JP2005153182A - Cleaning blade, cleaning mechanism, liquid ejection cartridge, and liquid ejector - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suppress fluctuation in air pressure of a front space part in a moving direction. <P>SOLUTION: A blade part 53, which is molded in an approximate plate shape by using an elastic material and which tip part is moved in a slide-rubbed state by being kept in a pressure contact state throughout the width-direction area of an almost flat head surface 32a, so as to remove adhering foreign matter, is formed in this cleaning blade 50. At least one air vent part 54 piercing in the moving direction is formed in the blade part 53, and air in the front space part in the moving direction is made to flow out to a rear space part, so that the fluctuation of the air pressure can be suppressed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a cleaning blade that is formed of an elastic material and removes foreign matter attached to the surface to be cleaned by sliding the blade portion at the tip portion held in pressure contact with the surface to be cleaned. The present invention relates to a cleaning mechanism provided, a liquid discharge cartridge that includes the cleaning mechanism and discharges liquid onto an object, and a liquid discharge apparatus to which the liquid discharge cartridge is attached and detached.

  The liquid discharge apparatus is generally configured to discharge pressure from a nozzle by applying pressure to an appropriate liquid stored in a liquid chamber by pressure generation means, and is used in various fields. For example, in an ink jet printer, a pressure generating element such as a heating element or a piezoelectric element is provided in an ink chamber for storing ink liquid, and ink liquid pressurized by the pressure generating element is dropped from a nozzle formed on a printer head. A desired print such as an image or a character is performed by landing at a predetermined position of the recording paper ejected in a state and supplied to the printing unit. The ink jet printer device has various features such as low running cost, downsizing, and easy color printing.

  Specifically, the ink jet printer device heats the ink liquid in the ink chamber by a heating resistor provided in the ink liquid chamber to generate bubbles, and discharges the ink liquid from the nozzles by energy when the bubbles break and disappear. Let The ink jet printer device performs, for example, a desired color print by supplying yellow, magenta, cyan, and black ink liquids from the respective ink cartridges to the ink chambers and controlling the discharge operation of the respective color ink liquids.

  In the ink jet type printer apparatus, the ejected ink liquid is scattered around the nozzle and attached, and dust, dust, etc. adhere to the ink liquid, and the head surface is soiled. Further, in the ink jet printer apparatus, an ink lump is generated on the head surface when the adhered ink liquid is dried or thickened and aggregates. In an ink jet printer, foreign matter such as dust, a lump of dust, or a lump of ink covers the nozzle, thereby causing a non-ejection phenomenon of ink liquid, a discharge bending phenomenon, and the like, so that highly accurate and stable printing is performed. The situation that it is not broken occurs. For this purpose, an ink jet printer apparatus is provided with a cleaning mechanism for removing foreign substances adhering to the head surface (for example, Patent Document 1).

  The cleaning mechanism includes a cleaning roller and a cleaning blade that rub against the head surface. The cleaning roller is formed by inserting a roller body made of a porous elastic material into an outer peripheral portion of a core material made of metal or hard resin, and has an axial length substantially equal to the width of the head surface. . The cleaning roller is cleaned by wiping off dirt adhering to the head surface while rotating by moving the roller body in parallel with the outer peripheral portion of the roller surface against the head surface by an appropriate driving mechanism. The cleaning roller is effective when removing relatively small foreign matters.

  The cleaning blade is formed in a rectangular plate shape having a length substantially equal to the width of the head surface by an elastic material such as a hard rubber material, and is attached to the mounting member so that the tip portion thereof is pressed against the head surface. The cleaning blade is moved in parallel with the head surface by an appropriate drive mechanism, whereby the tip portion scrapes off the dirt adhering to the head surface and cleans it. The cleaning blade is effective when removing relatively large foreign matters.

JP 2002-240309 A

  By the way, in the cleaning mechanism including the cleaning blade described above, the plate-shaped cleaning blade moves while being held in pressure contact with the surface to be cleaned such as the head surface. Air is compressed to form a space part having a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure. Therefore, the cleaning mechanism has a problem that a fluctuation in the air pressure in the front space in the moving direction becomes a load of the moving operation of the cleaning blade and a stable moving operation cannot be performed.

  In the cleaning mechanism, for example, the cleaning blade may move in a wavy state due to the above-described load, which may cause a problem that it becomes difficult to clean the surface to be cleaned accurately over the entire area. In the cleaning mechanism, the problem described above becomes more prominent when a large cleaning blade is provided to clean the surface to be cleaned over a wide range.

  In the cleaning mechanism, it is possible to reduce the fluctuation of the air pressure in the front space by moving the cleaning blade at a low speed, but there arises a problem that the cleaning efficiency is lowered. In the cleaning mechanism, a small cleaning blade can be provided and moved not only in the cleaning direction but also in the orthogonal direction so that the cleaning operation can be performed several times. However, the structure is complicated. In addition, the cleaning efficiency is greatly reduced, and there is a problem in that cleaning unevenness occurs at a location where the cleaning blade moves in an overlapping manner.

  On the other hand, in an ink jet printer, ink liquid is ejected from the nozzles formed on the head surface as described above. Therefore, in the ink jet printer apparatus, by providing the above-described cleaning mechanism, high-pressure air may flow from the nozzles into the ink chamber. In the ink jet type printer apparatus, this may cause a non-ejection phenomenon of the ink liquid.

  In the ink jet printer apparatus, as described above, the cleaning blade moves while rubbing the entire area of the head surface by the tip portion. In an ink jet printer, for example, when A4 size paper is used, a cleaning blade having a width of at least 21 cm is provided, thereby causing fluctuations in air pressure in a large space. In an ink jet printer, as the size increases, the cleaning blade causes a greater air pressure fluctuation.

  Further, in the ink jet printer apparatus, the front space is brought into a higher pressure state by moving the cleaning blade at a high speed as the speed increases. In the ink jet type printer apparatus, therefore, the frequency of air inflow from the nozzles described above is increased, and so-called white spots occur due to a non-ejection phenomenon of ink liquid.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning blade and a cleaning mechanism that improve the cleaning efficiency by suppressing the fluctuation of the air pressure in the front space in the moving direction and performing a stable moving operation. In addition, the present invention provides a liquid discharge cartridge that performs high-precision and efficient cleaning, and reduces the occurrence of ink discharge failure and the like so that high-precision liquid discharge is performed on an object. An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid ejection device.

  The cleaning blade according to the present invention that achieves the above-described object is formed in a substantially plate shape by an elastic material, and the tip portion is maintained in a pressure contact state over the entire width direction of the surface to be cleaned and is slid and moved. By doing so, a blade portion for removing foreign matter adhering to the surface to be cleaned is formed. In the cleaning blade according to the present invention, one or more air vent portions penetrating in the moving direction are formed in the blade portion.

  In the cleaning blade according to the present invention configured as described above, the foreign matter attached to the surface to be cleaned is scraped off for cleaning by moving the blade portion while being pressed against the surface to be cleaned. In the cleaning blade according to the present invention, the air in the front space portion flows out to the rear space portion side through the air vent portion during the movement operation, so that fluctuations in air pressure in the front space portion are reduced.

  In addition, the cleaning mechanism according to the present invention that achieves the above-described object includes a mounting base that is movably disposed so as to face a substantially flat surface to be cleaned on the apparatus side, and an entire area in the width direction of the surface to be cleaned by an elastic material. And a cleaning blade which is formed in a substantially plate shape having a length opposite to that of the cleaning plate and whose base is attached to the mounting base with the tip portion pressed against the surface to be cleaned. The cleaning mechanism according to the present invention comprises a blade portion that removes foreign matter adhering to the surface to be cleaned by sliding the tip portion of the cleaning blade while being pressed against the surface to be cleaned. The blade part is formed with one or more air vent parts penetrating in the moving direction.

