JP2009269327A - Inkjet recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently remove an ink which is scraped up from a discharge region. <P>SOLUTION: In a terminal operation of ink removal for removing an ink which is scraped up by wiping from a discharge surface 3a, a wiper 72 is displaced from a first contact position to a second contact position. At this time, the height of a part of an open end of a groove 72a becomes the same as that of the discharge surface 3a. Therefore, an ink, which is collected on a front surface in the advancing direction of the wiping operation with respect to the front edge of the wiper 72, is guided into a groove 72a by capillary force. Then, an auxiliary operation of ink removal is performed by slightly moving the wiper 72 to the advancing direction of the wiping operation. Thereby, when the ink which is collected from the discharge surface 3a by the terminal operation of the ink removal remains without being totally removed, the remaining ink is guided into the groove 72a and is removed while moving the wiper 72 to left. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus, and more particularly to an ink jet recording apparatus provided with a wiper blade for wiping a nozzle forming surface of an ink jet recording head.

  In the inkjet head, if dust or waste ink adheres to the nozzle surface provided with the nozzle holes for ejecting ink, the ink ejection direction, ejection speed, and ink droplet diameter from the nozzle holes vary, resulting in recording. Degradation is brought about. Therefore, conventionally, in order to remove these deposits, these deposits are wiped from the ink discharge port surface by a wiper blade made of an elastic material such as rubber (hereinafter, this operation is referred to as wiping).

For example, according to the ink jet recording apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, the tip of the cleaning member 19 scrapes off ink from the discharge area, that is, the nozzle formation surface, thereby removing the deposit. The ink thus scraped is released to the back surface of the cleaning member 19 through the opening 19a. Further, since a plurality of groove portions 19b are formed on the back surface of the cleaning member, the ink flowing on the back surface of the cleaning member 19 is guided in the direction of gravity along the groove portions, and as a result, the cleaning member Ink discharge from the ink 19 can be promoted.
JP 2001-347678 A

  After the wiping as described above is completed, it is necessary to separate the wiper blade and the inkjet head that were in sliding contact with the inkjet head at the time of wiping. Therefore, the wiper blade that has been slidably contacted with the inkjet head and elastically deformed in the past moves further in the wiping direction so that the wiper blade returns to its original shape beyond the area of the inkjet head, or The wiper blade is mainly separated from the wiper blade in the direction orthogonal to the nozzle formation surface.

  However, in the conventional ink jet recording apparatus, when the wiping is completed, the ink scraped from the nozzle forming surface has not yet reached the opening 19a of the cleaning member 19 and is near the tip of the cleaning member 19. When a large amount remains, if the cleaning member 19 and the recording head 7 are moved away from each other after the wiping is completed, the remaining ink may be scattered to other parts of the apparatus or may remain on the recording head 7. The ink has a technical problem that solidification impedes smooth operation of the apparatus and lowers reliability.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide an ink jet recording apparatus capable of efficiently removing ink scraped from an ejection region.

  An inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention includes an inkjet head having an ejection surface in which a plurality of ejection ports for ejecting ink are formed, an elastic wiper blade that moves in one direction and wipes the ejection surface, and the wiper blade. An ink removing means that is arranged so as to be movable integrally, removes ink collected on the surface on the downstream side of the one direction of the wiper blade by approaching the ejection surface, and a direction orthogonal to the ejection surface, At least between the first contact position where the wiper blade wipes the ejection surface and the second contact position where the ink removing means is closer to the ejection surface than the first contact position, A first moving mechanism for moving the wiper blade relative to the inkjet head; and the wiper blade along the ejection surface, A second moving mechanism for moving the ink jet head relative to the ink jet head, wherein the first moving mechanism moves the wiper blade from the first contact position to the second position at the end of the wiping. To the contact position.

