JP2001347675A - Ink jet recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent mixing of color due to scattering ink when a plurality of ink ejecting parts are wiped with a plurality of blades and to prevent mixing of color when wiping is performed in a direction orthogonal to the arranging direction of ejection openings. SOLUTION: A plurality of blades 31 for wiping a plurality of ink ejecting parts respectively are provided. A partitioning member 32 is advanced between each of the plurality of ink ejecting parts when wiping is started and the partitioning member 32 is retreated from between each of the plurality of ink ejecting parts upon finishing wiping.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus for recording on a recording medium by ejecting ink from a recording means having a plurality of ink ejection sections mounted while maintaining a predetermined interval.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A recording apparatus having functions such as a printer, a copying machine, a facsimile, or a recording apparatus used as an output apparatus such as a composite electronic apparatus including a computer or a word processor or a workstation is based on image information. The image (including characters and symbols) is recorded on a recording medium (recording material, recording medium) such as a cloth, a plastic sheet, and an OHP sheet. The recording apparatus can be classified into an ink jet type, a wire dot type, a thermal type, a laser beam type and the like according to a recording method.

In a serial type recording apparatus employing a recording method in which a main scanning is performed in a direction intersecting a conveying direction (a paper feeding direction and a sub-scanning direction) of the recording medium, the recording medium is set at a predetermined recording position, and then the recording is performed. An image is recorded (main scanning) by a recording unit mounted on a carriage that moves along the medium, and after recording for one line is completed, a predetermined amount of paper is fed (pitch transport), and then the next line is conveyed. By repeating the operation of recording (main scanning) an image, image recording of the entire recording medium is performed. On the other hand, in a line-type printing apparatus that performs printing only in the sub-scanning direction in the transport direction of the printing medium, the printing medium is set at a predetermined printing position, printing is performed for one line at a time, and then a predetermined amount of paper is printed. By performing feed (pitch feed) and repeating the operation of collectively recording the next line, image recording of the entire recording medium is performed.

[0004] An ink jet recording apparatus performs recording by ejecting ink from a recording means to a recording medium. It is easy to make the recording means compact, and it can record high-definition images at high speed. It can record on paper without requiring special processing, running cost is low,
Non-impact method reduces noise, and
It has the advantage that it is easy to record a color image using multicolor inks. In particular, the ink jet recording means for discharging ink using thermal energy, through etching, vapor deposition, a semiconductor manufacturing process such as sputtering, an electrothermal transducer formed on a substrate, electrodes, liquid path walls, By forming a top plate or the like, a high-density liquid path can be formed, and the size can be further reduced.

In the ink jet recording apparatus,
Wet ink may adhere to the discharge port surface (ink discharge surface where the discharge ports are arranged) due to ink mist generated when ink is discharged from the recording head or satellite ink generated when ink is refilled. Even during a recovery process such as suctioning ink from an outlet, residual ink (residual ink) may adhere to the ejection port surface.
Therefore, a recovery device for removing the ink attached to the discharge port surface has been provided. In general, this recovery device mainly includes a suction mechanism for forcibly discharging ink from the discharge port and a wiping mechanism for wiping and cleaning (wiping, cleaning) the discharge port surface. .

The wiping mechanism comprises, for example, a blade made of a rubber-like elastic material, which is brought into contact with a discharge port surface of a recording head and rubs against the discharge port surface while relatively moving the blade. Then, the ejection port array and its periphery are wiped and cleaned (cleaning) to ensure the stability of the ink ejection performance.

FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view showing a configuration example of a conventional ink jet recording apparatus. In FIG. 7, a recording head 101 is mounted on a carriage 102, and the carriage 102 is mounted on a guide shaft 1 installed in the apparatus main body.
The guide is supported so as to be able to reciprocate along 03. While the print head 101 is reciprocated while facing the print medium 105 by the movement of the carriage 102, an image is printed on the print medium 105 by discharging ink from the discharge ports of the print head based on print information. It is configured to work. The recording medium 105 is pressed against a feed roller (not shown) by a pinch roller (not shown), and is conveyed (paper feed) through a recording unit by rotating the feed roller. The recorded recording medium 105 is sent out of the recording apparatus by a discharge roller (not shown).