  In the cleaning mechanism according to the present invention configured as described above, the cleaning blade is moved while the blade portion of the cleaning blade is in pressure contact with the surface to be cleaned, and the foreign matter attached to the surface to be cleaned is scraped off for cleaning. In the cleaning mechanism according to the present invention, when the cleaning blade moves, air in the front space flows out to the rear space through the air vent provided in the blade. Reduce fluctuations.

  Furthermore, the liquid discharge cartridge according to the present invention that achieves the above-described object includes a liquid discharge head, a cover cap, and a cleaning mechanism, and is detachably combined with the liquid discharge portion of the apparatus main body. The liquid discharge head includes a liquid supply unit that supplies a liquid, a liquid chamber that stores the supplied liquid, a pressure generation unit that applies discharge pressure to the liquid stored in the liquid chamber, and a target that is supplied And a nozzle that is provided in a substantially flat discharge surface facing the object and discharges a liquid to which discharge pressure is applied. The cover cap is combined so as to cover the head plate on which the nozzles are formed with respect to the liquid discharge head, and is moved from the position where the liquid discharge head is closed by the drive mechanism to the open position during the liquid discharge operation. The plate is opposed to the object. The cleaning mechanism has a mounting base and a cleaning blade. The mounting base is provided in the cover cap and is disposed to face the head plate of the liquid discharge head. The cleaning blade is formed into an overall plate shape having a length opposite to the entire width of the head plate by an elastic material, and forms a blade portion in which the tip portion is pressed against the surface of the head plate and the base portion is attached. One or more air vent parts that constitute an attachment part attached to the table and penetrate the blade part in the moving direction are formed.

  In the liquid ejection cartridge according to the present invention configured as described above, the cleaning mechanism moves in conjunction with the cover cap that moves relative to the liquid ejection head during the liquid ejection operation. In the liquid ejection cartridge according to the present invention, the blade portion of the cleaning blade that is moved by this is held in pressure contact with the surface of the head plate of the liquid ejection head and rubbed, so that the foreign matter attached to the head plate Scrape off and clean. In the liquid ejection cartridge according to the present invention, when the cleaning blade moves, the air in the front space flows out to the rear space through the air vent provided in the blade. Reduce fluctuations in air pressure.

  Furthermore, in the liquid ejecting apparatus according to the present invention that achieves the above-described object, the liquid ejecting cartridge is detachably combined with the liquid ejecting section of the apparatus main body including the cartridge attaching / detaching mechanism, the object transfer mechanism, and the control section. The liquid discharge cartridge includes a liquid discharge head, a cover cap, and a cleaning mechanism. The liquid discharge head is provided with a pressure generating unit in a liquid chamber for storing the liquid supplied from the liquid supply unit to apply discharge pressure to the liquid, and the liquid is discharged from a nozzle that is opened in a substantially flat head plate. To discharge. The cover cap is movably and detachably combined so as to cover the head plate with respect to the liquid ejection head, and is retracted from between the head plate of the liquid ejection head and the object during the liquid ejection operation. . The cartridge attaching / detaching mechanism supports the liquid discharge cartridge in a detachable combination with the liquid discharge portion of the apparatus main body. The object transfer mechanism supplies the object to the liquid discharge unit facing the head plate of the liquid discharge head, and moves and discharges the object from the liquid discharge unit after the liquid discharge operation ends. The control unit controls the operation of the pressure generating unit of the liquid ejection head to control the operation of ejecting the liquid from the nozzle, and also controls the operation of moving the cover cap and the operation of the object transfer mechanism. The cleaning mechanism is provided in the cover cap of the liquid ejection cartridge. The cleaning mechanism is formed into a substantially plate-like shape having a mounting base disposed to face the head plate of the liquid discharge head, and a length facing the entire width direction of the head plate and the head surface by an elastic material. And a cleaning blade which constitutes a blade portion whose tip portion is pressed against the surface of the head plate and whose base portion is attached to the mounting base. In the cleaning mechanism, one or more air vents penetrating in the moving direction are formed in the blade portion of the cleaning blade.

  In the liquid ejection apparatus according to the present invention configured as described above, when an instruction signal for liquid ejection to the object is output to the control unit, the object transfer mechanism is based on a command from the control unit. Supplies the object to the liquid discharge section. In the liquid ejection apparatus according to the present invention, the cover cap moves to the liquid ejection head based on a command from the control unit to open the head plate, and the pressure generation unit operates to target the liquid from the nozzle. Discharge into the object. In the liquid ejection apparatus according to the present invention, the cleaning mechanism also moves as the cover cap moves. In the liquid ejecting apparatus according to the present invention, the cleaning blade that moves by moving the blade portion is held in pressure contact with the head plate of the liquid ejecting head and rubbed against the foreign matter attached to the surface of the head plate. Scrape off and clean. In the liquid ejection device according to the present invention, when the cleaning blade moves, the air in the front space flows out to the rear space through the air vent provided in the blade. Reduce fluctuations in air pressure.

  According to the cleaning blade of the present invention configured as described above, the air in the front space portion is caused to flow out to the rear space portion side through the air vent portion during the moving operation, and the air pressure in the front space portion is changed. As a result of the reduction, the surface to be cleaned moves in a stable state to perform cleaning. According to the cleaning blade of the present invention, for example, the blade portion is maintained in a pressure contact state across the entire width direction even on a wide surface to be cleaned, and is moved at a high speed, thereby achieving high accuracy and efficiency. It becomes possible to perform cleaning.

  According to the cleaning mechanism of the present invention, the air in the front space is changed by causing the air in the front space to flow out to the rear space through the air vent provided in the blade when the cleaning blade moves. Therefore, the blade portion is moved in pressure contact with the surface to be cleaned in a stable state without exhibiting a wavy state. Therefore, according to the cleaning mechanism of the present invention, for example, the blade portion is kept pressed against the entire surface in the width direction even with respect to the wide surface to be cleaned, so that the blade portion is moved and moved at high speed. Cleaning can be performed.

  Furthermore, according to the liquid discharge cartridge of the present invention, the cover cap that is moved relative to the liquid discharge head during the liquid discharge operation is provided with a cleaning mechanism that cleans the surface of the head plate with the cleaning blade. This prevents the occurrence of a liquid non-discharge phenomenon or a discharge bending phenomenon due to the influence of the above, and enables a good and precise recording operation to be performed. According to the liquid ejection cartridge of the present invention, the front space is made to flow out to the rear space through the air vent provided in the blade portion of the cleaning blade during the cleaning operation of the liquid ejection head. Since the fluctuation of the air pressure in the portion is reduced, the blade portion is pressed against the head plate in a stable state without exhibiting a wavy state, and cleaning is performed. Therefore, according to the liquid discharge cartridge according to the present invention, even when a large-sized liquid discharge head is provided and liquid is discharged to a large object, the blade portion is maintained in a pressure contact state across the entire width direction, and thus the high speed is achieved. Thus, it is possible to perform the moving operation, and highly accurate and efficient cleaning is performed. Further, according to the liquid discharge cartridge according to the present invention, the air pressure in the front space is kept substantially equal to the atmospheric pressure during the moving operation of the cleaning blade. Reduce the occurrence. Therefore, according to the liquid discharge cartridge according to the present invention, the occurrence of the liquid non-discharge phenomenon due to the inflow of air into the liquid chamber is prevented, and the liquid discharge with high accuracy is performed on the object.