  According to the above configuration, since the wiper blade moves from the first contact position to the second contact position at the end of wiping, the ink scraped from the ejection surface is efficiently removed by the ink removing means. It is possible. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent ink from remaining or scattered on the ejection surface and other portions of the ink jet recording apparatus, and to prevent performance deterioration of the ink jet recording apparatus.

  The discharge surface includes a discharge region in which a plurality of discharge ports for discharging ink are formed, and a non-discharge region in which the discharge port is not formed, and the wiper blade includes the first discharge region in the discharge region. Is moved relative to the inkjet head by the second movement mechanism, and moved to the second contact position by the first movement mechanism in the non-ejection area following the ejection area. It is preferred that

  According to the above configuration, the wiper blade is located at the first contact position in the ejection region, moves relative to the inkjet head, and moves to the second contact position in the non-ejection region following the ejection region. The ink scraped from the ejection area can be efficiently removed by the ink removing means. Furthermore, since the ink scraped from the ejection area is removed in the non-ejection area, it is possible to avoid a situation where a foreign object or the like scraped together with the ink enters the ejection port. Accordingly, since the discharge characteristics of the discharge port do not change, it is possible to prevent the performance of the ink jet recording apparatus from being deteriorated.

  In the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention, the wiper blade moves from the discharge area to the non-discharge area while being in contact with the discharge surface at the first contact position, and the wiping operation of the discharge surface is performed. The wiping control means for controlling the first moving mechanism and the second moving mechanism is further provided, wherein the wiping control means is configured such that the wiper blade is in contact with the first contact in the non-ejection region. The wiper blade is moved after the first movement mechanism is controlled such that the ink removal means moves to the second contact position so that the ink removal means moves to the discharge surface to perform the ink removal termination operation. It is preferable to control the second moving mechanism so as to move relative to the inkjet head in the one direction.

  According to the above configuration, since the wiper blade moves in one direction relative to the ink-jet head after the ink removal termination operation is performed in which the ink removal means approaches the ejection surface, the ink scraped from the ejection area is removed. It can be removed more efficiently by means. For example, when a large amount of ink scraped from the ejection area exists in the non-ejection area and all of the ink remains without being removed by the ink removal termination operation, the wiper blade moves relative to the inkjet head in one direction. However, the remaining ink can be removed by the ink removing means. Therefore, it is possible to prevent ink from remaining or scattered in the non-ejection area or other portions of the ink jet recording apparatus, and to prevent performance deterioration of the ink jet recording apparatus.

  Further, the ink removing means is a groove provided on the downstream surface of the wiper blade that moves in the one direction, and the wiping control means is configured such that the ink removing means is the ejection surface in the ink removal termination operation. The first moving mechanism may be controlled so that at least a part of the open end of the groove is at the same height as the discharge surface when approaching the position.

  According to the above configuration, when the ink removing means approaches the ejection surface in the ink removal termination operation, at least a part of the open end of the groove is at the same height as the ejection surface, so that the ink scraped from the ejection area is It is induced in the groove by capillary force. Therefore, it is possible to prevent ink from remaining or scattered in the non-ejection area or other portions of the ink jet recording apparatus, and to prevent performance deterioration of the ink jet recording apparatus.

  The ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention may further include a suction member that sucks ink in the groove.

  According to the above configuration, the ink in the groove can be efficiently sucked and removed by further including the suction member that sucks the ink in the groove. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the ink from remaining in the groove and solidify, and thus it is possible to prevent the performance of the ink removing unit and the ink jet recording apparatus from being deteriorated.

  Further, the ink removing means is a hole provided so as to have an opening on the downstream surface of the wiper blade that moves in the one direction, and the wiping control means is configured to remove the ink in the ink removal termination operation. When the means approaches the discharge surface, the first moving mechanism may be controlled so that at least a part of the opening of the hole is at the same height as the discharge surface.

