JP2004066755A - Device for maintaining head jetting characteristic and inkjet printer with the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device for maintaining head jetting characteristics which can carry out capping and wiping by a stable operation at all times by a simple arrangement, and an inkjet printer with the same. <P>SOLUTION: When a wiping means 130 wipes a printing head, a driving means 170 rotates the wiping means upward and also moves down and positions a capping means 110 to stop driving a suction means. When the capping means seals the printing head, the driving means 170 rotates the wiping means downward, and moves up and positions the capping means to drive the suction means. The driving means has a frictional clutch mechanism 174 for conducting a driving force when the wiping means starts the rotation and releasing the driving force when the wiping means ends the rotation. The wiping means and the capping means can thus be held at a constant position and positioned highly precisely at all times. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a head discharge characteristic maintaining device for maintaining a constant ink discharge characteristic of a print head that discharges ink droplets to a recording medium, and an ink jet printer including the head discharge characteristic maintaining device.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Generally, an ink jet printer includes a print head mounted on a carriage that reciprocates in a main scanning direction, and a recording medium feeding unit that intermittently sends a recording medium such as printing paper by a set amount in a sub scanning direction. The print head is moved in the main scanning direction while feeding the recording medium in the sub-scanning direction, and ink droplets are ejected from the print head to the recording medium.
[0003]
Normally, a mono-color ink jet printer is equipped with one print head. Further, a full-color ink jet printer is equipped with a print head for black ink that discharges black ink, and a plurality of print heads for color ink that discharge ink of each color such as yellow, cyan, and magenta.
[0004]
A print head in an ink jet printer having such a configuration is provided with a pressure generating chamber and a nozzle opening connected to the pressure generating chamber. By storing ink in the pressure generating chamber and pressurizing the ink at a predetermined pressure, a recording medium is discharged from the nozzle opening. , And ejects ink droplets of a controlled size toward. Therefore, fluctuations in the ink ejection characteristics at the nozzle openings of the print head greatly affect the quality of the recorded image, and thus the ink ejection characteristics need to be constantly maintained.
[0005]
The ink discharge characteristics fluctuate due to an increase in viscosity and solidification due to evaporation and drying of the ink at the nozzle openings, clogging with solid matter, adhesion of dust, air bubbles, and the like. For this reason, the ink jet printer is provided with a head discharge characteristic maintaining device for maintaining the ink discharge characteristics in a constant state by eliminating the above-mentioned causes of fluctuation.
[0006]
The head discharge characteristic maintaining device includes a capping device, a suction pump, and a wiping device. The capping device is configured to seal the nozzle forming surface of the print head and isolate the nozzle opening from the outside during non-recording, and has the function of suppressing the evaporation and drying of the ink to suppress the viscosity increase and solidification. ing. In addition, even if the nozzle forming surface is sealed with a capping device, clogging of the nozzle opening with solid matter and mixing of bubbles into the ink flow path cannot be completely prevented. A suction pump is provided for the purpose.
[0007]
The suction pump is configured to apply a negative pressure to the nozzle opening while the capping device seals the nozzle forming surface, and forcibly sucks and discharges ink from the nozzle opening to remove solids and bubbles. It has the function of removing. Forcible suction and discharge of ink by the suction pump can be performed when the printing operation is restarted after a long pause of the ink jet printer, or when the user recognizes that the quality of the printed image has deteriorated, and It is normally executed when the switch is operated.
[0008]
Further, when the ink is forcibly suctioned and discharged by the suction pump, the ink may scatter and adhere to the nozzle forming surface of the printer head, and the meniscus of the ink at each nozzle opening is disturbed. Furthermore, since foreign matter easily adheres to the nozzle forming surface of the print head over time, a wiping device for wiping the nozzle forming surface is provided as necessary.
[0009]
The wiping device has a wiping member made of an elastic plate made of rubber or the like whose base end is sandwiched by a holder, and relatively moves forward and backward while elastically pressing an edge portion on the distal end side of the wiping member against the nozzle forming surface. The nozzle forming surface is configured to be moved backward to clean the nozzle forming surface, and in addition to wiping ink and foreign matter attached to the nozzle forming surface, a function of uniformly adjusting the meniscus of ink at each nozzle opening, that is, a function of stabilizing the ink meniscus. Have.
[0010]
FIG. 33 is a side view showing an example of a conventional head discharge characteristic maintaining device. As shown in FIG. 1A, the head discharge characteristic maintaining device has a configuration in which a capping device 1 and a wiping device 2 are arranged at 90 degrees on a rotatable and vertically movable support portion 3. . A toothless gear 4 is fixed to the support part 3, and the support part 3 is arranged such that the toothless gear 4 comes into contact with the cam 5 with toothless teeth. Note that the head discharge characteristic maintaining device includes a suction pump, but is not shown.
[0011]
In such a configuration, when the nozzle forming surface of the print head is sealed during non-printing to isolate the nozzle opening from the outside, as shown in FIG. The support portion 3 is set by the cam 5 with missing teeth so that the support portion 3 is located at the uppermost position in a state where 1 faces upward.
