JP2006150862A - Maintenance mechanism of inkjet recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a small-sized, low cost maintenance mechanism of an inkjet recorder for obtaining the optimum maintenance operation corresponding to the condition of an ejection nozzle. <P>SOLUTION: A suction section 12 of a suction nozzle device 3 is moved along an arrangement direction of the multiple ejection nozzles by a movement mechanism 5 in a condition that the suction section 12 is in contact with an ink ejection face 2 formed by arranging the multiple ejection nozzles. The movement speed of the suction section 12 by the movement mechanism 5 is controlled according to a plurality of maintenance modes in which the different movement speeds are set. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a maintenance mechanism of an ink jet recording apparatus that performs maintenance of an ink jet recording head in which a large number of nozzles are arranged.

  Conventionally, a printer has an inkjet recording head, and high-speed, high-quality images are recorded by ejecting ink droplets from a plurality of nozzles of these recording heads onto the paper transported by the paper transporting means. An ink jet recording apparatus configured to do this is known.

  By the way, in such an ink jet recording apparatus, dust such as paper dust adheres to the ink discharge port of the ink chamber constituting the ink jet recording head, or clogging occurs. In many cases, the surface tension is broken, and the discharge of ink from the ink chamber may become impossible due to these factors.

  Therefore, conventionally, a maintenance operation for quickly recovering such a situation has been indispensable, and as a means for this purpose, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a suction nozzle is used and a nozzle of the head is used. Some nozzles are suctioned locally to recover from nozzle clogging.

  However, since the thing of patent document 1 aims at state recovery | restoration by fixed maintenance operation | movement irrespective of the state of a nozzle, sufficient effect may not be acquired depending on the state of a nozzle.

  For this reason, it is considered to be important to obtain a good maintenance effect that a plurality of maintenance modes can be selected according to the state of the nozzle as the maintenance operation.

Therefore, in the conventional method disclosed in Patent Document 2, the suction force can be changed in a method that prevents the intrusion of bubbles into the nozzle by sucking the vicinity of the nozzle while pressurizing the head. Some maintenance modes can be obtained.
JP-A-5-201028 Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-180011

  However, according to Patent Document 2, since the suction force in the vicinity of the nozzle must be changed according to the state of the nozzle, a suction motor or pump having a large capacity necessary for the maximum suction force must be prepared in advance. However, there is a problem that the apparatus becomes large and expensive in price.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a maintenance mechanism for an ink jet recording apparatus that can easily obtain an optimum maintenance operation according to the state of a discharge nozzle, and that is small and inexpensive. For the purpose.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a maintenance mechanism for an ink jet recording apparatus for recovering the ink discharge performance of the ink jet recording head of an ink jet recording head having a flat head main body end face formed by arranging a plurality of discharge nozzles. , A negative pressure generating means for generating a negative pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure, and a contact that is formed to a size that covers a part of each of the discharge nozzles and contacts the end surface of the head body. A local suction portion having a surface and a suction opening communicating with the negative pressure generating means, and the local suction portion or the head main body end surface in a state where the local suction portion is in contact with the head main body end surface. A moving means for moving one of the nozzles along the arrangement direction of the discharge nozzles, and a movement of either the local suction unit or the head main body end surface by the moving means. Speed, is characterized in that different movement speed is provided with a control means for controlling in accordance with a plurality of maintenance modes set.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, when one of the plurality of maintenance modes is confirmed to have a defect in image quality during execution of a printing operation, the confirmation is performed. This is characterized in that the maintenance operation is performed based on the above.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect of the present invention, in another maintenance mode of the plurality of maintenance modes, at least a part of the moving speed of the moving unit is set slower than the one maintenance mode. It is characterized by a powerful maintenance mode.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect of the present invention, in another maintenance mode of the plurality of maintenance modes, at least a part of the moving speed of the moving unit is set faster than the one maintenance mode. The maintenance mode is executed during a print job.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect of the present invention, in another maintenance mode of the plurality of maintenance modes, at least a part of the moving speed of the moving unit is set faster than the one maintenance mode. 3. A maintenance mechanism for an ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the maintenance mode is executed immediately after the apparatus is turned on.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the plurality of maintenance modes are set according to the type of ink.