  According to the above configuration, when the ink removing means approaches the ejection surface in the ink removal termination operation, at least a part of the opening of the hole is at the same height as the ejection surface, so that the ink scraped from the ejection area is It is induced in the hole by capillary force. Therefore, it is possible to prevent ink from remaining or scattered in the non-ejection area or other portions of the ink jet recording apparatus, and to prevent performance deterioration of the ink jet recording apparatus.

  The ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention may further include a suction member that sucks the ink in the hole.

  According to the above configuration, the ink in the hole can be efficiently sucked and removed by further including the suction member that sucks the ink in the hole. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the ink from remaining in the hole and solidifying, thereby preventing the hole from being clogged, and therefore, it is possible to prevent the performance of the ink removing unit and the ink jet recording apparatus from being deteriorated.

  Further, the ink removing means is a porous body fixed to the downstream surface of the wiper blade moving in the one direction, and the wiping control means is configured such that the ink removing means is the ink removing terminal operation in the ink removal termination operation. The first moving mechanism may be controlled so that at least the tip of the porous body is close to the discharge surface when approaching the discharge surface.

  According to the above configuration, when the ink removing means approaches the ejection surface in the ink removal termination operation, at least the tip of the porous body approaches the ejection surface, so that the porous body has been scraped from the ejection area. It is possible to contact the ink and efficiently absorb and remove the ink. Therefore, it is possible to prevent ink from remaining or scattered in the non-ejection area or other portions of the ink jet recording apparatus, and to prevent performance deterioration of the ink jet recording apparatus.

  According to the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention, since the wiper blade moves from the first contact position to the second contact position at the wiping end portion, the ink scraped from the ejection surface is efficiently removed by the ink removing means. Can be removed. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent ink from remaining or scattered on the ejection surface and other portions of the ink jet recording apparatus, and to prevent performance deterioration of the ink jet recording apparatus.

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

  FIG. 1 shows an inkjet printer 1 which is an image recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. An ink jet printer 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a color ink jet printer having four ink jet heads 2 that respectively eject magenta, cyan, yellow, and black inks. The inkjet printer 1 is provided with a paper feed mechanism 11 on the left side in FIG. 1 and a paper discharge unit 12 on the right side in FIG.

  Inside the inkjet printer 1, a paper conveyance path is formed through which a paper as a recording medium is conveyed from the paper supply mechanism 11 toward the paper discharge unit 12. The paper feed mechanism 11 is provided with a pickup roller 22. When the pickup roller 22 is rotated by driving a pickup motor (not shown), the uppermost sheet in the sheet tray 21 is fed out and sent from the left to the right in FIG. A paper transport mechanism is disposed at an intermediate portion of the paper transport path. The paper transport mechanism includes two belt rollers 6 and 7 and an endless transport belt 8 wound around the rollers 6 and 7.

  The outer peripheral surface 8a of the conveyor belt 8 is subjected to silicone treatment and has adhesiveness. A pressing roller 5 is disposed immediately downstream of the sheet feeding mechanism 11 at a position facing the conveying belt 8, and presses the sheet fed from the sheet feeding mechanism 11 against the outer peripheral surface 8 a of the conveying belt 8. . Thus, the sheet pressed against the outer peripheral surface 8a is conveyed along the conveying direction B while being held by the adhesive force of the outer peripheral surface 8a. At this time, the belt roller 6 on the downstream side in the paper conveyance direction is applied with a driving force from a conveyance motor (not shown) and is rotated clockwise (in the direction of arrow A) in FIG.

  A peeling plate 13 is provided immediately downstream of the conveying belt 8 along the sheet conveying path. The peeling plate 13 is configured to peel the paper held on the outer peripheral surface 8 a of the transport belt 8 from the outer peripheral surface 8 a and send it to the right paper discharge unit 12.

  A substantially rectangular parallelepiped platen 9 is disposed in a region surrounded by the conveyor belt 8. The platen 9 is in contact with the lower surface of the conveyor belt 8 at a position facing the inkjet head 2, that is, on the upper side, and supports the inner side of the conveyor belt 8. As shown in FIG. 1, a predetermined gap is formed between the upper surface of the conveyance belt 8 and the lower surface of the inkjet head 2 by the platen 9.