[0012]
Then, after the recording, when the edge portion on the tip end side of the wiping member is relatively pressed forward and backward while elastically pressing the nozzle forming surface to clean the nozzle forming surface, first, as shown in FIG. Then, the cam 5 with the missing tooth is rotated to mesh the teeth 5a of the cam 5 with the missing tooth with the teeth 4a of the missing gear 4, and the support 3 is rotated together with the missing gear 4. Finally, as shown in FIG. 4C, the head discharge characteristic maintaining device is configured such that the support portion 3 is positioned at the lowermost position by the cam 5 with the tooth missing with the wiping device 2 facing upward. It is set.
[0013]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The above-described conventional head discharge characteristic maintaining device is effective because it can be configured with a simple mechanism. However, since the entire head ejection characteristic maintaining device needs to be rotated, a large space is required around the device, and the installed inkjet printer becomes large. Further, the positional accuracy between the capping device 1 and the print head is apt to be deteriorated, and the capping may be incomplete.
[0014]
When the capping device 1 or the wiping device 2 is set, that is, when the support portion 3 is located at the uppermost or lowermost position, the teeth 5a of the cam 5 with missing teeth and the teeth 4a of the missing gear 4 mesh with each other. Since there is no support, the support 3 is in a free state.
[0015]
For this reason, the user may touch the support portion 3 to rotate the support portion 3, and it may be difficult to return the capping device 1 or the wiping device 2 to a predetermined position. In addition, when assembling the head discharge characteristic maintaining device, it is necessary to accurately align the phase of the cam 5 with missing teeth and the gear 4 with missing teeth, so that there is a problem that it takes time and effort.
[0016]
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described various problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a head discharge characteristic maintaining device capable of performing wiping and capping with a simple configuration and stable operation at all times, and a head discharge characteristic maintaining device. An object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet printer.
[0017]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
To achieve the above object, a head ejection characteristic maintaining device according to claim 1 of the present invention is a device for maintaining ink ejection characteristics of a print head that ejects ink droplets onto a recording medium, wherein the wiping unit wipes the print head. A capping means for sealing the print head, and when the wiping means wipes the print head, the wiping means is rotated upward and the capping means is lowered to position the capping means. When the ink is sucked by sealing the print head, a driving unit for rotating the wiping unit downward and raising and positioning the capping unit is provided, and the driving unit starts rotating the wiping unit. Drive force when the motor rotates, and escapes the drive force when the rotation ends. It is characterized in that it comprises a friction clutch mechanism.
[0018]
This eliminates the need to provide rotation space around the capping means since the capping means does not need to be rotated. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the size of the ink-jet printer to be incorporated, and to maintain high positional accuracy between the capping unit and the print head. Further, since the friction clutch can be idled after the wiping means is rotated upward or downward, the wiping means can be always positioned at a fixed position. Therefore, it is easy to initialize and assemble the wiping means.
[0019]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the head discharge characteristic maintaining apparatus according to the first aspect, a suction unit that suctions the inside of the cap of the capping unit that seals the print head is provided. Accordingly, ink droplets attached to the nozzles of the print head can be sucked out, so that the printing accuracy can always be maintained at a high accuracy.
[0020]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the head discharge characteristic maintaining device according to the first or second aspect, the friction clutch mechanism is driven by a gear using a toothless gear for intermediate movement. Thereby, the friction clutch mechanism can be realized with a simple structure.
[0021]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the head ejection characteristic maintaining apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, the wiping unit and the capping unit are configured to use an initial state without using a detecting device from any position. It is characterized by being able to return to a typical position. As a result, during operation of the ink jet printer, for example, if the power outlet is accidentally unplugged or an unexpected power failure occurs, the head ejection characteristic maintaining device is reset from the state even if the device is stopped halfway. Will be able to do it.
[0022]
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the head discharge characteristic maintaining apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, the friction clutch mechanism includes two driving force transmitting units and these driving force transmitting units are mutually connected. Pressing means for pressing, and one of the driving force transmitting means is integrated with the wiping means. Thus, a friction clutch can be formed by generating a frictional force between the two driving force transmitting means.
[0023]
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the head discharge characteristic maintaining apparatus according to the fifth aspect, the pressing means is a compression spring that presses the normal gear and the toothless gear mutually in the axial direction. . As a result, the friction clutch mechanism can be constituted by a simple mechanism, and the manufacturing cost of the head discharge characteristic maintaining device can be reduced.
[0024]
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the head discharge characteristic maintaining apparatus according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, the wiping unit is rotatably attached to the capping unit. This makes it easy to configure the means for vertically moving the capping means and the means for rotating the wiping means by the same mechanism. Therefore, the head discharge characteristic maintaining device can be made compact.
[0025]
According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the head discharge characteristic maintaining apparatus according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, the driving unit changes the driving force during rotation of the wiping unit to the two driving forces. A cam having a toothless gear for transmitting the driving force when the capping means moves up and down is transmitted through a transmitting means. Thus, the wiping means can be smoothly rotated even when a large load which cannot be handled by the friction clutch is applied. Further, since the means for moving the capping means up and down and the means for rotating the wiping means can be constituted by simple mechanical parts, the positioning accuracy of each means can be improved, and the maintenance cost and manufacturing cost can be reduced. be able to.