[0008] Foreign matter such as paper dust and extra ink adhered to the discharge port surface 101a of the recording head 101 can be removed from the wiping blade 1 provided at a position outside the recording area of the apparatus main body.
04 (wiped off). A predetermined position (usually the home position of the recording head 101) outside the recording area of the apparatus main body covers the ejection port surface 101a of the recording head 101 to prevent drying of ink near the ejection port and clogging of the ejection port. A cap 106 for preventing (or reducing) is provided. The inside of the cap 106 is connected to a negative pressure generating source (not shown) such as a suction pump. Then, before the start of recording or at regular intervals, the ejection port surface 10
By operating the negative pressure generating source to generate a negative pressure in the cap 106 while the cap 1a is covered with the cap 106 (capping state), the thickened ink and bubbles are sucked together with the ink from the discharge port, and the inside of the discharge port is discharged. The suction recovery operation for refreshing the ink properties and maintaining and recovering the ink ejection performance is performed.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view schematically showing a conventional cleaning operation (wiping operation) of wiping and cleaning the discharge port surface 101a by the wiping blade 104. 8, regarding the wiping blade 104, a state a indicates a state before the wiping operation, a state b indicates a state during the wiping operation, and a state c indicates a state after the wiping operation. Also, 107 denotes an ink scattered from the wiping blade 104, X ₁ represents a position of the discharge port array of the ejection port surface 101a of the recording head 101. In FIG. 21, when the carriage 102 moves in the direction of arrow A, the wiping blade 104 rubs against the ejection port surface 101a of the recording head 101 to wipe off the ejection port surface.

This wiping cleaning (wiping) is performed in a state where the tip of the blade 104 is brought into pressure contact with a predetermined pressing force by overlapping the tip of the blade 104 with the discharge port surface 101a by a predetermined amount. To bend into a curved state. In this state, the recording head 101 further moves in the direction of the arrow A, so that foreign matter (paper dust, etc.) and ink adhering to the discharge port surface 101a are scraped off by the tip of the blade 104, and the recording head 101 When completely passed, the blade 104 immediately returns to its original shape due to its elastic restoring force. By cleaning the ejection port face 101a by a series of wiping operations as described above, the ink ejection performance from the ejection port can be maintained and recovered in a good state, and stable and good image recording can be performed. Become.

FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view showing an ejection element of the ink jet recording head 101. FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of a head cartridge (ink ejection section) of a recording means in which a plurality of ejection port arrays are arranged. FIG. Next, an example of the configuration of an ink jet recording head used as a recording unit will be described with reference to FIGS.
In FIG. 9, the ink jet recording head 101 includes:
An orifice plate 140 having a plurality of ejection ports (ejection port array, ejection port group) 141 for ejecting ink; a top plate 400 for forming an ink flow path 401 communicating with each ejection port 141; Electrothermal converter 5 which forms part of passage 401 and generates thermal energy for discharge
01 (ejection heater). The orifice plate 14
0 may be formed integrally with the top plate 400 or separately from the top plate 400.
In some cases, 40 is not provided.

Such an ink jet recording head 10
An ink jet type head cartridge is formed by integrally forming 1 with an ink storage container (not shown) or the like. Also, there are various forms of the head cartridge, such as a case where the same number of ink cartridges are provided, and a case where the head cartridge is divided into two kinds of black ink and color ink (three kinds of inks such as yellow, magenta, and cyan). There is. In a serial recording apparatus, these head cartridges are mounted and fixed at predetermined positions on a reciprocating carriage.

The head cartridge shown in FIG. 10 is of a type in which various types of ink are ejected from a single cartridge. As shown, a plurality of ejection opening arrays 141 are arranged in a single flat plate member 150 in a predetermined arrangement. Is formed. As a form of such a single type ink jet head cartridge, there are a case where it is configured to be detachable (replaceable) with respect to the carriage and a case where it is integrally formed with the carriage. Also, the form of the flat plate member 150 may be divided into the same number as the types of inks, or divided into two or three ejection port arrays, or a combination of these. In various cases, various modes are implemented. Further, in the form of the head cartridge, there is also a configuration in which an orifice plate is attached to the upper surface of the flat plate member 150.