  Furthermore, according to the liquid ejection apparatus of the present invention, when the liquid ejection operation is performed on the object from the liquid ejection head, the surface of the head plate by the cleaning mechanism is moved along with the movement of the cover cap that opens the liquid ejection head. Since the cleaning is performed, the liquid non-ejection phenomenon and the ejection bending phenomenon due to the influence of the foreign matter are prevented, and a good and precise liquid ejection operation is performed. According to the liquid ejection device of the present invention, when the liquid ejection head is cleaned by the cleaning mechanism, the air in the front space part flows out to the rear space part side through the air vent provided in the blade part of the cleaning blade. Since the fluctuation of the air pressure in the front space portion is reduced, the blade portion is brought into pressure contact and cleaned in a stable state without exhibiting a wavy state. Therefore, according to the liquid ejection apparatus according to the present invention, even when a large-sized liquid ejection head is provided and liquid ejection is performed on a large-sized object, the blade portion is maintained in a pressure contact state over the entire width direction so that high speed operation is achieved. It is possible to perform a moving operation with a high speed, and high-precision and efficient cleaning is performed to increase the speed. Further, according to the liquid ejection device of the present invention, the air pressure in the front space is maintained substantially equal to the atmospheric pressure even when the cleaning blade moves, so that air flows into the liquid chamber through the nozzle. The occurrence of the phenomenon is reduced. Therefore, according to the liquid ejection apparatus according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a liquid non-ejection phenomenon due to the inflow of air into the liquid chamber, and to perform a predetermined substrate ejection on an object with high accuracy and stability. Become.

  Hereinafter, an inkjet printer apparatus (hereinafter abbreviated as a printer apparatus) 1 shown in the drawings as an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the printer apparatus 1 includes a printer main body 2, a head cartridge 3 and a paper cassette 4 that are respectively attached to and detached from the printer main body 2, and is connected to, for example, a personal computer or the like. Devices such as digital cameras are connected and used. As will be described in detail later, the printer apparatus 1 prints a document or image whose output is instructed from a connected device such as a personal computer onto a predetermined size of paper 6 fed from the paper cassette 4 to the printing unit 5 of the printer main body 2. Print.

  As will be described in detail later, the printer apparatus 1 ejects ink liquid in the form of droplets to land on the paper 6 based on a print instruction, and performs high-speed printing in line units. The printer apparatus 1 also performs color printing of documents and images using yellow, magenta, cyan, and black ink liquids.

  The printer main body 2 includes a casing 7 composed of an upper casing 7a and a lower casing 7b, and the upper casing 7a rotates on one end side in the depth direction by a pivot mechanism that omits details with respect to the lower casing 7b. It is supported freely. The printer main body 2 opens the inside by rotating the upper casing 7a with respect to the lower casing 7b so that maintenance such as paper jam processing, parts replacement or cleaning is performed.

  The printer main body 2 is provided with a paper cassette loading port 8 in which a paper cassette 4 is inserted into and removed from the front surface portion of a housing 7 as shown in FIGS. In the printer main body 2, the paper cassette loading port 8 also serves as a discharge unit for the printed paper 6, and the paper 6 is discharged from the printing unit 5 onto the cassette lid 9 of the paper cassette 4. A large number of sheets 6 are stored in the sheet cassette 4 in a stacked state. The paper cassette 4 is appropriately replaced according to the size of the paper 6 to be used.

  The printer main body 2 is provided with a paper transfer mechanism 10 that takes out the paper 6 from the paper cassette 4 and transfers it to the paper cassette loading port 8 via the printing unit 5. Specifically, the paper transport mechanism 10 is provided inside the paper cassette loading port 8, and includes a paper feed mechanism 11 that picks up the paper 6 from the paper cassette 4 one by one, and a transport that transports the picked-up paper 6 to the printing unit 5. The mechanism 12 includes a paper discharge mechanism 13 that discharges the paper 6 on which predetermined printing has been performed in the printing unit 5 to the paper cassette loading port 8.

  Although not described in detail, the paper feed mechanism 10 prevents a paper feed roller that feeds the uppermost paper 6a from a large number of papers 6 stacked and stored in the paper cassette 4 and prevents a plurality of papers 6 from being sent out. A pair of separation rollers or a paper feeding mechanism for pushing up the paper 6 in the paper cassette 4 to press the uppermost paper 6a against the paper feed roller. The transport mechanism 12 transports the paper 6 from the paper cassette 4 to the printing unit 5 through a substantially horizontal U-shaped route, and includes a plurality of transport path plates, reverse rollers, and the like. The paper discharge mechanism 13 has a transport belt that moves up and down with respect to the printing unit 5 via a support mechanism, a plurality of spurs, and the like, and a platen 14 is mounted on the support mechanism.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the printer main body 2 has a head cartridge loading portion 15 that is positioned substantially at the center of the upper housing 7 a and faces the printing portion 5 outward. The printer main body 2 supports the lid 15 on the upper housing 7a by a rotation support mechanism that omits details, and the lid 15 opens and closes the head cartridge loading unit 15. The printer main body 2 is opened and closed, and operations such as attachment / detachment of the head cartridge 3 and replenishment of ink liquid are performed.

  The printer main body 2 is provided with an operation unit 16 in a front region with respect to the head cartridge loading unit 15 of the upper casing 7a. The operation unit 16 is provided with an operation button and a display for performing various operations such as a power switch or the number of prints and start of printing. As shown in FIG. 2, the printer main body 2 includes a CPU, various memories, and the like that output control signals for controlling the operation of the components and the head cartridge 3 in the depth direction of the lower casing 7b. A control unit 17 having a substrate or a power supply unit is housed, and an interface unit for connecting to a personal computer or the like is provided.

  The control unit 17 stores a ROM (Read Only Memory) in which a control program for controlling the overall operation of the printer apparatus 1 is recorded, and a RAM (a read-out control program etc. is temporarily stored and read out as necessary. Random Access Memory). The control unit 17 outputs a control signal that controls the operation of each unit. The control unit 17 outputs a signal such as a warning display based on detection of the remaining amount of ink liquid described later. The control unit 17 outputs a control signal for controlling the ejection of each ink liquid. The control unit 17 drives the paper feed mechanism 11 to supply the paper 6 to the printing unit 5, and drives the paper discharge mechanism 13 to discharge the paper 6 from the printing unit 5 when predetermined printing is completed. Make paper.

  In the printer apparatus 1, the head cartridge 3 is attached to and detached from the head cartridge loading unit 15 of the printer main body 2 described above. The head cartridge 3 has a color print function and a line print function for simultaneously printing one line as described above, and is treated as a consumable replacement part. The head cartridge 3 is replaced.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the head cartridge 3 includes a head frame 18 that has a substantially rectangular tubular body that houses a head unit 19, which will be described in detail later. The head cartridge 3 is provided with a positioning structure and a lock structure, although details are omitted from the head frame 18, and these are engaged with a positioning structure and a lock structure provided facing the head cartridge loading unit 15 side. Are positioned and combined with respect to the printer main body 2. The head cartridge 3 is unlocked by operating a lock release mechanism provided on the printer body 2 side, and can be removed.