  The invention according to claim 7 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the control means has a temperature detection means for detecting an outside air temperature, and the outside temperature detected by the temperature detection means is When the temperature is equal to or lower than a preset temperature, control is performed to slow down at least a part of the moving speed of the moving unit according to each maintenance mode of the plurality of maintenance modes.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a maintenance mechanism for an ink jet recording apparatus that restores ink discharge performance from the discharge nozzles of an ink jet recording head having a flat head main body end face formed by arranging a plurality of discharge nozzles. , A negative pressure generating means for generating a negative pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure, and a contact that is formed to a size that covers a part of each of the discharge nozzles and contacts the end surface of the head body. A local suction portion having a surface and a suction opening communicating with the negative pressure generating means, and the local suction portion or the head main body end surface in a state where the local suction portion is in contact with the head main body end surface. A moving means for moving one of the nozzles along the arrangement direction of the discharge nozzles, and a movement of either the local suction unit or the head main body end surface by the moving means. Is characterized by comprising control means for controlling the variable speed capable, the.

  According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the eighth aspect of the invention, the control unit is configured to determine a moving speed of the local suction unit or the head main body end surface by the moving unit, and the local suction unit is configured to use the head. It is characterized in that it is changed from the time of contact with the end surface until the contact is completed.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the eighth aspect of the present invention, the control unit is configured to determine a moving speed of the local suction unit or the head main body end surface by the moving unit, and the local suction unit includes the head. It is characterized in that control is performed so as to be slower than other portions only at the beginning of contact with the end surface and just before contact is completed.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an ink jet recording apparatus maintenance mechanism that can easily obtain an optimum maintenance operation according to the state of the discharge nozzle, and that is small in size and inexpensive.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
FIGS. 1A and 1B are schematic configuration diagrams of a maintenance mechanism of the ink jet recording apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  In FIG. 1A, reference numeral 1 denotes an ink jet recording head. The ink jet recording head 1 is provided with an ink discharge surface 2 as a flat head main body end surface on the lower surface side. On the ink ejection surface 2, a large number of ejection nozzles (not shown) are arranged in a line in the X-axis direction. These discharge nozzles discharge black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), or yellow (Y) ink.

  Below the ink jet recording head 1, a suction nozzle device 3 for recovering the ink ejection performance from the ejection nozzles is disposed. The suction nozzle device 3 can be brought into contact with the ink discharge surface 2 of the ink jet recording head 1, and in the state of being in contact with the ink discharge surface 2, the arrangement direction of the respective discharge nozzles with respect to the ink discharge surface 2 Maintenance is performed to remove the ink that is slid along the (X-axis direction) and adheres to the ink ejection surface 2.

  The suction nozzle device 3 includes a device main body 301 having a suction part 12 provided on a base part 10 via a coil spring 11, an elevating mechanism 4, a moving mechanism 5, and a negative pressure forming part 6.

  The suction unit 12 is formed to a size that covers a part of the discharge nozzles of the ink discharge surface 2, and communicates with the contact surface that contacts the ink discharge surface 2 and the negative pressure forming unit 6. It comprises a local suction part having a suction opening.

  The elevating mechanism 4 moves the apparatus main body 301 up and down in the Z-axis direction. For example, when the maintenance starts, the apparatus main body 301 is raised to bring the suction unit 12 into contact with the ink ejection surface 2 of the inkjet recording head 1 to perform maintenance. At the end, the apparatus main body 301 is lowered to separate the suction unit 12 from the ink ejection surface 2 of the inkjet recording head 1.

  The moving mechanism 5 moves the apparatus main body 301 with respect to the ink discharge surface 2 in the state where the suction unit 12 of the apparatus main body 301 is in contact with the ink discharge surface 2 of the ink jet recording head 1 (X-axis). Direction).

  The negative pressure forming unit 6 performs air suction by applying a negative pressure lower than the atmosphere to the suction unit 12 of the apparatus main body 301 and sucks ink adhering to the ink ejection surface 2 of the inkjet recording head 1. To do.