[0014]

In a conventional wiping apparatus for wiping and cleaning the discharge port surface of a recording head in the above-mentioned conventional ink jet recording apparatus, a rubbing between the tip of a blade and a discharge port surface (ink discharge surface) is performed. As a result, foreign matter and excess ink adhered to the ejection port surface are removed. However, in such a wiping device, when the blade tip and the ejection port surface (ink ejection surface) move relative to each other, a frictional force between them acts as a reaction force. Then, the friction reaction force acts to more greatly deform the curved portion (the curved portion) at the tip of the blade. On the other hand, since the blade is formed of an elastic body such as a rubber-like elastic material or an elastomer, the tip of the blade acts to reduce the amount of deformation of the curved portion by its own elastic restoring force.

Therefore, during the wiping operation (during rubbing), the tip of the blade alternates between an increase in the amount of deformation of the curved portion due to the frictional resistance of the contact surface and a decrease in the amount of deformation of the curved portion due to its own elastic restoring force. This causes micro vibration. Due to this minute vibration, a part of the ink collected by the blade is pushed forward in the blade traveling direction, and the ink may be scattered around the front. When the scattered ink adheres to the adjacent ejection port surface of another type of ink (ink ejection surface), color mixing of the ink occurs and the recording quality deteriorates. Therefore,
In order to avoid such inconveniences, generally, the rubbing direction (transfer direction) due to the relative movement of the blades is set in the arrangement direction of the ejection port array, so that the scattered ink hardly reaches the adjacent ejection port surfaces. Is considered.

Therefore, in the conventional wiping apparatus, an expensive material is used because the relative movement distance of the blade is long, the time required for the wiping operation is long, and the durability of the blade needs to be maintained (secured). Further, in the ink jet recording apparatus, it is required to obtain a resolving power comparable to a silver halide film, and to increase the recording speed to be comparable to a laser beam recording apparatus. In an ink jet recording apparatus, a plurality of ejection port arrays of different types of ink are arranged in parallel to achieve high-speed recording, or the distance between adjacent ejection port arrays is reduced to allow ink to land on a recording medium. In order to improve the recording quality, measures have been taken to improve the quality of the recording by, for example, efficiently mixing the colors of the ink. However, when the interval between the ejection port arrays is narrowed in this way, the ink scattered during the wiping operation easily adheres to the ejection port surface (ink ejection port surface) of the adjacent ink of another kind, and inks of different components are not separated. However, there is a risk that color mixing will occur and the recording quality will be degraded.

The present invention has been made in view of such technical problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for controlling a different type of ink even if ink scattered from a blade is directed toward an adjacent discharge port of another type of ink. Can prevent color mixing with
Even when the blades are relatively moved (rubbed) in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the ejection port arrays are arranged, it is possible to prevent color mixing at the time of wiping. When the moving distance of the blade is reduced, it becomes possible to reduce the durability required for the blade and manufacture the blade with an inexpensive material,
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an ink jet recording apparatus capable of shortening the consumption time of the wiping operation to increase the recording speed in the image forming apparatus.

[0018]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention (claim 1), a recording medium is ejected from a recording means having a plurality of ink ejection sections mounted while maintaining a predetermined interval. In the ink jet recording apparatus for performing recording at a position opposite to the recording unit, the recording unit is disposed so as to be able to advance and retreat, and when in the forward position, each of the plurality of ink discharge units is wiped and cleaned by relative movement with the recording unit. A plurality of blades to enter between each of the plurality of ink ejection units when wiping cleaning by the blades is started, and between each of the plurality of ink ejection units after the wiping cleaning by the blades is completed. A plurality of partition members configured to retreat from the
It is characterized by having.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect, the partition member is formed of a material having a liquid absorbing property, such as a foam material, so that the partition member is further attached to the partition member. It is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid jet recording apparatus capable of preventing the ink attached to the partition member from thickening and accumulating by collecting the ink inside. Claim 3
According to the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the above-described claim 1, by adopting a configuration in which a cleaning unit for cleaning the partition member is provided, foreign matters adhered to the surface of the partition member can be further removed, An object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet recording apparatus capable of reducing the width of a partition member correspondingly even when a gap between liquid jet recording cartridges is further narrowed.