[0026]
According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ink jet printer having a print head for discharging ink droplets onto a recording medium, comprising the head discharge characteristic maintaining device according to any one of the first to eighth aspects. I have. This makes it possible to provide an ink jet printer that performs the above-described operations.
[0027]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration example of an ink jet printer according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a configuration of a unitized head discharge characteristic maintaining device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of the head discharge characteristic maintaining device as viewed from the opposite side, and FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the head discharge characteristic maintaining device. The ink-jet printer shown in FIG. 1 is a large-sized printer capable of printing on a relatively large-sized printing paper such as a paper width of 594 mm (JIS standard A1 size) or 728 mm (JIS standard B1 size).
[0028]
This ink jet printer is provided with a paper feed unit 11, a recording unit 12, and a paper discharge unit 13 from the top toward the front diagonally below. The printing paper is subjected to predetermined printing in the course of being sent from the paper feeding unit 11 to the recording unit 12 and then to the paper discharging unit 13 and is discharged to the outside. The paper transport path 14 during printing is formed with an inclination of 65 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane. The nozzle forming surface of the print head 18 mounted on the carriage 17 reciprocating in the main scanning direction along the guide shaft 16 by the drive belt 15 is also inclined at 65 degrees so as to be parallel to the paper transport path 14. It is arranged.
[0029]
A head ejection characteristic maintaining device 100 for maintaining the ink ejection characteristics of the print head 18 in a constant state is provided at a portion of the carriage 17 which is to be the home position. When the carriage 17 is at the home position, the head ejection characteristic maintaining device 100 performs a process of maintaining the ink ejection characteristics of the print head 18.
[0030]
As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, the head ejection characteristic maintaining apparatus 100 includes a wiping unit 110, a capping unit 130, a suction unit 150, and a driving unit 170 for driving them. 2 omits the description of one side frame 101 shown in FIG. 4 to show the internal structure, and FIG. 3 omits the description of the other side frame 102 shown in FIG. 4 to show the internal structure. In FIG. 4, illustration of the suction means 150 is omitted to simplify the drawing.
[0031]
The head ejection characteristic maintaining device 100 includes a wiping unit 110 for wiping the nozzle forming surface in the main scanning direction of the print head 18 indicated by an arrow a in FIGS. Capping means 130 pressed against the nozzle forming surface of the print head 18 to seal the nozzle opening, suction means 150 forcibly sucking and discharging ink to remove clogging of the nozzle opening and mixed air bubbles, and wiping A driving means 170 for driving the means 110 and the capping means 130 to a predetermined position and for driving the suction means 150 is disposed between the two side frames 101 and 102, and is formed into a substantially box-shaped unit. ing.
[0032]
The wiping unit 110 and the capping unit 130 are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction of the print head 18, and the suction unit 150 is provided for the wiping unit 110 and the capping unit 130 in the sub-scanning direction indicated by an arrow b in FIGS. It is juxtaposed in the direction. A driving unit 170 is provided so that the wiping unit 110, the capping unit 130, and the suction unit 150 can be linked. That is, the driving unit 170 rotates the wiping unit 110 in the sub-scanning direction, moves the capping unit 130 together with the wiping unit 110 in the vertical direction indicated by the arrow c in FIGS. 2 and 3, and operates the suction unit 150. It is configured.
[0033]
The wiping means 110 includes a wiper 111, a wiper holder 112, and a wiper cleaner 113, as shown in FIGS. The wiper 111 is formed in a substantially rectangular flat shape by rubber. Then, the leading end rubs against the nozzle forming surface of the print head 18. Thereby, the wiper 111 can wipe off the ink adhering to the nozzle forming surface. The wiper 111 may be formed of felt, plastic, or the like depending on the type of ink.
[0034]
The wiper holder 112 is formed in a substantially rectangular flat shape from plastic. Then, while holding the wiper 111 such that the tip of the wiper 111 protrudes from the upper end, the center of the shaft support 112a provided at the lower end and supported by the second cap holder 133 of the capping means 130 described later is centered. The rotation is made in the sub-scanning direction. Thereby, the wiper holder 112 can be arranged above when the wiper 111 is used, and can be arranged below when the wiper 111 is not used.
[0035]
The wiper cleaner 113 is formed in a blade shape from plastic. Then, while the guide pin 113a provided at one end is guided by the guide groove 112b provided at the wiper holder 112, the guide pin 113a is rotated about the other end supported by the side frame 101. Is provided so that the ink scraper 113b having a U-shaped cross section rubs across the wiper 111. Thus, the wiper cleaner 113 can scrape ink adhering to the wiper 111.
[0036]
The capping means 130 includes a cap 131, a first cap holder 132, and a second cap holder 133, as shown in FIGS. The cap 131 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape by rubber. The depression 131a provided on the upper part is pressed against the nozzle forming surface of the print head 18. Thereby, the capping means 130 can seal the nozzle opening.
[0037]
The first cap holder 132 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape by plastic. A spring (not shown) is interposed between the cap 131 and the second cap holder 133 while holding the cap 131 such that the upper edge of the cap 131 protrudes from the upper surface. The hook 133 is locked by a claw 133a, and can be finely moved in all directions. Accordingly, the first cap holder 132 can press the upper edge of the cap 131 in accordance with the nozzle forming surface of the print head 18, so that both can be securely brought into close contact with each other.