  FIG. 1B shows a specific configuration of the moving mechanism 5. In this case, the apparatus main body 301 is supported by the frame 101 that also serves as the base portion 10. A rack 102 is formed in a part of the frame 101 along the X-axis direction. A pinion gear 103 is engaged with the rack 102. A rotation shaft 104a of a motor 104 is connected to the pinion gear 103, and a driving force from the rotation shaft 104a of the motor 104 is transmitted.

  The motor 104 is connected to a control unit 105 serving as control means. The control unit 105 enables forward or reverse operation of the motor 104 and adjustment of the rotation speed.

  Accordingly, the rotation of the motor 104 according to the normal rotation or reverse rotation enables the apparatus main body 301 to move in the X-axis direction, that is, the arrangement direction of the respective discharge nozzles on the ink discharge surface 2 via the pinion gear 103 and the rack 102. Further, the moving speed of the apparatus main body 301 can be adjusted by adjusting the rotation speed of the motor 104.

  Next, FIGS. 2 to 5 are configuration diagrams for explaining the suction nozzle device 3 in detail. Here, FIG. 2 is a side view, FIG. 3 is a top view, FIG. 4 is a front view, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a state in contact with the inkjet recording head 1.

  In this case, the suction nozzle device 3 is provided with the suction portion 12 as the device main body 301 on the base portion 10 via the coil spring 11. An air suction passage 13 is provided inside the base portion 10 (see FIG. 5). The air suction passage 13 has a suction port 14 provided on the side surface of the base portion 10 and a communication port 15 provided on the upper surface of the base portion 10. The suction port 14 of the air suction passage 13 communicates with the negative pressure forming unit 6.

  A support tube 16 is provided at the communication port 15. The suction part 12 is fitted in the support cylinder 16. The suction part 12 includes a suction part upper casing 17 and a lower fitting cylinder 18 provided at the lower part of the suction part upper casing 17, and the lower fitting cylinder 18 is fitted in the support cylinder 16. Are combined.

  A suction space 19 is formed in the suction part upper housing 17 and the lower fitting cylinder 18. The suction space 19 communicates with the negative pressure forming unit 6 through the air suction passage 13.

  A coil spring 11 is provided between the base portion 10 and the suction portion 12 and on the outer periphery of the support tube 16 and the lower fitting tube 18. The coil spring 11 acts on the suction portion 12 in an upward (Z-axis direction) biasing force.

  A positioning guide 20 is provided on the upper surface of the suction unit 12. The positioning guide 20 is formed in a convex shape having a triangular cross section along the arrangement direction (X-axis direction) of the discharge nozzles 1a and 1b of the inkjet recording head 1. That is, the inkjet recording head 1 is provided with the discharge nozzles 1a and 1b in two rows in parallel with each other, and the guide grooves 1c are provided in parallel between the arrays of the discharge nozzles 1a and 1b. The guide groove 1c is formed in a V shape, and the positioning guide 20 is fitted into the guide groove 1c. Thereby, the apparatus main body 301 is positioned with respect to the inkjet recording head 1. The ink jet recording head 1 has an ink ejection surface 2 on which the ejection nozzles 1a and 1b are provided.

  On both sides of the positioning guide 20 provided on the upper surface of the suction part 12, contact surfaces 21 and 22 are provided, respectively. These contact surfaces 21 and 22 contact the ink discharge surface 2 of the inkjet recording head 1 in a planar shape. The contact surface 21 contacts the ink discharge surface 2 on the side where the discharge nozzle 1a is provided, and the contact surface 22 contacts the ink discharge surface 2 on the side where the discharge nozzle 1b is provided.

  On the contact surfaces 21 and 22, a plurality of suction grooves 23a to 23c and 24a to 24c, which are the respective suction openings of the local suction portion, are provided (see FIG. 3). Each of the suction grooves 23a to 23c and 24a to 24c is provided so as to extend, for example, three in a direction perpendicular to the formation direction (X-axis direction) of the positioning guide 20 (X-axis direction). The suction grooves 23a to 23c and 24a to 24c are provided with the same length and in parallel with each other.