  FIG. 2 is a partial plan view of the ink jet printer 1. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III depicted in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, each of the four inkjet heads 2 extends in the main scanning direction (the direction perpendicular to the sub-scanning direction and perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 1), and the sub-scanning direction (conveyance) (Direction along direction B). That is, the ink jet printer 1 is a line printer in which an ejection area extending in the main scanning direction is formed.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the inkjet head 2 has a head body 3 at the lower end thereof. The head body 3 is formed by laminating a flow path unit in which a plurality of individual ink flow paths including pressure chambers are formed and an actuator that applies discharge pressure to the ink in the pressure chamber, and is a rectangular parallelepiped elongated in the main scanning direction. Has a shape. As shown in FIG. 5, which will be described later, the bottom surface of the head body 3, that is, the discharge surface 3a, is formed at a discharge region R1 in which a plurality of small-diameter discharge ports, which are one end of the nozzles, are arranged side by side. The non-ejection area | region R2 which is provided and the ejection opening is not formed is comprised.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a reservoir unit 10 that temporarily stores ink is fixed to the upper surface of the head body 3. The reservoir unit 10 is longer than the head body 3 and protrudes from both longitudinal sides of the head body 3. The reservoir unit 10 is fixed to the frame 4 at the protruding portion. The frame 4 has a rectangular opening, and a pair of flanges 4a protrude from the opposite sides in the main scanning direction toward the inside of the opening. The end of the reservoir unit 10 is fixed to the flange 4a, and the discharge surface 3a is exposed downward from the opening. The flange 4 a and both ends of the reservoir unit 10 in the longitudinal direction are fixed with screws 50. The discharge surface 3 a is almost the same height as the bottom surface of the frame 4.

  The head body 3 is parallel to the ejection surface 3a and the portion of the conveyor belt 8 supported by the platen 9 so as to face each other, and a slight gap is formed between the ejection surface 3a and the conveyor belt 8. Is arranged. The gap constitutes a part of the paper transport path. When the paper that is conveyed while being held on the outer peripheral surface 8a of the conveyance belt 8 sequentially passes immediately below the four head bodies 3, ink of each color is ejected toward the upper surface of the paper, that is, the printing surface. Thus, a desired color image is formed on the paper.

<Elevating mechanism>
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the frame 4 is supported by a pair of lifting mechanisms 51 provided in the printer 1 so as to be movable in the vertical direction. The pair of lifting mechanisms 51 are arranged on both sides of the four inkjet heads 2 with respect to the sub-scanning direction. Each lifting mechanism 51 includes a head motor 52 as a drive source for moving the frame 4 in the vertical direction, a pinion gear 53 fixed to the shaft of the head motor 52, a rack gear 54 that meshes with the pinion gear 53, and the pinion gear 53. And a guide 56 disposed at a position sandwiching the rack gear 54.

  The head motors 52 included in the elevating mechanism 51 are respectively fixed to a pair of main body frames 1 a of the inkjet printer 1. The pair of body frames 1a are arranged to face each other in the sub-scanning direction. The rack gear 54 extends in the vertical direction, and the lower end thereof is fixed to the side surface of the frame 4. The side surface of the rack gear 54 opposite to the pinion gear 53 is slidably in contact with the guide 56. The guide 56 is fixed to the main body frame 1a.

  When the two head motors 52 are synchronized and the pinion gear 53 is rotated in the forward / reverse direction, the rack gear 54 moves upward or downward. As the rack gear 54 moves, the frame 4 moves up and down with the four inkjet heads 2 in the vertical direction.