[0038]
The second cap holder 133 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape by plastic. Then, while holding the first cap holder 132 on the upper end surface, the guide pin 133b provided on the side surface is guided by the guide grooves 101a, 102a provided on both side frames 101, 102, and the wiper 111 and the wiper 111 are provided. It moves up and down together with the holder 112. Accordingly, the second cap holder 133 can position and fix the cap 131 upward when the cap 131 is in use, and can position and fix it downward when not in use.
[0039]
The suction means 150 is a general pulsation pump, and continuously pushes a certain range of the tube T connected to the cap 131 with a plurality of rollers attached at regular intervals in the rotation direction, thereby removing air in the tube. The print head 18 is forcibly sucked and discharged from the print head 18. Thereby, the suction means 150 can remove clogging of the nozzle opening and mixed air bubbles.
[0040]
The driving means 170 includes a driving force transmitting means 171, a forward / reverse switching means 172, a rotation / up / down moving means 173, and a friction clutch mechanism 174, as shown in FIGS. The driving force transmitting means 171 is provided integrally with the first gear 171a provided so as to protrude outside the side frame 101 and coaxially with the first gear 171a. Is provided with the second gear 171b disposed in the second gear 171b. The first gear 171a is connected to a motor (not shown) provided outside the side frame 101. The second gear 171b is engaged with the gear 151 of the suction means 150 shown in FIG.
[0041]
The forward / reverse switching means 172 includes a switching arm 172a formed in a substantially L shape, and a forward rotation gear 172b and a reverse rotation gear 172c rotatably attached to each end thereof. The switching arm 172a has a central portion fitted on the shaft of the second gear 171b, and is pressed against the second gear 171b via a spring (not shown). Either the forward rotation gear 172b or the reverse rotation gear 172c meshes with the second gear 171b depending on the rotation direction of the second gear 171b. Are arranged so as to alternately engage with each other.
[0042]
The rotation / up / down movement means 173 includes two geared cams 173a and 173b provided at both ends of the same shaft. Each of the cams 173a and 173b with gears has a configuration in which the toothless gear portions 173aa and 173ba and the cam portions 173ab and 173bb are integrated. The toothless gear portion 173aa is arranged so as to alternately mesh with the forward rotation gear 172b and the reverse rotation gear 172c of the forward / reverse rotation switching means 172 as described above, and the toothless gear portion 173ba has a friction clutch mechanism 174 described later. Are arranged so as to mesh with the toothless gear 174a. The cam portions 173ab and 173bb are arranged so as to come into contact with the lower portions of two guide pins 133b arranged on both lower sides of the second cap holder 133, respectively.
[0043]
The friction clutch mechanism 174 includes a toothless gear 174a and a normal gear 174b disposed on one geared cam 173b side, and a compression spring 174c for pressing the toothless gear 174a and the normal gear 174b mutually. The toothless gear 174a is formed integrally with the shaft support 112a of the wiper holder 112. The normal gear 174b is coaxially and closely contacted with the toothless gear 174a. The toothless gear 174a and the normal gear 174b are arranged so as to mesh with the toothless gear 173ba of the geared cam 173b. The compression spring 174c is disposed so as to press the toothless gear 174a and the normal gear 174b mutually in the axial direction.
[0044]
The friction clutch mechanism 174 has an example in which the toothless gear 174a, the normal gear 174b, and the compression spring 174c are provided. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Any friction clutch mechanism provided with pressing means for pressing the driving force transmitting means against each other may be used. That is, any friction clutch mechanism that transmits the driving force when the wiping unit 110 starts rotating and releases the driving force when the rotation ends can be used.
[0045]
In such a configuration, the driving force of the motor is transmitted from the forward rotation gear 172b or the reverse rotation gear 172c due to the rotation of the switching arm 172a via the first gear 171a and the second gear 171b to the toothless gear portion 173aa of the geared cam 173a. The transmission is transmitted to the wiping means 110 via the missing gear 173ba of the geared cam 173b, the missing gear 174a and the normal gear 174b.
[0046]
Further, the power is transmitted to the wiping means 110 and the capping means 130 via the cam portion 173ab of the cam with gear 173a and the cam portion 173bb of the cam with gear 173b, and further transmitted to the suction means 150 via the gear 151. I have. Accordingly, the wiping unit 110 can be rotated, the capping unit 130 can be moved up and down together with the wiping unit 110, and the suction unit 150 can be operated.
[0047]
The details of the arrangement of the main part of the wiping unit 110 having the above configuration, the capping unit 130, the geared cam 173b, and the friction clutch mechanism 174 will be described with reference to FIG. The operation will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 5, a guide pin 133b provided in the second cap holder 133 of the capping means 130 is inserted into a shaft hole of a shaft support portion 112a provided in the wiper holder 112 of the wiping means 110. I have.