  At the outermost positions of these suction grooves 23a to 23c and 24a to 24c, suction holes 25a to 25c and 26a to 26c are provided, respectively.

  These suction holes 25 a to 25 c and 26 a to 26 c are provided outside the discharge nozzles 1 a and 1 b of the inkjet recording head 1, respectively. These suction holes 25 a to 25 c and 26 a to 26 c are connected in common to the suction space 19, and communicated from the suction space 19 to the negative pressure forming portion 6 through the air suction passage 13.

  Here, the width in the movement direction (X-axis direction) of the suction nozzle device 3 in each of the suction grooves 23a to 23c and 24a to 24c is dimension A, and the movement direction (X-axis) of the suction nozzle device 3 in each of the contact surfaces 21 and 22 When the width of the direction) is dimension B, the dimension A of the width of each suction groove 23a-23c, 24a-24c and the dimension B of the width of each contact surface 21, 22 have a relationship of A ≦ B. Is formed.

  Further, the widths of the contact surfaces 21 and 22 between the suction grooves 23a and 24a formed on the most downstream side in the moving direction (X-axis direction) of the suction nozzle device 3 and the side end portion 27 on the most downstream side. Is a dimension C, the suction grooves 23a and 24a and the contact surfaces 21 and 22 on the most downstream side are formed to have a relationship of A ≦ 2C.

  Two wipers 30 and 31 are provided on both sides of the positioning guide 20 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). The wipers 30 and 31 are in contact with the ink discharge surface 2 of the ink jet recording head 1, slide with respect to the ink discharge surface 2 as the suction nozzle device 3 moves, and adhere to the ink discharge surface 2. Scrapes.

  Next, the operation of the first embodiment configured as described above will be described.

  In this case, the suction nozzle device 3 is provided with a motor 104 in the moving mechanism 5 as shown in FIG. Then, the control unit 105 instructs the motor 104 to perform normal rotation or reverse rotation, and rotates the pinion gear 103 via the rotation shaft 104a, thereby moving the apparatus main body 301 in the X-axis direction, that is, ink ejection via the rack 102. The surface 2 is moved in the arrangement direction of the discharge nozzles. Further, the control unit 105 changes the moving speed of the relative movement of the suction unit 12 of the apparatus main body 301 with respect to the ink ejection surface 2 within a predetermined range (for example, the capability range of the motor 104) by instructing the rotation speed of the motor 104. You can also In this case, the control of the rotational speed of the motor 104 by the control unit 105 can be performed by setting a plurality of relative movement speeds for each of a plurality of preset maintenance modes, or in the middle of a certain maintenance mode. Various modes can be selected, such as changing.

  Hereinafter, these control examples will be described in detail.

  First, an example of setting a plurality of maintenance modes having different relative movement speeds will be described.

  In this case, the control unit 105 is set so that the relative movement speed of the apparatus main body 301 with respect to the ink ejection surface 2 of the ink jet recording head 1 is in the following four maintenance modes (A, B, C, D). Has been. Here, the moving speed of the suction nozzle device in each mode is set as B <A <C, D.

  First, the maintenance mode A is a normal mode, and is a maintenance operation that is performed based on the user's judgment when the user performs a printing operation and recognizes a problem in image quality.

  In this case, when the user instructs execution of the maintenance mode A from an operation panel (not shown) or a connected personal computer, the printing operation is stopped, the rotation speed of the motor 104 is set to a low speed by the control unit 105, and suction is performed. The maintenance operation is executed by slowing the moving speed of the suction unit 12 of the nozzle device 3 relative to the ink ejection surface 2. That is, in the maintenance mode A, it is selected that the printing operation is stopped and the maintenance operation is executed, so that reliable recovery of image quality defects can be obtained even if it takes some time.