  The head cartridge 3 is provided with four ink liquid cartridge mounting portions 20a to 20d (hereinafter collectively referred to as the ink liquid cartridge mounting portion 20 unless otherwise described) on the head frame 18. Four ink liquid cartridges 21a to 21d in which the ink liquid cartridge mounting portions 20 are filled with yellow ink liquid, magenta ink liquid, cyan ink liquid, and black ink liquid, respectively (hereinafter, described individually) Are collectively referred to as an ink liquid cartridge 21). A cover cap 22 is slidably combined with the head cartridge 3 at the bottom of the head frame 18. The head cartridge 3 communicates with each ink liquid cartridge mounting portion 22 at the bottom of the head unit 19 and is connected to ink liquid discharging portions 23a to 23d (hereinafter collectively referred to as an ink liquid discharging portion 23 unless otherwise described). .) Is provided.

  Each ink liquid cartridge 21 is filled with ink liquid in a cartridge container provided with a supply port with a built-in check valve mechanism at the bottom, although details are omitted, and is mounted in each ink cartridge mounting portion 20 facing. As a result, the ink liquid is supplied to the ink liquid discharge section 23. Each ink liquid cartridge 21 has a positioning convex portion formed at a different position for each color on the bottom, and this positioning convex portion is relatively engaged with a positioning concave portion formed on each ink liquid cartridge mounting portion 20 side. Thus, the ink cartridge is mounted without error on the predetermined ink liquid cartridge mounting portion 20. In the printer device 1, since the amount of black ink liquid used is large, the ink liquid cartridge 21d for black ink liquid is formed in a large size.

  Although not described in detail, each ink liquid cartridge mounting portion 20 acts on each ink liquid cartridge 21 by a plurality of partition walls that divide the loading positions of the respective ink liquid cartridges 21 and the accumulated elastic force in the take-out direction. There is provided an elastic material provided on the bottom surface portion to be held or a latch mechanism for holding each ink liquid cartridge 21 in a loaded state against the elastic force of the elastic material and releasing the holding state to enable the removal. It has been. Each ink liquid cartridge mounting portion 20 is provided with a plurality of coupling portions into which the supply ports of the respective ink liquid cartridges 21 are fitted. Each coupling portion is fitted with a supply port to open the check valve mechanism so that the ink liquid is supplied from the ink liquid cartridge 21 to the ink liquid discharge portion 23.

  The printer apparatus 1 includes an ink liquid supplied from each ink liquid cartridge 21 loaded in each ink liquid cartridge mounting section 20 between the ink liquid cartridge mounting section 20 and the ink liquid discharge section 23 as shown in FIG. Ink reservoirs 24 are provided for storing the inks respectively. The ink reservoir 24 sequentially supplies ink liquid to each head chip 25 described later while adjusting the ink liquid. The ink reservoir 24 has a first ink reservoir chamber 26 and a second ink reservoir chamber 27, and stores a predetermined amount of ink liquid and supplies the ink liquid to each head chip 25 with a printing operation. Although not described in detail, the ink reservoir 24 is appropriately provided with an ink liquid remaining amount detection mechanism 28, a diaphragm mechanism 29 that loads the supply pressure of the ink liquid, a filter 30 that removes impurities, and the like as appropriate along the flow path. Yes.

  The ink liquid ejection unit 23 ejects each color ink liquid supplied from each ink reservoir 24 and a head plate 32 in which a large number of nozzles 31 are formed facing the head chips 25. With. The ink discharge section 23 has a head surface 32a formed of a flat surface having a width that is slightly larger than the width of the largest sheet 6 that the head plate 32 uses in the printer apparatus 1, and the head surface 32a. As shown in FIG. 5, each of the color print regions 33a to 33d is divided into four rows formed by arranging a large number of nozzles 31. In the head plate 32, for example, a print area 33 arranged in the order of a yellow print area 33a, a magenta print area 33b, a cyan print area 33c, and a black print area 33d with respect to the paper feeding direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. Is formed. The head plate 32 has a large number of nozzles 31 formed in each print region 33 arranged in a staggered manner with each pair of adjacent nozzles alternately displaced in the paper feed direction.

  As described above, the head chip 25 is provided in the ink discharge portion 23 so as to face each nozzle 31. As shown in FIG. 6, the head chip 25 includes a chip substrate 34 and a heating element 35 mounted on the chip substrate 34. The head chip 25 keeps a small facing distance with respect to the nozzle 31 facing each heating element 35 and constitutes an ink liquid pressurizing space 36 so that the inner surface of the head plate 32 is interposed via the separator film 37. It is attached to. On the chip substrate 34, a head drive control circuit composed of a logic IC (Integrated Circuit), a driver transistor, and the like is formed although details are omitted.

  The head chip 25 has a heat generating element 35 mounted on the chip substrate 34 so as to face the nozzle 31, and generates heat by outputting a driving current from the head drive control circuit to the heat generating element 35. The head chip 25 generates air bubbles by heating the ink liquid in the ink liquid pressurizing space 36 when the heat generating element 35 generates heat, so that the ink liquid pressurizing space 36 is brought into a pressurized state by the bubbles. To do. The head chip 25 pushes out the ink liquid around the nozzle 31 as the bubble grows, and the ink bubble is ejected by the bubble 31 being repelled by the nozzle 31. The head chip 25 may eject ink droplets by a piezoelectric element, for example.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the cover cap 22 is formed in a tray shape having an outer shape substantially equal to the bottom shape of the head frame 18. The cover cap 22 is slidably combined with the head frame 18 and is moved by the cover cap drive mechanism 39 shown in FIG. 7 from the closed position to the opened position of the ink liquid discharge portion 23 during printing. The cover cap 22 is held in a state in which the ink liquid discharge unit 23 is closed in a standby state where the print operation is not performed even when the head cartridge 3 is detached from the printer main body 2 or loaded in the printing unit 5. . The cover cap 22 functions to protect the nozzles 31 and the head plate 32 thereby, and to prevent the ink liquid facing each nozzle 31 from being dried.

  The cover cap 22 is provided with a cleaning mechanism 40, which will be described in detail later. The head surface 32 a of the head plate 32 is cleaned when the cleaning mechanism 40 performs a sliding operation on the head frame 18. The cover cap 22 is provided with a suction sheet 41 on the bottom surface thereof. The cover cap 22 is held in this state by a lock mechanism (not shown) provided in the printer main body 2 in a state where the ink liquid discharge portion 23 is closed.

  The cover cap 22 is formed with guide convex portions 42, 42 composed of horizontal convex edge portions that protrude along the upper edges of the cover cap 22 over the entire length in the width direction. . In the head frame 18, guide groove portions 43, 43 having a substantially L-shaped cross section are formed on both side surfaces in the longitudinal direction so as to penetrate the front surface portion and the back surface portion. The cover cap 22 is slidably combined with the head frame 18 by fitting the guide convex portions 42 and 42 into the opposing guide groove portions 43 and 43. Each guide protrusion 42, 42 is formed with a notch that engages with a lock lever of the lock mechanism.

  The adsorbing sheet 41 is made of, for example, a sponge sheet and adsorbs and holds the ink liquid dripping from the nozzle 31. Further, the suction sheet 41 sucks and holds the ink liquid released by, for example, so-called idling performed when the nozzle 31 is clogged or bubbles are mixed. Further, the suction sheet 41 sucks and holds the foreign matter removed from the head surface 32 a of the head plate 32 by the cleaning operation by the cleaning mechanism 40. Therefore, the cover cap 22 is provided with the suction sheet 41, so that foreign matters and the like are stored inside the cover cap 22 without increasing the overall depth, and the peripheral portion is prevented from being soiled.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the cover cap drive mechanism 39 includes a drive motor 44 attached to the lower housing 7b side, a worm gear 45 meshing with a worm attached to the output shaft thereof, and an upper housing 7a side in the front-rear direction. A slide member 46 is provided that is slidably assembled to form a rack that meshes with the worm gear 45. The cover cap drive mechanism 39 supports the slide member 46 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction with respect to the guide member 47 fixed to the upper housing 7a and to be slid to the upper position at the front portion. Become. The cover cap drive mechanism 39 is formed by combining the support member 48 with the slide member 46 and combining the cover cap 22 described above with the support member 48.