[0020]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view schematically showing a configuration example of a recording head (head cartridge, ink discharge unit) of an ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied, and FIG. 2 is a schematic external perspective view of the recording head of FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing a recording unit composed of a plurality of recording heads arranged in parallel on a carriage suitable for applying the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the recording unit of FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which wiping and cleaning is performed by the first embodiment of the recovery apparatus to which the present invention is applied, and FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an inkjet recording apparatus suitable for applying the present invention. It is. Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

1 and 2, reference numeral 15 denotes a chip (head chip) of an ink jet recording head. The head chip 15 is configured as follows. That is, in the head chip 15, reference numeral 1 denotes a heater board. The heater board 1 supplies an electric heat converter (discharge heater) 1a for generating energy for discharging ink and power to the electric heat converter 1a. And a wiring to be formed on a silicon substrate by a silicon film forming process. Reference numeral 4 denotes a supporting substrate (also referred to as a base plate) formed of aluminum or ceramics.
The base plate 4 also functions as a heat sink for radiating and cooling the heat of the heater board 1 generated during the recording operation. The heater board 1 has a base plate 4
It is fixed thereon by die bonding or the like.

Reference numeral 5 denotes a top plate for forming an ink flow path;
Is an orifice plate having a desired number of discharge ports 6a for discharging ink to a recording medium. The top plate 5
A nozzle row 7 as an ink flow path is formed on the bottom surface of the orifice plate 6, and each nozzle row 7 communicates with each discharge port 6a of the orifice plate 6. A common liquid chamber 8 serving as a sub-tank for supplying ink to each nozzle 7 is formed on the bottom surface of the top plate 5, and the common liquid chamber 8 is provided on the back surface of the top plate 5. An ink supply port 9 for supplying ink to the printer is formed. 11 is a chip tank. In the chip tank 11, an ink passage for guiding ink to an ink supply port 9 for supplying ink from an ink storage tank or a subtank (not shown) provided at an upstream position of a head chip (recording head) 15 is provided. 11a is formed.

The chip tank 11 has a front plate 11
The front plate portion 11b has a role of bonding and holding a region of the orifice plate 6 outside the discharge port 6a. Also, the front plate 11
b serves to support the orifice plate 6 so that the orifice plate 6 can sufficiently withstand a detaching force and a pressing and holding force applied from a cap member (not shown) provided in the recording apparatus main body during the capping operation. I am carrying it. The top plate 5 is formed of a resin such as polysulfone, polyethersulfone, polypropylene, modified polyphenylene oxide, polyphenylene sulfide, a liquid crystal polymer, or a material such as ceramics, silicon, nickel, or carbon. The orifice plate 6 is formed of a metal plate such as SUS, Ni, Cr, or Al, a resin molded product such as polyimide, polysulfone, polyethersulfone, polyphenylene oxide, polyphenylene sulfide, or polypropylene, or a resin film material, and the like. Further, it is also formed of silicon, ceramics, or the like.

Next, an outline of the steps of assembling the ink jet recording head will be described with reference to FIGS. Each electrothermal converter (discharge heater) 1a on the heater board 1 and each nozzle 7 on the top plate 5 correspond to each other, so that the electrothermal converter 1a and the nozzle 7 match with high accuracy. After the alignment, the heater board 1 and the top plate 5 are brought into close contact with each other by bonding means such as an adhesive or pressing means such as a pressing spring (not shown), whereby an ink flow path is formed. Next, the chip tank 11 is installed,
The ink supply port 9 of the top plate 5 and the ink passage 11a are connected. On the other hand, the front plate portion 11 b
b, 5b (heater board front end face 1b, top plate front end face 5b)
Will cover the outside. At this time, the ink flow path end face 1
b, 5b are several tens μm larger than the front surface of the front plate portion 11b.
Is configured to protrude forward by about several hundred μm.