[0048]
The cam with gear 173b meshes with the toothless gear 174a of the friction clutch mechanism 174 in which the toothless gear 173ba is provided on the shaft support 112a and the gear 174b that is in close contact with the toothless gear 174a. 173bb is provided so as to be in contact with the guide pin 133b provided on the second cap holder 133. Thereby, the wiping means 110 rotates in the direction of the arrow a shown in the figure, and the capping means 130 can move up and down in the direction of the arrow b shown in the figure together with the wiping means 110.
[0049]
Next, the operation of the wiping unit 110 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 17, and FIGS. 6 to 9, FIGS. 10 to 11, 12 to 14, and FIGS. It is the figure which showed the same operation state from a different viewpoint. 6 to 9 show a state in which wiping by the wiper 111 is possible, FIGS. 10 to 11 show a state in which the wiper 111 is being stored, and FIGS. 12 to 14 show a state in which the wiper 111 is completely stored. 15 to 17 are views showing a state in which the wiping unit 110 is raised together with the capping unit 130.
[0050]
First, in a state in which wiping by the wiper 111 is possible, as shown in FIG. 6, the wiper 111 is positioned and fixed facing upward, and the wiper cleaner 113 is positioned and fixed to one end of the wiper holder 112. These positioning and fixing are performed by the following operations.
[0051]
That is, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, the toothless gear portion 173ba provided on the geared cam 173b does not mesh with the toothless gear 174a of the friction clutch mechanism 174, but meshes only with the gear 174b. In state. For this reason, the driving force from the toothless gear 173ba is not transmitted to the toothless gear 174a, but is transmitted only to the gear 174b, so that the idle rotation state occurs. The wiper 111 can be positioned and fixed upward without rotating.
[0052]
As shown in FIG. 6, the guide pin 113a of the wiper cleaner 113 is fitted into a guide groove 112b provided in the wiper holder 112 shown in FIGS. As a result, the wiper cleaner 113 is positioned with respect to the wiper holder 112, so that the wiper cleaner 113 can be positioned and fixed to the end of the wiper holder 112.
[0053]
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an arrangement relationship between a guide pin 112c provided on the wiper holder 112 for guiding the rotation of the wiper holder 112 and a guide groove 102b provided on the side frame 102. However, in the state at this time, that is, in a state where wiping by the wiper 111 is possible, both are separated and do not function.
[0054]
Next, when the wiper 111 is being stored, the wiper holder 112 is inclined and the wiper 111 is sandwiched between the ink scrapers 113b of the wiper cleaner 113, as shown in FIG. This is due to the following operation. That is, when the geared cam 173b starts rotating, the toothless gear portion 173ba of the geared cam 173b rotates the gear 174b of the friction clutch mechanism 174, and at the same time, the toothless gear 174a pressed by the compression spring 174c also exerts a frictional force. To rotate.
[0055]
Subsequently, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the missing gear 173ba is engaged with the gear 174b and the missing gear 174a at the same time. This allows the wiper holder 112 itself to rotate smoothly even when a large load that cannot be handled by the friction clutch is applied. Further, at the same time, the guide pin 113a of the wiper cleaner 113 is guided by the guide groove 112b of the wiper holder 112. As a result, the ink scraper 113b of the wiper cleaner 113 rubs across the wiper 111, so that the wiper 111 can be stored while scraping the ink attached to the wiper 111.
[0056]
Next, when the storage of the wiper 111 is completed, as shown in FIG. 12, the wiper 111 is positioned and fixed obliquely downward, and the wiper cleaner 113 is positioned and fixed to the other end of the wiper holder 112. These positioning and fixing are performed by the following operations.
[0057]
That is, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, when the wiper 111 is moved in the setting direction, the tooth 112ae at the end of the toothless gear 112a is changed to the tooth at the end of the toothless gear 173ba of the geared cam 173b. 173be, the wiper 111 cannot be moved in the setting direction.
[0058]
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 14, when trying to move the wiper 111 in the reset direction, since the guide pin 112c of the holder 112 hits the left wall of the guide groove 102a of the side frame 102, the wiper 111 may be moved in the reset direction. Can not. As a result, the wiper holder 112 is positioned with respect to the geared cam 173b and the side frame 102, so that the wiper 111 can be positioned and fixed obliquely downward.
[0059]
As shown in FIG. 12, the guide pin 113 a of the wiper cleaner 113 relatively moves along the guide groove 112 b of the wiper holder 112 to the other end of the wiper holder 112. As a result, the wiper cleaner 113 is positioned with respect to the wiper holder 112, so that the wiper cleaner 113 can be positioned and fixed at a position closer to the other end side of the wiper holder 112.
[0060]
Finally, in a state where the wiping unit 110 is lifted together with the capping unit 130, as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the wiper 111 is positioned and fixed away from the geared cam 173b while facing diagonally downward. 113 is positioned and fixed to the other end of the wiper holder 112. These positioning and fixing are performed by the following operations.
[0061]
That is, as shown in FIG. 17, when the cams 173a and 173b with gears rotate, the cam portions 173ab and 173bb of the cams with gears 173a and 173b move the guide pins 133b of the second cap holder 133 to the side frames 101 and 173b. The guide 102 is pushed up along the guide grooves 101a and 102a.