  A pair of guide units 59 are disposed on both sides of the frame 4 along the sub-scanning direction. Each guide unit 59 includes a bar 58 and a pair of guides 57 sandwiching the bar 58. As shown in FIG. 3, the pair of guides 57 extend in the vertical direction and are respectively fixed to the pair of main body frames 1 b of the inkjet printer 1. The pair of main body frames 1b are arranged to face each other in the main scanning direction. The bar 58 extends in the vertical direction similarly to the guide 57 and is fixed to the side surface of the side of the frame 4 facing the main body frame 1b. The bar 58 is slidably in contact with each of the pair of guides 57.

  The guide unit 59 prevents the ejection surface 3a of the inkjet head 2 from being inclined with respect to the portion of the conveyor belt 8 supported by the platen 9 when the frame 4 is vertically moved by the lifting mechanism 51. That is, even when the frame 4 and the inkjet head 2 are moved up and down in the vertical direction by the lifting mechanism 51, the discharge surface 3 a is always parallel to the upper surface of the platen 9. As a result, the accuracy of ink landing on the paper is improved during printing. In addition, the ejection surface 3a can be wiped with the wiper 72 without any unevenness during cleaning described later.

  By the elevating mechanism 51, the frame 4 is arranged at five different positions in the vertical direction. A printing position for forming an image on a sheet, a first head position for passing a maintenance unit 70 (described later) under the discharge surface 3a, and a second head for wiping the discharge surface 3a with a wiper 72 (described later) The capping position covers the position, the third head position, and the discharge surface 3a with a cap 76 (described later). Among these, at the printing position, as shown in FIG. 3, the frame 4 is disposed at the lowest position in the vertical direction. At this time, the ejection surface 3a faces the outer peripheral surface (upper surface) 8a of the conveyor belt 8 with a predetermined gap therebetween.

<Configuration of maintenance unit>
Next, the maintenance unit 70 for performing maintenance on the inkjet head 2 will be described. The maintenance is a purge that forcibly ejects ink from the inkjet head 2, cleaning that will be described later, and capping that covers the ejection surface 3a with a cap if necessary.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, when the frame 4 is in the printing position, the maintenance unit 70 is disposed on the left side of the inkjet head 2. The maintenance unit 70 has two trays 71 and 75 that can move horizontally. Among these, the tray 71 has a substantially square box shape opened upward, and includes the tray 75. The tray 71 and the tray 75 are engaged with a later-described concave portion 74b and a convex portion 83a, and when the engagement is released, the two are connected and the two are released. Can be switched.

  When the maintenance unit 70 moves horizontally to the right, the frame 4 moves to the first head position in the uppermost position (in the direction of arrow C in FIG. 3) in advance, and between the four ejection surfaces 3 a and the conveyor belt 8. A space for moving the maintenance unit 70 is secured. Thereafter, the maintenance unit 70 moves horizontally in the direction of arrow D in FIG. When the side of the tray 71 far from the inkjet head 2 is opened and the engagement between the concave portion 74b and the convex portion 83a is released (for example, during a purge operation), only the tray 71 is left, leaving the tray 75. Moves horizontally to the right. When the frame 4 is disposed at the first head position, no part of the maintenance unit 70 contacts the ejection surface 3a even if the maintenance unit 70 moves horizontally to the right.

  A waste ink receiving tray 77 is disposed immediately below the maintenance unit 70. The waste ink receiving tray 77 has a size including the tray 71 in a plan view, and even when the tray 71 moves to the right end in FIG. 2, the edge of the tray 71 opposite to the inkjet head 2 overlaps. have. An ink discharge hole 77 a is formed at the end of the waste ink receiving tray 77 that is closer to the inkjet head 2. The ink discharge hole 77a distributes the ink that has flowed onto the waste ink receiving tray 77 to a waste ink reservoir (not shown). The ink discharge port 77a exists in the vicinity of the position where the ink from the tray 71 flows, and the ink is discharged from the ink discharge port 77a with almost no dirt on the waste ink receiving tray 77.