  In the cover cap drive mechanism 39, when the drive motor 44 is driven based on the print instruction, the slide member 46 slides forward through the engagement between the worm gear 45 and the rack. The cover cap drive mechanism 39 causes the cover cap 22 to slide through the support member 48 in accordance with the slide operation of the slide member 46. In the cover cap drive mechanism 39, as described above, the cover cap 22 in which the guide convex portions 42 and 42 are relatively fitted in the guide groove portions 43 and 43 is slid in the front-rear direction with respect to the head frame 18.

  In the cover cap drive mechanism 39, the cover cap 22 is supported by the support member 48 when the fitting state between the guide convex portions 42 and 42 and the guide groove portions 43 and 43 is released at the front portion of the head frame 18. Then, the head frame 18 is moved to a position above the front portion thereof. The cover cap drive mechanism 39 moves the cover cap 22 to the front upper position of the head frame 18 so as not to hinder the movement operation of the platen 14 approaching the head plate 32.

  By the way, in the printer apparatus 1, the ink liquid ejected from the nozzles 31 scatters and adheres to the head surface 32 a of the head plate 32, and dust or dust adheres to the ink liquid, so that the head surface 32 a is soiled. The Further, in the printer apparatus 1, the ink liquid adhering to the head surface 32 a is dried or thickened and aggregated to form an ink lump. In the printer apparatus 1, during the printing operation, the cleaning mechanism 40 removes foreign matters such as ink lumps from the head surface 32a, so that the occurrence of non-ejection phenomenon of ink liquid or ejection bending phenomenon due to these foreign substances is prevented. To.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 8, the cleaning mechanism 40 includes a base portion 49 disposed on the front side in the sliding direction inside the cover cap 22, and a cleaning attached to the base portion 49. And a blade 50. The base portion 49 is formed of a rectangular base portion provided on the bottom surface portion of the cover cap 22 over the entire length in the length direction, and a mounting groove 51 is formed on the upper edge portion over the entire length direction. Has been. The cleaning mechanism 40 may be configured such that the base portion 49 is erected integrally by joining an independent member formed in a rectangular block shape to the bottom surface portion of the cover cap 22. Further, the cleaning mechanism 40 may be configured, for example, such that the base portion 49 is integrally provided upright on the bottom surface portion of the cover cap 22 formed of a synthetic resin material.

  As described above, the base portion 49 has the mounting groove 51 formed on the upper edge portion, but although not shown, a plurality of mounting holes penetrating from the side surface portion to the mounting groove 51 are formed and screwed into these mounting holes. As will be described later, the cleaning blade 50 fitted in the mounting groove 51 is fixed by a set screw. In addition, as for the base portion 49, as another structure, for example, the cleaning blade 50 fitted in the mounting groove 51 may be fixed by an adhesive. Further, the base portion 49 has one side surface portion constituting the mounting groove 51 as an independent side surface member, and the upper edge portion has a substantially L-shaped cross section, and the cleaning blade 50 superimposed on the side surface portion is defined as a side surface member. You may make it fix | pinch and fix.

  The cleaning blade 50 is made of a synthetic resin elastic material such as chloroprene rubber or urethane rubber having elastic characteristics and chemical resistance to ink liquid, solvent, etc., and has a length substantially equal to the length of the head plate 32 and the groove width of the mounting groove 51. Is formed into a plate-like member having substantially the same thickness. As shown in FIG. 8, the cleaning blade 50 is assembled on the base 49 by fitting the base 52 into the mounting groove 51 and fixing it with an adhesive or the like. Therefore, in the cleaning blade 50, the base 52 constitutes an attachment portion.

  In the state where the cleaning blade 50 is attached to the base portion 49 via the attachment portion 52, the upper portion 53 protrudes from the upper edge portion of the base portion 49 over the entire region in the length direction at a predetermined height. . In the state where the cover cap 22 closes the ink discharge portion 23, the cleaning blade 50 is based on the base portion 52 so that the upper portion 53 has a protruding amount slightly larger than the spacing between the head plate 32 and the head surface 32 a. It is attached to the base 49.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the cleaning blade 50 comes into pressure contact with the upper portion 53 abutting against the head surface 32 a of the head plate 32 and being slightly elastically deformed. The upper portion 53 of the cleaning blade 50 is elastically deformed, but one of the upper edges thereof is pressed against the head surface 32a while maintaining rigidity. The cleaning blade 50 is slidably moved in the width direction (front-rear direction) while the upper portion 53 is held in pressure contact with the head surface 32a in accordance with the movement of the cover cap 22 described above. The cleaning blade 50 constitutes a blade portion that the upper portion 53 scrapes off and removes foreign matters or the like attached to the head surface 32a during the moving operation.

  The cleaning blade 50 is detachably attached to the base portion 49, so that the cleaning blade 50 can be replaced or removed for cleaning when the stain is severe. The cleaning blade 50 is formed of the elastic material described above so that the blade portion 53 is kept in a pressure contact state with the head surface 32a of the head plate 32 and slidably moves. The cleaning blade 50 may be formed of another synthetic resin material having elasticity that does not damage the head surface 32a.

  In the cleaning blade 50, a plurality of air vents 54 are formed in the blade part 53 as shown in FIG. The air vent portion 54 is formed by a notch groove penetrating in the thickness direction formed at a predetermined interval in the length direction at the upper end portion of the blade portion 53. The air vent 54 is pressed against the notch groove in a state where the blade 53 is elastically deformed with respect to the head surface 32a of the head plate 32 as described above, but has a slightly higher height than the elastically deformed portion. And formed respectively. That is, the air vent 54 is formed so as to penetrate in the thickness direction even when the blade 53 is in pressure contact with the head surface 32a.

  As described above, the cleaning mechanism 40 is attached to the head surface 32a of the head plate 32 by the cleaning blade 50 that moves together with the cover cap 22 when the cover cap 22 moves relative to the head frame 18 during the printing operation. Remove foreign material. In the cleaning mechanism 40, the cleaning blade 50 moves while the blade portion 53 is brought into pressure contact with the head surface 32a, so that the foreign matter or the like adhering to the head surface 32a is scraped into the cover cap 22 for cleaning.

  By the way, in the cleaning mechanism 40, as described above, the cleaning blade 50 moves at a relatively high speed while the blade portion 53 is kept in close contact with the head surface 32a of the wide head plate 32. For example, in the conventional cleaning mechanism 100 shown in FIG. 9B, as the cleaning blade 101 moves in the direction of the arrow in the figure, the air in the front space portion HF is compressed to a space higher in pressure than the atmospheric pressure. Parts. In the conventional cleaning mechanism 100, the air compressed for this purpose flows into the ink liquid pressurizing space 103 from the nozzle 102 as shown by the arrow in the figure, thereby generating bubbles, thereby causing a non-ejection phenomenon of the ink liquid. There was a possibility of generating.