  Next, the maintenance mode B is a powerful maintenance mode, and when the image quality defect is not recovered in the normal mode of the maintenance mode A, a more powerful maintenance operation is executed. This maintenance mode B is also a mode that is implemented based on the user's judgment. In this case as well, the user instructs execution of the maintenance mode B from an operation panel (not shown) or a connected personal computer. Here, it is considered that the reason why the image quality defect does not recover is that the thickened ink, paper dust, or the like is firmly fixed in the vicinity of the inkjet nozzle. Therefore, in this case, the suction performance by the suction unit 12 of the suction nozzle device 3 is substantially increased so as to suck up the thickened ink and paper powder. As a method for enhancing the suction performance, the moving speed of the suction unit 12 relative to the ink ejection surface 2 is further slower than that in the maintenance mode A, and the suction time per unit moving length is increased. Specifically, the rotation speed of the motor 104 is set to a low speed of about 0.2 to 0.7 times that of the maintenance mode A by the control unit 105, and the moving speed of the suction unit 12 relative to the ink ejection surface 2 is further decreased. Perform maintenance operations.

  In this way, since the entire suction time by the suction unit 12 becomes longer, the time required for the maintenance operation becomes longer and the amount of ink consumed increases, but it has a great effect on the recovery of image quality defects. Can be obtained.

  Next, maintenance mode C is a maintenance mode that is selected during execution of a print job, and is a maintenance operation that is automatically executed for every specified number of copies when multiple copies are executed at a time. . This maintenance mode C is automatically executed regardless of the user's will, and is executed by temporarily interrupting the printing operation at a predetermined timing. That is, the maintenance mode C is performed for the purpose of removing ink reservoirs, paper dust, and the like that are likely to lead to image quality defects in the future before image quality defects actually occur.

  In this case, since an image quality defect does not actually occur, the suction force at the suction portion 12 of the suction nozzle device 3 is set to be weaker than in the maintenance modes A and B. In addition, since there is a mode in which a job is interrupted during a print job, it is desired to end the job in as short a time as possible.

  Thereby, the suction speed per unit moving length is weakened by increasing the moving speed of the suction unit 12 of the suction nozzle device 3 with respect to the ink discharge surface 2 as compared to the maintenance mode A, and the execution time is shortened. Specifically, the maintenance operation is executed by the control unit 105 so that the rotation speed of the motor 104 is about 1.3 to 3 times that of the maintenance mode A.

  In this way, the entire suction time by the suction unit 12 is shortened, and the time required for the maintenance operation can be shortened. Therefore, it is possible to minimize the influence of interrupting the job during the print job.

  Next, the maintenance mode D is a mode that is executed when the ink jet recording apparatus is powered on, and is automatically executed without user designation. The user usually wants to execute a printing operation as soon as possible after the power is turned on. For this reason, it is desired that this maintenance mode D be executed in as short a time as possible, and there is no image quality defect that should actually be recovered, so a strong suction force is not required.

  Therefore, in this maintenance mode D, the suction force is weakened and the execution time is shortened by increasing the moving speed of the suction unit 12 of the suction nozzle device 3 with respect to the ink ejection surface 2 as compared with the maintenance mode A. Specifically, the maintenance operation is executed by the control unit 105 so that the rotation speed of the motor 104 is about 1.3 to 3 times that of the maintenance mode A.

  Therefore, in this way, by preparing a plurality of maintenance modes A, B, C, and D that can arbitrarily select the moving speed of the suction unit 12 of the suction nozzle device 3 with respect to the ink discharge surface 2, the ink discharge surface 2 is prepared. Therefore, it is possible to carry out the optimum maintenance operation according to the state of the image, so that the image quality defect can be reliably recovered. Further, not only can waste of ink prevent consumption, but also the waiting time for interrupting printing and the waiting time immediately after power-on can be shortened.

  Specifically, by preparing the maintenance mode B, it is possible to reliably recover the image quality defect without repeating the maintenance mode A many times. As a result, it is possible to prevent wasteful consumption of ink. Furthermore, by providing the maintenance mode C, not only can the printing interruption time be shortened, but also wasteful consumption of ink can be prevented. In addition, the maintenance mode D not only shortens the time from when the power is turned on until it is ready to print, but also prevents wasteful consumption of ink.

  Furthermore, since these maintenance modes A to D are realized by changing the moving speed of the suction unit 12 of the suction nozzle device 3 with respect to the ink ejection surface 2, a conventional suction motor or pump having a large capacity is prepared. Compared to the device, the device can be miniaturized and the cost can be reduced.