  In the tray 71, a wiper 72 and a tray 75 are arranged in order from the side close to the inkjet head 2. In the tray 75, four caps 76 having a rectangular planar shape are provided side by side corresponding to each inkjet head 2. Each cap 76 has a longitudinal direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the inkjet head 2 and is arranged at the same pitch as the inkjet head 2 in the sub-scanning direction.

  The cap 76 includes a plate-like member 76b having a rectangular planar shape that is substantially the same size as the ejection surface 3a, and an annular protrusion 76a that protrudes upward from the peripheral edge of the plate-like member 76b. The annular protrusion 76a is made of an elastic material such as rubber, and has a size and a shape facing the peripheral edge of the discharge surface 3a. The cap 76 covers the discharge surface 3a by contacting the annular protrusion 76a with the peripheral edge of the discharge surface 3a. Each cap 76 is biased upward while being supported on the bottom surface of the tray 75 by a plurality of springs (not shown). As a result, the annular protrusion 76 a comes into close contact with the discharge surface 3 a, and a sealed space is formed inside the cap 76.

  In addition to the wiper 72, an attachment member 78 and a holding member 74 are fixed to the tray 71. The wiper 72 is supported by the attachment member 78, and the attachment member 78 is fixed to the holding member 74. The holding member 74 has a U-shaped planar shape. On the upper surface of the portion of the holding member 74 along the sub-scanning direction, a groove 74a extending along the sub-scanning direction is formed. An attachment member 78 is disposed in the groove 74a. On the other hand, concave portions 74b are formed on the upper surfaces of the two portions extending from the holding member 74 in the main scanning direction.

  The wiper 72 is made of an elastic material such as rubber. The wiper 72 is formed slightly longer than the width of the entire four inkjet heads 2 arranged in parallel, and the longitudinal direction thereof is arranged along the sub-scanning direction. The attachment member 78 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape extending in the same direction as the wiper 72. Details of the wiper 72 will be described later.

  A recess 74b and a hooking member 83 are provided in the vicinity of each side of the trays 71 and 75 facing each other in the sub-scanning direction. The hook member 83 extends in the main scanning direction and is rotatable at the center thereof. A convex portion 83 a is formed at the end of the hook member 83 that is closer to the inkjet head 2. When the hooking member 83 rotates clockwise and enters the state shown in FIG. 3, the convex portion 83a is engaged with the concave portion 74b. Above the maintenance unit 70, contact members 84 are arranged corresponding to the two hook members 83, respectively. The tray 71 and the tray 75 switch between a state in which the tray 71 and the tray 75 are connected and a state in which the connection between the tray 71 and the tray 75 is released depending on whether or not the concave portion 74b and the convex portion 83a are engaged. It is possible.

  When the maintenance of the inkjet head 2 is not performed, the maintenance unit 70 is stationary at a “retracted position” that does not face the inkjet head 2 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. At the start of maintenance, the maintenance unit 70 moves horizontally from the retracted position to the “maintenance position” facing the ejection surface 3 a of the inkjet head 2. At this time, since the frame 4 is disposed at the first head position, the tips of the wiper 72 and the cap 76 do not contact the ejection surface 3a.

  Even during maintenance, during the purge operation, the tray 75 remains and only the tray 71 moves from the retracted position to the maintenance position and receives the discharged ink. When covering the discharge surface 3a with the cap 76, the tray 71 and the tray 75 are connected by the engagement of the concave portion 74b and the convex portion 83a, and the maintenance unit 70 moves to a position where the cap 76 and the discharge surface 3a face each other.

  Each tray 71, 75 is slidably supported by a pair of guide shafts 96a, 96b extending in the main scanning direction. The tray 71 is provided with two bearing members 97a and 97b. The bearing members 97a and 97b protrude from both side surfaces of the holding member 74 in the sub-scanning direction. The tray 75 is provided with two bearing members 98a and 98b. The bearing members 98a and 98b protrude from both side surfaces of the tray 75 in the sub-scanning direction. Further, both ends of the pair of guide shafts 96a and 96b are fixed to the main body frames 1b and 1d, and are disposed parallel to each other between the frames 1b and 1d.