Next, an ink flow path end surface (nozzle opening surface) formed by the close contact between the heater board 1 and the top plate 5.
The orifice plate 6 is joined and fixed to 1b and 5b by joining means such as an adhesive. At this time, the front end face of the front plate portion 11b is retracted from the ink flow path end faces 1b, 5b, and does not hinder the joining between the orifice plate 6 and the ink flow path end faces 1b, 5b. Then, in the next step, a gap formed between the back surface of the outer peripheral area of the discharge port 6a in the orifice plate 6 and the front plate portion 11b (the front plate portion 11b and the ink flow path end surface 1b,
The bonding of the orifice plate 6 is completed by pouring an adhesive or a sealant or the like into a step (several tens μm to several hundreds of μm from the step 5b). By connecting (coupling) the ink jet head chip 15 described above and an ink storage container (not shown) for supplying ink to the head chip, a head cartridge (ink jet recording cartridge)
Is completed.

The recording means (recording head) having the structure of the ink ejection section shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is an ink jet recording means for ejecting ink by using thermal energy, and is an electric power for generating thermal energy. It is provided with a heat converter 1a. The recording head discharges ink from the discharge port 6a by utilizing a pressure change (state change) caused by growth and shrinkage of bubbles caused by film boiling caused by thermal energy applied by the electrothermal transducer 1a. Recording.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, a discharge port surface (ink discharge surface) facing a recording medium such as paper with a predetermined gap (for example, about 0.3 to 2.0 mm) is provided. A plurality of discharge ports 6a are formed at a pitch of, and an electrothermal converter (heat generation) for generating energy for ink discharge along the wall surface of each liquid path 7 communicating the common liquid chamber 8 and each discharge port 6a. A resistor 1a is provided. In this example, the recording head (head cartridge) 21 is mounted on the carriage in such a positional relationship that the ejection ports 6a are arranged in a direction intersecting the scanning direction of the carriage. In this manner, the corresponding electrothermal transducer (ejection heater) 1a is driven (energized) based on the image signal or the ejection signal to cause the ink in the liquid path (nozzle) 7 to boil, and the ink is ejected by the pressure generated at that time. A recording head that ejects ink from the outlet 6a is configured.

Such a head cartridge has a form in which the recording means is constituted by the same number of independent cartridges as the kind of ink, and two kinds of cartridges, a black ink dedicated cartridge and a color ink (for example, yellow, cyan, magenta, etc.) cartridge. A mode in which the recording means is constituted by a cartridge,
The present invention is embodied in various forms such as a form in which a recording unit is configured by combining the two types of cartridges.
According to the present invention, a head cartridge (inkjet recording cartridge) may be any one of the above-described embodiments as long as it is an ink jet recording apparatus using a recording unit having a plurality of individual ink ejection units (recording head units) arranged in parallel. It is also applicable. In the case of a serial type ink jet recording apparatus, the head cartridge may be mounted on the carriage detachably or may be formed integrally with the carriage. Applicable.

Next, an ink jet recording apparatus for performing recording using the above-described head cartridge (ink jet recording cartridge) will be described. In FIG. 5, in the illustrated ink jet recording apparatus 500, four types (four) of head cartridges 21 (for example, head cartridges using four types of inks of black, yellow, magenta, and cyan) are operated by a latch mechanism (not shown). It is positioned and fixed to the carriage 501. The carriage 501 is configured to be able to reciprocate along a guide shaft 502 by rotating a drive shaft (screw shaft) 504 by a drive motor 505 via a gear group 506. A recording medium 503 such as recording paper is transported by a recording medium transport mechanism (not shown).

The ink jet recording apparatus 500 has a control unit (not shown) as a drive signal supply unit for supplying a drive signal for discharging ink from the discharge port of each head cartridge 21. In the recording mode, the ink droplets ejected from the ejection openings of each head cartridge 21 reach (attach to) and adhere to the recording medium 503, so that a recording image is formed on the recording medium 503. In a recovery mode for performing a recovery process for maintaining and recovering the ink discharge performance of the recording means, each head cartridge 21 is transferred above the recovery device 507, and
At 07, recovery processing such as capping, recovery operation (suction recovery operation, idle discharge operation, etc.), wiping (wiping and cleaning of the discharge port surface) is performed.

