplied. Since the wiper 7 is disposed between the home position of the carriage 6 and the printing position, the tip (a sharp corner) of the cleaning member 8 provided on the left side of the carriage 6 that has started to move to the printing position is located at the end. It is rubbed on the upper surface of the wiper 7 (FIG. 4
reference). As shown in FIG. 4, the rubber wiper 7 is slightly deformed by the moving force of the carriage 6.
Does not hinder the movement to the printing position. In addition, the elastic force acts on the upper surface of the cleaning member 8 in a direction of pressing the upper surface of the cleaning member 8 by the deformation, so that the cleaning member 8 is strongly pressed. Therefore, the carriage 6
Starts moving from the home position to the printing position, the corners of the cleaning member 8 are rubbed on the upper surface of the wiper 7, and the ink, dust, and the like attached to the upper surface of the wiper 7 are removed. Here, the ink and dust removed from the upper surface of the wiper 7 adhere to the cleaning member 8.

From the state shown in FIG.
Moves to the print position side, the print head 11 of the ink cartridge 10
Is rubbed on the upper surface of the wiper 7 (see FIG. 5). As described above, the upper surface of the wiper 7 is clean because ink, dust, and the like are removed by the cleaning member 8 immediately before the print head 11 is rubbed. Therefore, when the print head 11 is rubbed against the wiper 7, the ink or dust adhered to the wiper 7 does not adhere to the print head 11, and the ink or dust adhered to the print head 11 can be reliably removed. The dust can be removed by the wiper 7. Here, the ink, dust and the like removed from the print head 11 adhere to the upper surface of the wiper 7.

From the state shown in FIG.
Moves to the printing position, and when the carriage 6 reaches the printing position, the inkjet printer 1 is conveyed along the paper conveying path 4 based on the input print data while reciprocating the carriage 6 at the printing position. Print characters and images by spraying ink on paper.

Further, upon completion of printing, the ink jet printer 1 executes an operation of returning the carriage 6 from the printing position to the home position. When the carriage 6 is moved from the printing position to the home position, the corner of the tip of the cleaning member 8 provided on the right side of the carriage 6 is rubbed against the wiper 7 (see FIG. 6), and adheres to the upper surface of the wiper 7. When the carriage 6 moves to the home position, the print head 11 is rubbed against the wiper 7 (see FIG. 7). Therefore, the ink, dust and the like adhering to the print head 11 are removed by the wiper 7.

As described above, since the wiper 7 for removing ink, dust, and the like adhering to the print head 11 is cleaned by the cleaning member 8, the user does not need to clean the wiper 7. However, the user cleans the cleaning member 8 to which the ink, dust, and the like removed from the print head 11 are finally attached. Here, since the cleaning member 8 is provided on the carriage 6, if the carriage 6 is moved to the printing position, the cleaning member 8 is also located at the printing position. Therefore, the cleaning member 8 can be cleaned at the printing position. Since the printing position has a space for reciprocating the carriage,
Cleaning of the cleaning member 8 can be easily performed. Furthermore, since the cleaning member 8 attached to the carriage 6 removes ink and dust adhering to the wiper 7 by utilizing the function of reciprocating the carriage 6, which is an original function of the ink jet printer 1, the apparatus is constructed. There is no problem of increasing the size of the main body and increasing the cost.

Further, since the shape of the tip of the cleaning member 8 to be rubbed against the wiper 7 is made acute, the ink and dust adhering to the wiper 7 can be more finely removed.

Further, cleaning members 8 are provided on both sides of the carriage 6, respectively, and the cleaning members 8 always remove ink and dust adhering to the wipers 7 immediately before the print head 11 is rubbed against the wipers 7. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the print head 11 from rubbing against the wiper 7 to which ink, dust, or the like has adhered.

[0025]

As described above, according to the present invention, the cleaning member provided on the carriage for setting the ink cartridge removes ink and dust adhering to the wiper. And the problem of cost increase does not occur. Moreover, since the cleaning member is provided on the carriage, the cleaning member can be cleaned at the printing position, and the cleaning operation can be easily performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an ink jet printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an appearance of an ink cartridge.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an appearance of a carriage of the inkjet printer according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the ink jet printer according to the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the inkjet printer according to the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the ink jet printer according to the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a view for explaining the operation of the ink jet printer of this embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1-inkjet printer 6-carriage 7-wiper 8-cleaning member 10-ink cartridge 11-print head

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A paper transport path extending from a paper supply section to a paper discharge section, a carriage attached to the paper transport path so as to be reciprocally movable in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the paper being transported, and a reciprocating carriage. A print control unit that prints characters and images by spraying ink from a print head of an ink cartridge set on the carriage with the paper being conveyed along the paper conveyance path while moving the carriage; And a wiper disposed at a position in contact with a print head of an ink cartridge set in the carriage when moved. An ink jet printer provided with a cleaning member that comes into contact. 2. The ink jet printer according to claim 1, wherein said cleaning member has an inclined outer surface having an acute angle on an outer side surface of a tip portion abutting on said wiper. 3. The ink jet printer according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning members are provided on both sides of the carriage.