[0062]
Further, as shown in FIG. 17, the guide pin 112c of the wiper holder 112 enters the vertical portion of the guide groove 102a of the side frame 102. As a result, the wiper holder 112 is positioned with respect to the geared cams 173a and 173b and the side frame 102. Therefore, the wiper holder 112 is positioned and fixed away from the geared cams 173a and 173b while the wiper 111 is directed obliquely downward. Can be.
[0063]
Further, as shown in FIG. 15, the guide pin 113a of the wiper cleaner 113 is relatively moved along the guide groove 112b of the wiper holder 112 to a position near the other end of the wiper holder 112. As a result, the wiper cleaner 113 is positioned with respect to the wiper holder 112, so that the wiper cleaner 113 can be positioned and fixed at a position closer to the other end side of the wiper holder 112.
[0064]
Next, the operation of the capping means 130 will be described with reference to FIGS. 18 to 21. FIGS. 18 to 19 and FIGS. It is. 18 and 19 show a state where the cap 131 is completely stored, and FIGS. 20 and 21 show a state where capping by the cap 131 is possible.
[0065]
First, when the cap 131 is completely stored, the capping means 130 is positioned and fixed at the lowermost end as shown in FIGS. This positioning and fixing is performed by the following operation. That is, as shown in FIG. 18, the toothless gear portion 173aa of the geared cam 173a is positioned such that the forward rotation gear 172b and the reverse rotation gear 172c are shifted in the width direction of the toothless gear portion 173aa by the rotation of the switching arm 172a. Are arranged so as to alternately mesh with each other. In the missing tooth gear portion 173aa, two missing tooth portions 173ac and 173ad are formed at positions shifted in the circumferential direction and the width direction.
[0066]
As shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, the cam portions 173ab and 173bb of the cams with gears 173a and 173b are formed in a substantially oval shape. Stoppers 173ae and 173be that can contact the three guide pins 133b and 133b are provided, and guide grooves for guiding the other two guide pins 133c and 133c provided on the second cap holder 133 along the outer circumference on the side surface. 173af and 173bf are provided.
[0067]
When the capping means 130 reaches the lowermost position from the uppermost position, the cam portions 173ab and 173bb of the geared cams 173a and 173b are connected to the two guide pins 133c and 133c of the second cap holder 133. And the two guide pins 133b and 133b on both lower sides of the second cap holder 133 are pushed down to the lowermost ends along the guide grooves 101a and 102a of both side frames 101 and 102.
[0068]
Further, the reverse rotation gear 172c is idle around the missing tooth portion 173ad of the missing gear portion 173aa of the geared cam 173a. Thus, the second cap holder 133 is positioned with respect to the cams 173a and 173b with gears and both side frames 101 and 102, so that the capping means 130 can be positioned and fixed at the lowermost end.
[0069]
Next, in a state where capping by the cap 131 is possible, as shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, the capping means 130 is positioned and fixed at the uppermost end. This positioning and fixing is performed by the following operation. That is, when the capping means 130 reaches the uppermost end from the lowermost end, the cam portions 173ab, 173bb of the cams 173a, 173b with gears move the two guide pins 133d, 133e of the second cap holder 133, and The two guide pins 133b and 133b on both lower sides of the cap holder 133 are pushed up to the uppermost ends along the guide grooves 101a and 102b of both side frames 101 and 102, and are brought into contact with the stoppers 173ae and 173be.
[0070]
Further, the forward rotation gear 172b is idle around the missing tooth portion 173ac of the missing gear portion 173aa of the geared cam 173a. Thus, the second cap holder 133 is positioned with respect to the geared cams 173a, 173b and both side frames 101, 102, so that the capping means 130 can be positioned and fixed at the uppermost end.
[0071]
The overall operation of the head ejection characteristic maintaining device 100 including the wiping unit 110, the capping unit 130, the suction unit 150, and the driving unit 170 having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 22 is a time chart showing an operation example of the head discharge characteristic maintaining device 100, and FIGS. 23 to 25, 26 to 28, and 29 to 31 are diagrams showing the same operation state from a different viewpoint. . 23 to 25 show a state in which wiping by the wiper 111 is possible, FIGS. 26 to 28 show a state in which storage of the wiper 111 is completed, and FIGS. 29 to 31 show a state in which capping by the cap 131 is possible. FIG.
[0072]
In the case of normal rotation shown in FIG. 22, as shown in FIGS. 23 to 25, the capping means 130 is located at the lowermost end, and the cap 131 is in the "open" state, that is, in the uncapped state. Further, the wiping unit 110 is located at an upper position, and the wiper 111 is in a “set” state, that is, a wiping-enabled state. Further, the roller of the pump, which is the suction means 150, is in a state of "release" with respect to the tube, that is, a state in which suction is not performed (start time t1).
[0073]
From this state, when the motor is driven in the normal rotation direction to rotate the second gear 171b together with the first gear 171a, the switching arm 172a is rotated and the forward rotation gear 172b is moved to the toothless gear portion 173aa of the geared cam 173a. Mesh with each other. Then, the rotational force of the second gear 171b is transmitted from the forward rotation gear 172b to the toothless gear portion 173aa of the geared cam 173a, and the geared cams 173a, 173b rotate. Subsequently, the toothless gear portion 173ba of the geared cam 173b rotates the gear 174b of the friction clutch mechanism 174, and at the same time, rotates the toothless gear 174a pressed by the compression spring 174c by the frictional force. Starts rotating (time t4).