FIG. 4 shows a first embodiment in which the present invention is applied to the recording means having a plurality of ink ejecting portions shown in FIG. 3, in which the ejection port surface of each ink ejecting portion (recording head) is wiped and cleaned (wiping). FIG. In FIG. 4, the recovery device 507
(FIG. 5) is provided with a plurality of plate-like wiping blades 31 made of a rubber-like elastic material or an elastomer material corresponding to each of the plurality of ink discharge units (head cartridge 21). This wiping mechanism overlaps each blade 31 with each discharge port surface and moves it in parallel, and rubs around the discharge port on the discharge port surface with the blade, so that residual ink and paper dust around the discharge port are removed. This is to wipe off and remove foreign substances and the like.

The plurality of wiping blades 31 are individually provided corresponding to the plurality of head cartridges (ink-jet recording cartridges) 21 so that color mixing of different types of ink does not occur. The recovery device 507 is provided with a plurality of partition members 32. These partition members 32 are provided at the gaps at the end portions of the adjacent head cartridges 21 during the wiping operation (a total of three places).
And the outside of the head cartridge 21 at the left and right ends (two places)
It is arranged to enter. Accordingly, the number of the blades 31 is equal to the number of the ink ejection portions (the head cartridge 2).
The number is the same as 1), and the total number of the partition members 32 is one more than the number of the ink discharge units (head cartridges 21).

Thus, according to the configuration of FIG. 4, in the ink jet recording apparatus which performs recording on a recording medium by discharging ink from a recording unit having a plurality of ink discharge units mounted while maintaining a predetermined interval. A plurality of blades 31 which are disposed so as to be able to advance and retreat at a position facing the means, and which wipe and clean each of the plurality of ink ejection portions by a relative movement with the recording means when in the forward position.
And enters between each of the plurality of ink ejection sections when the wiping and cleaning by the blade 31 is started, and retreats from between each of the plurality of ink ejection sections after the wiping and cleaning by the blade 31 is completed. And a plurality of partition members 32 configured as described above. The partition member 32 is desirably formed of a material having ink absorbency (liquid absorbency) such as a foam material. In order to clean the partition member 32, it is desirable to provide a cleaning means (not shown) including an ink absorbing member or a wiping member.

According to the configuration of the recording means of the ink jet recording apparatus shown in FIG. 4, the partition member 32 enters between the adjacent ink discharge sections (head cartridge 21) and shuts off between the adjacent ink discharge sections. During wiping (wiping and cleaning) of the ink discharge portion (discharge port surface) with the blade 31, even if a part of the ink to be wiped and collected by the rubbing of the blade 31 scatters, the adjacent head cartridge 21 Does not reach the discharge port peripheral region (discharge port surface), and it is possible to prevent color mixing of different types of ink. In addition, since the partition member 32 is also provided outside the head cartridges 21 on both sides,
It is possible to prevent the ink scraped by the blade 31 from scattering toward the passage of the recording medium, the drive system, the electrical system, and the like. When the recovery operation of the recording head (head cartridge 21) by the wiping device is completed,
Each partition member 32 is separated and retracted (retracted) from each head cartridge 21 together with each blade 31 to return to the state of FIG. Therefore, each partition member 32 does not hinder the recording operation in the recording mode.

Further, if the partition member 32 is formed of a material having excellent ink absorbency, the ink adhered to the partition member 32 due to scattering or the like is absorbed into the inside of the partition member without staying on the surface of the partition member. That is, it is also possible to prevent the ink attached to the partition member 32 from being thickened and deposited on the surface. That is, since the thickened ink or the like does not accumulate and protrude on the surface of the partition member 32, the partition member 32 does not come into contact with the ink jet recording head when the partition member 32 advances and retreats from the front end of the head cartridge 21. . Further, a cleaning means for cleaning the partition member 32 is provided, and the surface of the partition member 32 is cleaned when the partition member 32 is in the retracted state. Can be removed, and even if the gap between the inkjet recording cartridges 21 is further narrowed, the width of the partition member 32 can be set correspondingly small.