  Note that the moving speed of the suction unit 12 relative to the ink discharge surface 2 is at least relative to the reference maintenance mode when the suction unit 12 is in contact with the ink discharge surface 2 and performing suction from the discharge nozzles 1a and 1b. It can be slow or fast. For example, in the state where the suction unit 12 moves in the X direction to the position opposite to the ink ejection surface 2 before and after that, the movement speed may be the same as the reference maintenance mode. The same applies to the following embodiments.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  In this case, the schematic configuration of the maintenance mechanism of the ink jet recording apparatus according to the second embodiment is the same as that shown in FIGS.

  In the second embodiment, a plurality of maintenance modes having different relative movement speeds depending on the required function are provided. Here, the suction unit of the suction nozzle device 3 is changed depending on the outside air temperature when the maintenance operation is performed. The moving speed with respect to the 12 ink ejection surfaces 2 is changed.

  In general, the specifications of ink used in an ink jet recording apparatus are set in consideration of use in a normal room temperature environment (about 20 ° C.). For this reason, when the outside air temperature is higher than the set temperature, the ink is hard to be solidified, so no problem occurs. However, when the temperature is lower than the set temperature, the ink is likely to be solidified, which may be a problem.

  Therefore, in the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1B, a temperature sensor 106 is connected to the control unit 105 as temperature detecting means for detecting the outside air temperature, and the outside detected by the temperature sensor 106 is connected. The control content of the motor 104 by the control unit 105 is changed based on the temperature.

  Specifically, when the outside air temperature detected by the temperature sensor 106 is lower than 20 degrees, the control unit 105 performs the four maintenance modes (A, B, C, D) described in the first embodiment. Compared with the case of 20 ° C. or higher, the rotational speed of the motor 104 is controlled so as to slow down the moving speed of the suction unit 12 of the suction nozzle device 3 with respect to the ink discharge surface 2, thereby improving the suction capability. The degree to which the speed of the suction unit 12 is increased is determined by the temperature characteristics of the employed ink.

  Therefore, in this way, the suction force of the suction part 12 of the suction nozzle device 3 can be reinforced in a low-temperature environment, so that the maintainability is improved and the re-execution of the maintenance operation can be eliminated. Can improve efficiency.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  In this case, since the schematic configuration of the maintenance mechanism of the ink jet recording apparatus according to the third embodiment is the same as that shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, these drawings are incorporated.

  The third embodiment also has a plurality of maintenance modes having different relative movement speeds depending on the required function. Here, the four maintenance modes (A, B, and A) described in the first embodiment are used. C, D), the user can designate execution for the maintenance modes A and B.

  Maintenance modes A and B are modes in which four colors of ink, that is, black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M) or yellow (Y), are simultaneously maintained, and the user can There is a mode in which one of them is specified and maintenance is performed for each color individually. In this case, these four color inks have different image quality recoverability. Therefore, when performing a color maintenance operation that easily recovers the image quality, the control unit 105 causes the suction unit 12 of the suction nozzle device 3 to eject ink. The rotational speed of the motor 104 is controlled so as to increase the moving speed with respect to the surface 2 so that the consumption of the ink amount is minimized. When performing a maintenance operation for a color whose image quality is difficult to recover, the control unit 105 controls the rotation speed of the motor 104 so as to reduce the moving speed of the suction unit 12 of the suction nozzle device 3 with respect to the ink ejection surface 2. . In this way, although ink consumption increases, it is possible to prevent the user from having to re-execute maintenance by reliably recovering the ink.

Therefore, according to this, the suction force of the suction unit 12 of the suction nozzle device 3 can be increased only for the ink whose image quality is difficult to recover, depending on the type of ink. Can be prevented at the same time.
(Fourth embodiment)
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  In this case, since the schematic configuration of the maintenance mechanism of the ink jet recording apparatus according to the fourth embodiment is the same as that shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, these drawings are incorporated.

  In the fourth embodiment, the nozzle relative movement speed is changed during one maintenance operation.