  On the other hand, in the cleaning mechanism 40, as described above, the air vent portion 54 penetrating in the thickness direction, in other words, the moving direction is formed in the blade portion 53 of the cleaning blade 50. In the cleaning mechanism 40, even when the cleaning blade 50 is kept in close contact with the wide head surface 32 a and moves at a high speed, the front side of the cleaning mechanism 50 passes through the air vent 54 as shown by an arrow in FIG. The air in the space portion HF flows out to the rear space portion HB side. Therefore, in the cleaning mechanism 40, the fluctuation of the air pressure in the front space portion HF is reduced, thereby preventing air from flowing into the ink liquid pressurizing space portion 36 from the nozzle 31.

  Therefore, in the cleaning mechanism 40, the cleaning blade 50 cleans the foreign matter adhered to the head surface 32a of the head plate 32 by cleaning, thereby preventing the occurrence of non-ejection phenomenon or ejection bending phenomenon of the ink liquid due to the foreign matter. To do. Further, the cleaning mechanism 40 prevents the occurrence of a non-ejection phenomenon of the ink liquid due to the inflow of air from the nozzle 31 into the ink liquid pressurizing space 36 due to the moving operation of the cleaning blade 50. In the cleaning mechanism 40, highly reliable printing is performed.

  Further, in the cleaning mechanism 40, even if the cleaning blade 50 is moved at a high speed, the air pressure hardly changes in the front space HF. Therefore, in the cleaning mechanism 40, the cleaning blade 50 moves in a stable state without causing undulation or the like due to load fluctuations, so that the head surface 32a is cleaned well over the entire area. In the cleaning mechanism 40, the cleaning blade 50 is moved at a high speed to increase the printing operation speed.

  By the way, in the cleaning blade 50, each air vent 54 is formed by a notch groove penetrating in the moving direction. Therefore, a non-pressure contact portion with the head surface 32a is generated at the portion of the air vent 54, and the head surface 32a is formed. There is also a risk of causing streaking of the non-cleaning site. The cleaning blade 50 is configured so that the air vents 54 reliably clean the surrounding area of the nozzle 31 where the head surface 32a is heavily contaminated by forming each groove width with a groove width narrower than the pitch of the nozzles 31. It is preferable to do.

  In the cleaning blade 50, since the pitch interval of the nozzles 31 is reduced as the printer device 1 achieves high-quality printing, the groove width of the air vents 54 is also reduced. In the cleaning blade 50, when the groove width is reduced, the ink liquid penetrates into each air vent portion 54 by capillary action, and the air vent portion 54 may be clogged and the air vent function described above may not be sufficiently performed. . In the cleaning blade 50, for this purpose, each air vent 54 is preferably formed with a groove width and height each having a certain size, but a nozzle 31 whose peripheral portion is not cleaned is also generated.

  The cleaning blade 55 shown in FIG. 10 makes it possible to clean the head surface 32a of the head plate 32 in which each nozzle 31 is formed at a fine pitch in a stable state over the entire surface. The cleaning blade 55 has the same basic configuration as the cleaning blade 50 described above, and is assembled on the base 49 by fitting and fixing the attachment portion at the lower part in the attachment groove 51. The cleaning blade 55 is also formed with a plurality of air vent portions 56 each formed of a notch groove penetrating in the thickness direction at a predetermined interval in the length direction on the blade portion of the upper portion. Is characterized by a configuration comprising an inclined groove whose axis is inclined with respect to the moving direction.

  The cleaning mechanism 40 includes the cleaning blade 55 configured as described above so that the position of each air vent 56 gradually changes in the longitudinal direction with respect to the head surface 32a of the head plate 32 as the moving operation is performed. become. Therefore, in the cleaning mechanism 40, even if each air vent 56 having a slightly larger groove width is formed on the cleaning blade 55, the blade is rubbed uniformly over the entire head surface 32a according to the moving operation. Try cleaning.

  In the cleaning mechanism 40, as described above, the cleaning blades 50 and 55 formed integrally with the synthetic resin elastic material are attached to the base 49. As shown in FIG. 11, the cleaning mechanism 40 can be configured as a whole by attaching a plurality of cleaning blades 57 a to 57 m to the base portion 49 by fitting them into the attachment grooves 51. is there. Each of the cleaning blades 57a to 57m is also formed by a synthetic resin elastic material into a plate-like member having a thickness substantially equal to the groove width of the mounting groove 51, and forms appropriate gaps 58a to 58n. The base portion is fitted into the mounting groove 51 and assembled.

  In the cleaning mechanism 40, the gaps 58a to 58n formed between the cleaning blades 57a to 57m respectively function as air vents, and the air in the front space HF is moved rearward through the gaps 58a to 58n in accordance with the moving operation. By allowing the air to flow into the space HB, the air pressure in the front space HF is maintained at approximately atmospheric pressure. In the cleaning mechanism 40, by appropriately selecting the number and interval of the cleaning blades 57 attached to the base portion 49 according to the pitch of the nozzles 31, it is possible to optimize the air bleeding effect.

  In the cleaning mechanism 60 shown in FIG. 12, a first mounting groove 62 and a second mounting groove 63 are formed at the upper end portion of the base portion 61, and the first mounting groove 62 and the second mounting groove 63 are formed. The first cleaning blade 64 and the second cleaning blade 65 are attached. The base portion 61 is formed with a first attachment groove 62 and a second attachment groove 63 which are opened in a slightly wide upper end portion and are parallel to each other in the length direction.

  The first cleaning blade 64 and the second cleaning blade 65 are also formed by a synthetic resin elastic material into a plate shape having a thickness substantially equal to the groove width of the first mounting groove 62 and the second mounting groove 63, respectively. A large number of first air vents 66 and second air vents 67 each formed of a notch groove in the height direction that is open at the top are formed. The first cleaning blade 64 and the second cleaning blade 65 are formed such that the first air vent 66 and the second air vent 67 are different from each other in the length direction.

  Therefore, in the cleaning mechanism 60, the first air vent 66 and the second air vent 67 formed respectively in the state where the first cleaning blade 64 and the second cleaning blade 65 are attached to the base 61. The structure is arranged in a staggered manner in the length direction. In the cleaning mechanism 60, the air in the front space portion HF flows to the rear space portion HB via the first air vent portion 66 and the second air vent portion 67 while meandering as shown by the arrow in FIG. As a result, the air pressure in the front space HF is maintained at a substantially atmospheric pressure state.

  In the cleaning mechanism 60, when the first cleaning blade 64 that precedes the moving operation slides on the head surface 32 a of the head plate 32 to perform cleaning, an uncleaned portion is generated at a portion corresponding to the first air vent 66. . In the cleaning mechanism 60, the subsequent second cleaning blade 65 cleans these uncleaned portions. In the cleaning mechanism 60, the first cleaning blade 64 and the second cleaning blade 65 jointly slide over the entire head surface 32a in accordance with the moving operation so as to perform uniform cleaning.

  The cleaning mechanism 70 shown in FIG. 13 has the same basic configuration and function as the cleaning mechanism 60 described above, but includes an integrated cleaning blade 71 having the functions of a first cleaning blade 64 and a second cleaning blade 65. It has the characteristics. The cleaning blade 71 is also formed into a whole plate shape by a synthetic resin elastic material, but has a slight thickness. The cleaning blade 71 is formed with a dividing groove 72 over the entire length in the central portion of the upper end portion, and the dividing blade 72 and the first blade portion 73 located on the front side in the moving direction and the rear side. And a second blade portion 74 located on the side.