That is, according to the embodiment shown in FIGS.
When the wiping operation starts, the partition member 32
Since the ink enters the gap between the front ends of the head cartridges 21 fixed and held in parallel at a predetermined position on the ink cartridge 01, the ink scattered from the blade 31 is discharged to the adjacent ink ejection unit (ejection port surface, ink ejection surface). Even if the ink scatters, the scattered ink is blocked by the partition member 32, so that it is possible to prevent color mixture of different kinds of ink. Further, after the wiping operation is completed, the partition member 32 is immediately separated and retracted (retracted) from the gap between the front end portions of the head cartridge 21, so that the partition member 3 can be used for recording.
2 does not hinder the recording operation.

When the ink attached to the partition member 32 is thickened and deposited, the outer shape of the partition member changes shape, and the partition member may come into contact with the head cartridge 21 when the partition member moves forward and backward. , The partition member 32
Is formed of a material having excellent ink absorbency, the ink attached to the partition member 32 can be collected inside, and the ink attached to the partition member 32 is prevented from accumulating on the surface. it can. Further, if a cleaning means (not shown) for cleaning the partition member 32 is provided, the partition member 32 can be removed when the partition member 32 is in the retracted state.
By cleaning the surface of the partition member 32, foreign substances adhering to the surface of the partition member 32 can be removed, and the gap between the head cartridges (ink jet recording cartridges) 21 is further reduced. Even so, the width of the partition member 32 can be set correspondingly small.

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which the recording means of FIG. 3 is wiped and cleaned by the second embodiment of the recovery apparatus to which the present invention is applied. This embodiment is the first embodiment of FIG.
The difference from the embodiment is that the rubbing direction of the ejection port surface by the wiping blade 31 is set in a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the ejection ports (the direction in which the head cartridges 21 are arranged), and the other points are substantially the same. Have the same configuration. Therefore, the second embodiment of FIG. 6 will be described with reference to the same reference numerals in the first embodiment.

According to the second embodiment shown in FIG. 6, in addition to the same operation and effect as in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the following operation and effect can be obtained. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the wiping blade 31 is rubbed in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the ejection ports are arranged, so that the wiping operation time is significantly reduced as compared with the first embodiment in which wiping is performed in the ejection port arrangement direction. be able to. Therefore, the durability performance required for the wiping blade 31 is reduced, and the wiping blade 31 can be manufactured from a relatively inexpensive material. Further, since the wiping time is greatly reduced, the recording time of the entire system including the recording device can be shortened.

In the above-described embodiment, the serial recording method in which the recording means (recording head) is moved in the main scanning direction has been described as an example. However, the present invention uses the entire width or a part of the recording medium. The present invention can be similarly applied to the case of a line recording system in which recording is performed only by sub-scanning using a line recording unit having a covered length, and the same effect can be achieved. In addition, the present invention is a color inkjet recording apparatus that performs recording with inks of different colors, as long as the inkjet recording apparatus has a recording unit in which a plurality of ink ejection units using different types of inks are arranged side by side, A gradation ink-jet recording device using ink of a density, and further, such as an ink-jet recording device combining these, can be similarly applied regardless of the number or type of recording heads, and can achieve the same effect. is there.

Further, according to the present invention, when the recording means is a replaceable ink jet cartridge (head cartridge) in which an ink ejection section and an ink storage section are integrated,
Alternatively, the present invention can be similarly applied to a case where the recording unit and the ink storage unit take various forms, such as a case where the recording unit is a permanent type, and can achieve the same operation and effect. In addition, the present invention can be applied to an inkjet recording apparatus using a recording unit (recording head) using an electromechanical transducer such as a piezo element. This provides an excellent effect in an ink jet recording apparatus using a recording means of a type which discharges ink. According to such a method, it is possible to achieve higher density and higher definition of recording.