  FIG. 6 shows the relative positional relationship between the suction unit 12 of the suction nozzle device 3 and the ink ejection surface 2 in the time series during maintenance.

  In this case, first, as shown in FIG. 6A, the suction unit 12 and the ink discharge surface 2 are separated from each other. When the suction unit 12 is raised by the elevating mechanism 4 (see FIG. 1) and is in contact with the tip of the ink ejection surface 2, the suction unit 12 is inclined as shown in FIG. Yes. Since the adhesiveness between the suction part 12 and the ink discharge surface 2 is not stable while the suction part 12 is moved from this state to the state shown in FIG. The surface 2 may not work properly, and the ink residue D1 may occur at the tip of the ink ejection surface 2. Further, as shown in FIG. 4D, when the suction unit 12 moves to the end of the ink discharge surface 2 and the maintenance operation is finished, the suction unit 12 is immediately separated from the state in contact with the ink discharge surface 2. Since the ink starts descending in the direction, the remaining ink D2 is also generated at the end portion of the ink ejection surface 2.

  Therefore, in order to prevent the occurrence of these ink residues D1 and D2, the control unit 105 changes the moving speed of the suction unit 12 of the suction nozzle device 3 as shown in FIG. Specifically, during the period from (b) to (c) shown in FIG. 6, the rotation speed of the motor 104 is lowered by the control unit 105, and as shown in FIGS. 7 (a) to (b), the speed is low. The suction unit 12 is moved to improve the ink suction capability. Then, from (c) to (d) shown in FIG. 6, the rotation speed of the motor 104 is increased by the control unit 105 from the length l of the suction unit 12 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, when the suction unit 12 is moved at a high speed and the suction unit 12 shown in FIG. 6 (d) reaches the end of the ink discharge surface 2, the control unit 105 controls the rotation speed of the motor 104. As shown in FIGS. 7C to 7D, the suction unit 12 is moved at a low speed to raise the ink suction capability.

  Accordingly, in this way, the suction nozzle device is used for the remaining inks D1 and D2 that are likely to be generated when the suction portion 12 of the suction nozzle device 3 is in contact with the ink ejection surface 2 and just before the contact is completed. Since the moving speed of the suction unit 12 of the third suction unit 12 with respect to the ink ejection surface 2 is set to be slow and the suction performance is strengthened to perform the maintenance operation, the remaining ink D1 and D2 can be greatly reduced.

  In the first to fourth embodiments described above, the suction unit 12 of the suction nozzle device 3 is moved by the moving mechanism 5, but the suction unit 12 of the suction nozzle device 3 is fixed and the ink ejection surface is fixed. Even when the two sides move, the same effect can be obtained. Further, the configuration of the moving mechanism 5 that moves the suction portion 12 of the suction nozzle device 3 relative to the ink discharge surface 2 is an example, and other configurations can be used.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, In the implementation stage, it can change variously in the range which does not change the summary.

  Furthermore, the above embodiments include inventions at various stages, and various inventions can be extracted by appropriately combining a plurality of disclosed constituent elements. For example, even if some constituent requirements are deleted from all the constituent requirements shown in the embodiment, the problem described in the column of the problem to be solved by the invention can be solved, and is described in the column of the effect of the invention. If the above effect is obtained, a configuration from which this configuration requirement is deleted can be extracted as an invention.

1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a maintenance mechanism of an ink jet recording apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The side view of the suction nozzle apparatus used for 1st Embodiment. The top view of the suction nozzle apparatus used for 1st Embodiment. The front view of the suction nozzle apparatus used for 1st Embodiment. The figure which shows the state which the suction nozzle apparatus used for 1st Embodiment contact | abutted with the inkjet recording head. The figure which shows the relative positional relationship of the attraction | suction part of the attraction | suction nozzle apparatus at the time of the maintenance execution for describing the 6th Embodiment of this invention, and an ink discharge surface in time series. The figure explaining the change of the moving speed of the suction part of the suction nozzle apparatus of 6th Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