  The cleaning blade 71 is formed with a thickness having a certain degree of rigidity even when the first blade portion 73 and the second blade portion 74 are pressed against the head surface 32 a of the head plate 32. The cleaning blade 71 includes a plurality of first air vents 75 and second air vents 76 each having a notch groove in the height direction opened at the upper end of each of the first blade part 73 and the second blade part 74. Is formed. The cleaning blade 71 is formed by forming the first air vent 75 and the second air vent 76 in the first blade 73 and the second blade 74 so that their positions are different from each other in the length direction. It becomes.

  Although not shown, the cleaning mechanism 70 has a slightly wider base, and an attachment groove formed at the upper end of the cleaning mechanism 70 over the entire length is formed to have a groove width that fits the base of the cleaning blade 71. Yes. When the cleaning blade 71 is attached to the base portion, the cleaning mechanism 70 includes a first air vent portion 75 and a second air vent portion 76 formed on the first blade portion 73 and the second blade portion 74, respectively. The structure is arranged in a staggered manner in the length direction.

  In the cleaning mechanism 70, the cleaning blade 71 described above performs the cleaning by the first blade portion 73 being slid and rubbed first against the head surface 32a of the head plate 32, and the second blade portion 74 is subsequently cleaned. Do. In the cleaning mechanism 70, an uncleaned portion is generated in a portion corresponding to the first air vent portion 753 during the cleaning operation by the first blade portion 73, and these uncleaned portions are cleaned by the subsequent second blade portion 74. In the cleaning mechanism 70, the first blade portion 73 and the second blade portion 74 cooperate with each other according to the moving operation to rub the head surface 32a over the entire surface to perform uniform cleaning.

  The cleaning mechanism 80 shown in FIG. 14 has a cleaning blade 82 attached to a base portion 81 at a predetermined angle θ with respect to the moving direction. The base portion 81 is formed of a wide base portion, and an attachment groove 83 is formed at the upper end portion thereof with an inclination angle θ gradually applied from one end side to the other end side. The cleaning blade 82 is formed in substantially the same manner as the cleaning blade 50 of the cleaning mechanism 40 shown in FIG. 8 described above, and has a plurality of notch grooves in the height direction with a predetermined interval in the length direction. An air vent 84 is formed. Each air vent 84 includes a notch groove parallel to the thickness direction with respect to the cleaning blade 50.

  In the cleaning mechanism 80, the cleaning blade 82 is mounted on the base 81 by fitting the base of the cleaning blade 82 into the mounting groove 83 and fixing it. In the cleaning mechanism 80, the air vents 84 formed on the cleaning blade 82 are arranged in an inclined state with respect to the moving direction, like the air vents 56 of the cleaning blade 55 shown in FIG. become. Therefore, also in the cleaning mechanism 80, the position of each air vent 84 gradually changes in the longitudinal direction with respect to the head surface 32a of the head plate 32 as the moving operation is performed, and the blade portion rubs over the entire head surface 32a. And evenly clean.

  The cleaning mechanism 90 shown in FIG. 15 has the same basic structure as that of each cleaning mechanism described above in which the cleaning blade 93 is attached to the attachment groove 92 formed in the upper end portion of the base portion 91. The cleaning mechanism 90 is characterized by a configuration in which a plurality of slits 94 are formed in the height direction from the upper end of the cleaning blade 93 to cut a strip-shaped blade piece 95.

  The cleaning blade 93 has a thickness such that each blade piece 95 is pressed against the head surface 32a of the head plate 32 with a certain degree of rigidity. The cleaning blade 93 is moved while being held in a pressure contact state over the entire area of the head surface 32 a, thereby removing foreign matters and the like attached by the blade pieces 95. In the cleaning blade 93, during this moving operation, each blade piece portion 95 is elastically displaced with respect to the moving direction due to a change in frictional resistance due to the presence or absence of foreign matter, etc. A gap for communicating with HB is generated.

  Therefore, in the cleaning blade 93, the gap generated between the blade pieces 95 acts as an air vent, and the air in the front space HF is discharged by flowing the air in the front space HF to the rear space HB. Maintain approximately atmospheric pressure. In the cleaning blade 93, the ink liquid permeates between the slits 94 by capillary action, but the air displacement portion is formed by the elastic displacement of each blade piece portion 95, so that it does not remain clogged. .

  The present invention is not limited to the printer apparatus 1 described above, and can be widely applied to other liquid ejection apparatuses that eject liquid. The present invention, for example, discharges a liquid containing conductive particles for forming a wiring pattern of a printer wiring board, for example, a facsimile or a copying machine, a discharge device for a DNA chip in liquid (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-34560). The present invention can also be applied to a liquid discharge device or the like. Further, the printer device is applicable not only to a line type printer device but also to a serial type ink jet printer device in which, for example, an ink head moves in a direction substantially orthogonal to the running direction of the recording paper.

1 is a perspective view of an ink jet printer apparatus shown as an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a configuration explanatory diagram of an ink jet printer apparatus. FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view of the head cartridge with which an inkjet printer apparatus is equipped. FIG. 4 is a configuration explanatory diagram of an ink liquid discharge unit. It is a top view of a head plate. It is a principal part longitudinal cross-sectional view explaining the structure of an ink liquid discharge part. It is a configuration explanatory view of a cover cap drive mechanism. FIG. 2 is a configuration explanatory view of a cleaning mechanism, in which FIG. 1A is a plan view of a main part, and FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the air flow state at the time of the cleaning operation | movement of the head plate by a cleaning blade, The figure (A) uses the cleaning blade shown as embodiment, and the figure (B) shows the conventional cleaning blade. The case where it is used is shown. It is a principal part top view explaining the cleaning mechanism which has the cleaning blade shown as 2nd Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of the cleaning mechanism which has the cleaning blade shown as 3rd Embodiment, The figure (A) is a principal part top view, The figure (B) is a principal part front view. It is a principal part perspective view of the cleaning mechanism which has the cleaning blade shown as 4th Embodiment. It is a principal part perspective view of the cleaning mechanism which has a cleaning blade shown as 5th Embodiment. It is a principal part top view of the cleaning mechanism which has the cleaning blade shown as 6th Embodiment. It is a principal part front view of the cleaning mechanism which has a cleaning blade shown as 7th Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Printer apparatus, 2 Printer main body, 3 Head cartridge, 4 Paper cassette, 5 Printing part, 6 Paper, 7 Case, 10 Paper transfer mechanism, 11 Paper feed mechanism, 12 Conveyance mechanism, 13 Paper discharge mechanism, 18 Head frame, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 19 Head unit, 20 Ink cartridge mounting part, 21 Ink liquid cartridge, 22 Cover cap, 23 Ink liquid discharge part, 24 Ink reservoir part, 25 Head chip, 31 Nozzle, 32 Head plate, 32a Head surface, 33 Print area, 35 Heating element, 39 Cover cap drive mechanism, 40 Cleaning mechanism, 41 Adsorption sheet, 49 Base part, 50 Cleaning blade, 51 Mounting groove, 52 Base part, 53 Blade part, 54 Air vent part

Claims (27)