[0074]
When the toothless gear 173b of the geared cam 173b is disengaged from the toothless gear 174a of the friction clutch mechanism 174, the toothless gear 174a idles and the rotation of the wiper holder 112 stops. At this time, as shown in FIGS. 26 to 28, the wiping unit 110 is located below, and the wiper 111 is in a “reset down” state, that is, a state in which the wiper 111 is stored (time t5).
[0075]
Further, when the geared cams 173a, 173b rotate, the capping means 130 starts to move up together with the wiping means 110 by the action of the cam portions 173ab, 173bb of the geared cams 173a, 173b (time t6). Then, when the forward rotation gear 172b reaches the missing tooth portion 173ac of the toothless gear portion 173aa of the geared cam 173a, the forward rotation gear 172b idles, and the upward movement of the capping means 130 and the wiping means 110 is stopped.
[0076]
In this state, as shown in FIGS. 29 to 31, the capping means 130 is located at the uppermost end, and the cap 131 is in a “closed” state, that is, a capping state. In addition, the wiping unit 110 is located above the previous position, and the wiper 111 is in the “reset up” state, that is, the wiper 111 is in a state of being lifted while being stored (time t7).
[0077]
In this state, when the motor is further driven in the normal rotation direction to rotate the second gear 171b together with the first gear 171a, the suction means 150 operates. At this time, the rollers of the pump are in a state of “biting” the tube, that is, in a state of sucking (time points t8 and t9). During the operation of the wiping unit 110 and the capping unit 130, power is not transmitted to the pump.
[0078]
On the other hand, in the case of the reverse rotation shown in FIG. 22, the capping unit 130 and the wiping unit 110 perform the reverse operation to the above operation by the reverse rotation gear 172c. When the gear 151 shown in FIG. 2 rotates a half turn, the pawl of the gear 151 pushes the pawl of the disk 152, and the disk 152 starts rotating. Meanwhile, the wiping unit 110 and the capping unit 130 have finished their operations. However, the suction means 150 returns to the “released” state at times t3 and t4.
[0079]
As described above, according to the head ejection characteristic maintaining apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, since the capping unit 130 is not rotated, space efficiency can be increased, and the incorporated inkjet printer can be downsized. The positional accuracy between the capping means 130 and the print head 18 can be improved, and capping can be performed reliably.
[0080]
Further, since the wiping unit 110 and the capping unit 130 can be held at a fixed position by the operation of the friction clutch mechanism 174, even if the user touches the wiping unit 110 and the capping unit 130, the wiping unit 110 and the capping unit 130 does not cause a positional shift. Therefore, it is unnecessary to return the wiping unit 110 or the capping unit 130 to a predetermined position, and furthermore, it is possible to eliminate a situation in which parts constituting the wiping unit 110, the capping unit 130, and the like are damaged by collision. And maintenance is simplified.
[0081]
Further, since the wiping unit 110 and the capping unit 130 can always be positioned with high precision, when assembling the head ejection characteristic maintaining device 100, the components constituting the wiping unit 110, the capping unit 130, and the like are accurately phase-matched. No work is required. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the head ejection characteristic maintaining device 100 can be reduced.
[0082]
In the above-described embodiment, the head ejection characteristic maintaining apparatus 100 including one capping unit 130 and one suction unit 150 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. The head ejection characteristic maintaining device 200 including the means 130 and the suction means 150 can be configured in the same manner, and the same effect can be obtained.
[0083]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the head discharge characteristic maintaining device and the ink jet printer including the same according to the present invention, it is not necessary to rotate the capping unit, and therefore, it is necessary to provide a space for rotation around the capping unit. , The size of the ink-jet printer incorporated can be reduced, and the positional accuracy between the capping means and the print head can be maintained with high accuracy.
[0084]
Further, since the friction clutch can be idled after the wiping means is rotated upward or downward, the wiping means can be always positioned at a fixed position, and it is easy to initialize and assemble the wiping means. Become.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of an ink jet printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a unitized head discharge characteristic maintaining device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the head discharge characteristic maintaining device of FIG. 2 as viewed from the opposite side.
FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the head discharge characteristic maintaining device of FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the details of the arrangement of the main part of the wiping means, the capping means, and the cam with gears of the head discharge characteristic maintaining device of FIG. 2;
FIG. 6 is a first diagram illustrating the operation of the wiping unit of FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a second diagram illustrating the operation of the wiping unit of FIG. 5;
FIG. 8 is a third diagram illustrating the operation of the wiping unit of FIG. 5;
FIG. 9 is a fourth diagram illustrating the operation of the wiping unit of FIG. 5;
FIG. 10 is a fifth diagram illustrating the operation of the wiping unit of FIG. 5;
FIG. 11 is a sixth diagram illustrating the operation of the wiping unit of FIG. 5;
FIG. 12 is a seventh diagram illustrating the operation of the wiping unit of FIG. 5;
FIG. 13 is an eighth diagram illustrating the operation of the wiping unit of FIG. 5;
FIG. 14 is a ninth diagram illustrating the operation of the wiping unit of FIG. 5;
FIG. 15 is a tenth diagram illustrating the operation of the wiping unit of FIG. 5;
FIG. 16 is an eleventh diagram illustrating the operation of the wiping unit of FIG. 5;
FIG. 17 is a twelfth diagram illustrating the operation of the wiping unit of FIG. 5;
FIG. 18 is a first diagram illustrating the operation of the capping unit of FIG. 5;
FIG. 19 is a second diagram illustrating the operation of the capping unit of FIG. 5;
FIG. 20 is a third diagram showing the operation of the capping means of FIG. 5;
FIG. 21 is a fourth diagram illustrating the operation of the capping unit in FIG. 5;
FIG. 22 is a time chart showing an operation example of the head ejection characteristic maintaining device of FIG. 2;
FIG. 23 is a first diagram illustrating the operation of the head ejection characteristic maintaining device of FIG. 2;
FIG. 24 is a second diagram illustrating the operation of the head ejection characteristic maintaining device of FIG. 2;
FIG. 25 is a third diagram showing the operation of the head ejection characteristic maintaining device of FIG. 2;
FIG. 26 is a fourth diagram illustrating the operation of the head ejection characteristic maintaining device of FIG. 2;
FIG. 27 is a fifth diagram illustrating the operation of the head ejection characteristic maintaining device of FIG. 2;
FIG. 28 is a sixth diagram illustrating the operation of the head ejection characteristic maintaining device of FIG. 2;
FIG. 29 is a seventh diagram illustrating the operation of the head ejection characteristic maintaining device of FIG. 2;
FIG. 30 is an eighth diagram illustrating the operation of the head ejection characteristic maintaining device of FIG. 2;
FIG. 31 is a ninth diagram illustrating the operation of the head ejection characteristic maintaining apparatus of FIG. 2;
FIG. 32 is a perspective view showing another configuration example of the unitized head discharge characteristic maintaining device according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 33 is a plan view showing an operation example of a conventional head discharge characteristic maintaining device.
[Explanation of symbols]
100 Head discharge characteristics maintaining device
101 Side frame
101a Guide groove
102 Side frame
102a Guide groove
110 Wiping means
111 wiper
112 Wiper holder
112a Shaft support
112aa arc shape
112ab arc shape
112b Guide groove
113 Wiper Cleaner
113a Guide pin
113b Ink scraping
130 Capping means
131 cap
131a hollow
132 1st cap holder
132a protrusion
133 2nd cap holder
133a claw
133b Guide pin
133c guide pin
150 suction means
170 Driving means
171 Driving force transmission means
171a 1st gear
171b 2nd gear
172 forward / reverse switching means
172a Switching arm
172b Forward gear
172c Reverse gear
173 rotation / up / down movement means
173a Geared cam
173aa gear missing gear
173ab cam part
173ac tooth missing part
173ad Missing tooth part
173ae stopper
173af Guide groove
173b cam with gear
173ba Missing gear part
173bb Cam part
173bc arc shape
173bd arc shape
173be stopper
173bf Guide groove
174 friction clutch mechanism
174a Missing gear
174b gear
174c compression spring
200 Head discharge characteristic maintenance device

Claims (9)

In an apparatus for maintaining ink ejection characteristics of a print head that ejects ink droplets on a recording medium,
Wiping means for wiping the print head;
Capping means for sealing the print head,
When the wiping unit wipes the print head, the wiping unit is rotated upward and the capping unit is moved down for positioning, and the capping unit seals the print head and sucks ink. A driving means for rotating the wiping means downward and for raising and positioning the capping means,
The head discharge characteristic maintaining device, wherein the driving unit includes a friction clutch mechanism that transmits a driving force when the wiping unit starts rotating and releases the driving force when the rotation ends. 2. The head discharge characteristic maintaining device according to claim 1, further comprising a suction unit that suctions the inside of the cap of the capping unit that seals the print head. 3. The head ejection characteristic maintaining device according to claim 1, wherein the friction clutch mechanism performs gear driving using a toothless gear for an intermediate movement. 4. The head ejection device according to claim 1, wherein the wiping unit and the capping unit can return to an initial position from any position without using a detection device. 5. Characteristic maintenance device. The friction clutch mechanism includes two driving force transmitting units and a pressing unit that presses the driving force transmitting units together, and one of the driving force transmitting units is integrated with the wiping unit. The head ejection characteristic maintaining device according to claim 1, wherein 6. The head ejection characteristic maintaining device according to claim 5, wherein the pressing unit is a compression spring that presses the normal gear and the toothless gear together in the axial direction. The head ejection characteristic maintaining device according to claim 1, wherein the wiping unit is rotatably attached to the capping unit. A cam having a toothless gear for transmitting a driving force during rotation of the wiping unit through the two driving force transmitting units, and transmitting a driving force when the capping unit moves up and down; The head discharge characteristic maintaining device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising: In an ink jet printer having a print head that ejects ink droplets on a recording medium,
An ink jet printer comprising the head discharge characteristic maintaining device according to claim 1.

Images