1. Inkjet recording head, 1a. 1b: discharge nozzle 1c: guide groove,
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 2 ... Ink discharge surface, 3 ... Suction nozzle apparatus 301 ... Apparatus main body, 101 ... Frame 102 ... Rack, 103 ... Pinion gear 104 ... Motor, 104a ... Rotating shaft 105 ... Control part, 106 ... Temperature sensor 4 ... Lifting function, 5 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS ... Movement mechanism, 6 ... Negative pressure formation part 10 ... Base part, 11 ... Coil spring 12 ... Suction part, 13 ... Air suction passage 14 ... Suction port, 15 ... Communication port, 16 ... Support cylinder 17 ... Suction part upper housing, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 18 ... Lower fitting cylinder 19 ... Suction space, 20 ... Guide 21.22 ... Contact surface, 23a-23c, 24a-24c ... Suction groove 25a-25c, 26a-26c ... Suction hole, 27 ... Side edge part 28 ... Mask plate, 30.31 ... Wiper

Claims (10)

In a maintenance mechanism of an ink jet recording apparatus for recovering the performance of discharging ink from the discharge nozzle of an ink jet recording head having a flat head body end face formed by arranging a large number of discharge nozzles,
A negative pressure generating means for generating a negative pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure;
Local suction formed so as to cover a part of the discharge nozzles of the discharge nozzles and having a contact surface that contacts the end surface of the head body and a suction opening communicating with the negative pressure generating means And
Moving means for moving either the local suction part or the head main body end surface along the arrangement direction of the ejection nozzles in a state where the local suction part is in contact with the head main body end face;
Control means for controlling the moving speed of either the local suction part or the head main body end surface by the moving means in accordance with a plurality of maintenance modes in which different moving speeds are set;
A maintenance mechanism for an ink jet recording apparatus. One maintenance mode among the plurality of maintenance modes is a maintenance operation performed based on a confirmation when a defect in image quality during a printing operation is confirmed. A maintenance mechanism for an inkjet recording apparatus according to Item 1. The other maintenance mode among the plurality of maintenance modes is a strong maintenance mode in which at least a part of the moving speed of the moving means is set slower than the one maintenance mode. Maintenance mechanism for inkjet recording devices. Another maintenance mode of the plurality of maintenance modes is a maintenance mode executed during a print job in which at least a part of the moving speed of the moving unit is set faster than the one maintenance mode. A maintenance mechanism for an ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 2. The other maintenance mode among the plurality of maintenance modes is a maintenance mode executed immediately after the apparatus is turned on, in which at least a part of the moving speed of the moving means is set faster than the one maintenance mode. The maintenance mechanism for an ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 2. The maintenance mechanism for an ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of maintenance modes are set according to the type of ink. The control unit includes a temperature detection unit that detects an outside air temperature. When the outside air temperature detected by the temperature detection unit is equal to or lower than a preset temperature, the control unit corresponds to each maintenance mode of the plurality of maintenance modes. 7. The maintenance mechanism for an ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the moving speed of the moving unit is controlled to be slow. In a maintenance mechanism of an ink jet recording apparatus for recovering the performance of discharging ink from the discharge nozzle of an ink jet recording head having a flat head body end face formed by arranging a large number of discharge nozzles,
A negative pressure generating means for generating a negative pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure;
Local suction formed so as to cover a part of the discharge nozzles of the discharge nozzles and having a contact surface that contacts the end surface of the head body and a suction opening communicating with the negative pressure generating means And
Moving means for moving either the local suction part or the head main body end surface along the arrangement direction of the ejection nozzles in a state where the local suction part is in contact with the head main body end face;
Control means for variably controlling the moving speed of either the local suction part or the head main body end face by the moving means;
A maintenance mechanism for an ink jet recording apparatus. The control means changes the moving speed of either the local suction part or the head main body end face by the moving means from the time when the local suction part comes into contact with the head end face until the contact is completed. The maintenance mechanism for an ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 8. The control means sets the moving speed of either the local suction part or the head main body end surface by the moving means only when the local suction part comes into contact with the head end surface and just before the contact is completed. 9. A maintenance mechanism for an ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the maintenance mechanism is controlled so as to be slower than other portions.

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