The foreign material adhering to the surface to be cleaned is removed by sliding while being held in a pressure contact state over the entire width direction of the surface to be cleaned, which is formed in a substantially plate shape by an elastic material. It is a cleaning blade comprising a blade part,
One or more air vent portions penetrating in the moving direction are formed in the blade portion, and the air on the front space portion side flows out to the rear space portion side during the moving operation through the air vent portion. blade.   2. The cleaning blade according to claim 1, wherein each of the air vent portions is a slit in a height direction opened at a tip portion of the blade portion.   The cleaning blade according to claim 1, wherein each of the air vent portions is a through hole formed in the vicinity of a tip portion of the blade portion.   The cleaning blade according to claim 1, wherein each of the air vents is formed to be inclined with respect to a moving direction.   The cleaning blade according to claim 1, wherein the blade portion is slidably moved while being pressed against the surface to be cleaned while being inclined in a moving direction. The blade part is composed of a plurality of parallel rows formed apart from each other in the moving direction with respect to the base part.
The cleaning blade according to claim 1, wherein the air vents are formed in the blades at different positions with respect to the moving direction. A mounting base that is movably disposed opposite the substantially flat surface to be cleaned on the device side;
A cleaning blade, which is formed in a substantially plate-like shape having a length opposite to the entire surface in the width direction by the elastic material, and has a base portion attached to the mounting base with the tip portion pressed against the surface to be cleaned; With
The tip portion of the cleaning blade is configured to form a blade portion that removes foreign matter adhering to the surface to be cleaned by sliding while being held in a pressure contact state with the surface to be cleaned;
One or more air vent portions penetrating in the moving direction are formed in the blade portion, and the air on the front space portion side is caused to flow out to the rear space portion side during the movement operation through the air vent portion. mechanism.   The cleaning mechanism according to claim 7, further comprising the cleaning blade having the air vent portion formed by a slit in a height direction opened at a tip portion of the blade portion.   The cleaning mechanism according to claim 7, further comprising the cleaning blade having the air vent portion formed of a through hole formed in the vicinity of a tip portion of the blade portion.   The cleaning mechanism according to claim 7, wherein the cleaning unit includes the cleaning blade formed to be inclined with respect to a moving direction.   8. The cleaning mechanism according to claim 7, wherein the cleaning blade is attached to the mounting base so that the blade portion is pressed against the surface to be cleaned while being inclined in the moving direction.   The blade portion is composed of a plurality of parallel rows formed apart from each other in the moving direction with respect to the base portion, and the air vent portions are formed in these blade portions at different positions with respect to the moving direction. The cleaning mechanism according to claim 7, further comprising the cleaning blade.   The mounting base is movably disposed so as to cover the surface to be cleaned on the device side, and is provided inside a tray body that collects the foreign matter removed from the surface to be cleaned by the cleaning blade. The cleaning mechanism according to claim 7. A liquid supply unit that supplies liquid, a liquid chamber that stores the supplied liquid, a pressure generation unit that applies a discharge pressure to the liquid stored in the liquid chamber, and a supplied object are opposed to each other A liquid discharge head having a nozzle that is provided in an opening in a substantially flat head plate and discharges the liquid to which discharge pressure is applied;
A cover that is combined with the liquid discharge head so as to cover the head plate, and is retracted from between the head plate of the liquid discharge head and the object by a driving mechanism during the liquid discharge operation. A cap,
A mounting base provided in the cover cap and disposed opposite to the head plate of the liquid discharge head, and a generally plate-like shape having a length facing the head plate across the entire width direction by an elastic material. A cleaning blade that forms a blade portion that is molded and has a tip portion pressed against the surface of the head plate and a base portion that forms a mounting portion that is attached to the mounting base. A cleaning mechanism that removes adhering foreign matter by sliding the blade portion on the surface of the head plate as the cover cap moves, and is detachably supported by the printing portion of the main body of the apparatus. And
The cleaning blade of the cleaning mechanism is formed with one or more air vents penetrating in the moving direction so that air on the front space side flows out to the rear space side through the air vent when moving. A liquid discharge cartridge characterized by comprising.   The said cover cap is formed in the tray shape combined with the said liquid discharge head so that attachment or detachment is possible, The said foreign material removed from the said head plate with the said cleaning blade is collect | recovered. Liquid discharge cartridge.   15. The liquid ejection cartridge according to claim 14, wherein the cleaning mechanism includes the cleaning blade in which the air vent portion is formed by a slit in a height direction opened at a tip portion of the blade portion.   15. The liquid ejection cartridge according to claim 14, wherein the cleaning mechanism includes the cleaning blade having the air vent portion formed of a through hole formed in the vicinity of a tip portion of the blade portion.   The liquid ejection cartridge according to claim 14, wherein the cleaning mechanism includes the cleaning blade formed by tilting the air vent part with respect to a moving direction.   15. The cleaning mechanism according to claim 14, wherein the cleaning mechanism is configured by attaching the cleaning blade to the mounting base so that the blade portion is pressed against the head plate while being inclined in the moving direction. Liquid discharge cartridge.   The cleaning blade, wherein the cleaning mechanism is formed by separating the air vents at positions different from each other in the movement direction on the blade part formed by a plurality of parallel rows spaced apart from each other in the movement direction with respect to the base part. The liquid discharge cartridge according to claim 14, further comprising: A pressure generating unit is provided in a liquid chamber for storing the liquid supplied from the liquid supply unit, and discharge pressure is applied to the liquid so that the liquid is discharged from a nozzle opened in a substantially flat head plate onto the object. A liquid discharge head is combined with the liquid discharge head so as to be movable and detachable so as to cover the head plate, and at the time of the liquid discharge operation, the head plate of the liquid discharge head and the object A liquid discharge cartridge comprising a cover cap that is retracted from between,
An object transfer mechanism for supplying the object to the liquid discharge unit facing the head plate of the liquid discharge head and moving the liquid discharge unit after the discharge operation is completed; and a pressure generating unit of the liquid discharge head. The cartridge is attached to and detached from the apparatus main body having a controller that controls the operation of discharging the liquid from the nozzle and controlling the movement of the cover cap and the operation of the object transfer mechanism. It is supported by a mechanism that is detachably combined with the liquid discharge part,
The liquid discharge cartridge has a mounting base disposed in the cover cap so as to face the head plate of the liquid discharge head, and a length facing the head plate across the entire width direction by an elastic material. A cleaning blade that is formed in a substantially plate shape and that forms a blade portion whose tip portion is pressed against the surface of the head plate and a base portion that constitutes a mounting portion that is attached to the mounting base. A cleaning mechanism is provided that removes foreign matter adhering to the surface of the blade plate by sliding the head plate in accordance with the movement operation of the cover cap during the discharge operation.
The cleaning blade of the cleaning mechanism is formed with one or more air vents penetrating in the moving direction, and when moving through the air vent, the air in the front space portion in the moving direction in the cover cap is transferred to the rear space. A liquid ejecting apparatus configured to flow out to a portion side.   The liquid discharge cartridge forms the cover cap in a tray shape that is detachably combined with the liquid discharge head, and collects the foreign matter removed from the head plate by the cleaning blade in the cover cap. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the liquid ejecting apparatus is a liquid ejecting apparatus.   The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the cleaning mechanism includes the cleaning blade having the air vent portion formed by a slit in a height direction opened at a tip portion of the blade portion.   The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the cleaning mechanism includes the cleaning blade having the air vent portion formed of a through hole formed in the vicinity of a tip portion of the blade portion.   The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the cleaning mechanism includes the cleaning blade formed by tilting the air vent with respect to a moving direction.   23. The cleaning mechanism according to claim 21, wherein the cleaning mechanism is configured by attaching the cleaning blade to the mounting base so that the blade portion is pressed against the head plate while being inclined in the moving direction. Liquid discharge device. The cleaning mechanism in which the air vents are formed at different positions with respect to the moving direction on the blade part formed of a plurality of parallel rows spaced apart from each other in the moving direction with respect to the base part. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising a blade.

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