[0042]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention (claim 1), the recording medium is ejected from the recording means having a plurality of ink ejection sections mounted while maintaining a predetermined interval. In the ink jet recording apparatus for performing recording at a position opposite to the recording unit, the recording unit is disposed so as to be able to advance and retreat, and when in the forward position, each of the plurality of ink discharge units is wiped and cleaned by relative movement with the recording unit. A plurality of blades to enter between each of the plurality of ink ejection units when wiping cleaning by the blades is started, and between each of the plurality of ink ejection units after the wiping cleaning by the blades is completed. And a plurality of partition members configured to be retracted from the blade, so that the ink scattered from the blade is adjacent to another type. The ink mixture can be prevented from mixing with the different ink even when the blade is moved toward the ejection port surface of the ink, and the color mixture during wiping can be prevented even when the blade relatively moves in a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the ejection port array. When the blade moves in the direction parallel to the discharge port row to reduce the moving distance of the blade during the wiping operation,
The durability required for the blade can be reduced, and the blade can be manufactured from an inexpensive material. Further, the time required for the wiping operation can be shortened, and the speed of recording in the image forming apparatus can be increased. An inkjet recording device is provided.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect, the partition member is formed of a material having a liquid absorbing property such as a foam material. In addition, the ink attached to the partition member can be collected inside, and the effect of preventing the ink attached to the partition member from thickening and accumulating can be obtained.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect, a cleaning means for cleaning the partition member is provided. Therefore, it is possible to obtain the effect that even if the space between the head cartridges is further narrowed, the width of the partition member can be set to be small correspondingly.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial sectional perspective view schematically illustrating a configuration example of a recording head of an ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a schematic external perspective view of the recording head of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing a recording unit composed of a plurality of head cartridges arranged in parallel on a carriage suitable for applying the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which the recording unit of FIG. 3 is wiped and cleaned by the first embodiment of the recovery apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an ink jet recording apparatus suitable for applying the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which the recording unit of FIG. 3 is wiped and cleaned by a second embodiment of the recovery apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a configuration example of a conventional inkjet recording apparatus.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view schematically showing a conventional wiping operation of wiping and cleaning the discharge port surface with a blade.

FIG. 9 is a partial sectional perspective view showing a discharge element of the ink jet recording head.

FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of a head cartridge in which a plurality of ejection opening arrays are arranged.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Heater board 1a Electrothermal converter (discharge heater) 1b Ink flow path end face 6 Orifice plate 6a Discharge port 7 Liquid path (nozzle) 8 Common liquid chamber 11 Chip tank 11b Ink flow path end face 15 Head chip 21 Head cartridge (recording head) ) 31 blade (wiping blade) 32 partition member 500 inkjet recording device 501 carriage 502 guide shaft 503 recording medium (recording paper) 504 drive shaft (screw shaft) 505 drive motor 507 recovery device

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Mikiya Umeyama 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (72) Nobuyuki Hatasa 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon (72) Inventor Hiroshi Koizumi 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo F-term (reference) 2C056 EA01 EA16 EA24 FA03 FA10 JB02 JB04 JB07 JB08 JB09 JB10 JB18

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An ink jet recording apparatus for recording on a recording medium by ejecting ink from a recording unit having a plurality of ink ejection units mounted while maintaining a predetermined interval, wherein the recording unit is moved forward and backward to a position facing the recording unit. A plurality of blades that are disposed so as to be capable of wiping and cleaning each of the plurality of ink discharge units by relative movement with the recording unit when the wiping cleaning is started when the wiping cleaning is started. A plurality of partition members configured to enter between each of the ink discharge units, and to retract from between the plurality of ink discharge units after the wiping and cleaning by the blade is completed. Characteristic inkjet recording device. 2. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the partition member is formed of a material having a liquid absorbing property such as a foam material. 3. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a cleaning unit for cleaning the partition member. 4. The ink jet recording device according to claim 1, wherein said recording device is an ink jet recording device including an electrothermal converter for generating thermal energy used for discharging ink. 3. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1. 5. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the recording means discharges the ink from a discharge port using film boiling generated in the ink by thermal energy generated by the electrothermal transducer. .