  Here, a horizontal movement mechanism 91 that moves the trays 71 and 75 in the horizontal direction (arrow D direction) along the guide shafts 96a and 96b will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the horizontal movement mechanism 91 includes a tray motor 92, a motor pulley 93, an idle pulley 94, a timing belt 95, guide shafts 96a and 96b, and the like.

  The tray motor 92 is fixed to an attachment portion 1c formed at an end portion of the main body frame 1b extending in parallel with the sub-scanning direction. The motor pulley 93 is connected to the tray motor 92 and rotates as the tray motor 92 is driven. The idle pulley 94 is rotatably supported by the leftmost main body frame 1d in FIG. The timing belt 95 is disposed in parallel with the guide shaft 96 a and is wound so as to be bridged between the motor pulley 93 and the idle pulley 94. Further, the timing belt 95 is connected to a bearing member 97 a provided on the holding member 74.

  In this configuration, when the tray motor 92 is driven, the timing belt 95 travels as the motor pulley 93 rotates in the forward or reverse direction. As the timing belt 95 travels, the tray 71 connected to the timing belt 95 via the bearing 97a moves along the horizontal direction. When the concave portion 74b of the holding member 74 and the convex portion 83a are engaged, the wiper 72 in the tray 71 and the cap 76 in the tray 75 move together. On the other hand, when the convex portion 83a is not engaged with the concave portion 74b, only the wiper 72 in the tray 71 moves.

<Wiper>
Next, the wiper 72 of the inkjet printer 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 4A is a front view of the wiper 72 and the attachment member 78, that is, a view of the wiper 72 and the attachment member 78 seen from the left side in FIG. FIG. 4B is a side view of the wiper 72 and the attachment member 78.

  As shown in FIG. 4 (a), the wiper 72 is provided with eight grooves 72a having the same shape on the front surface in the wiping operation progress direction described later, that is, on the left surface in FIG. In each groove 72a, a sponge 73 capable of absorbing ink is accommodated so as to fill the entire length of the groove 72a.

  The groove 72 a extends from the vicinity of the tip of the wiper 72 to the other end fixed to the upper surface of the attachment member 78 on the surface of the wiper 72. That is, on the surface of the wiper 72, a slight gap is formed between the tip of the wiper 72 and each groove 72 a, while each groove 72 a is formed on the upper surface of the mounting member 78 on the other end side of the wiper 72. It has a structure that terminates. Further, the eight grooves 72a are arranged in each of the four inkjet heads 2 with one set being two each from the end when the wiper 72 is in the maintenance position.

  Next, maintenance of the head 2 will be described. When performing a purge operation to recover the inkjet head 2 that has fallen into a defective discharge, the frame 4 is moved to the first head position by the lifting mechanism 51 and then the tray 71 and the tray 75 are connected by the contact member 84. Thereafter, only the tray 71 is moved to the maintenance position by the horizontal movement mechanism 91. Next, a pump operation (not shown) that forcibly sends the ink in the ink tank to the inkjet head 2 is driven, and a purge operation is performed to eject ink from the nozzle 3 b of the inkjet head 2 into the tray 71. By this purging operation, clogging of the nozzle 3b, which has caused a discharge failure, and thickening of the ink in the nozzle 3b are eliminated. The ink ejected into the tray 71 moves to the left in FIG. 3 along the bottom surface of the tray 71 and flows into the waste ink receiving tray 77. Then, the purged ink is discharged from the ink discharge hole 77a of the waste ink receiving tray 77. However, some ink remains as ink droplets on the ejection surface 3a.

  Here, the cleaning operation performed after the purge operation will be described with reference to FIGS. The cleaning operation includes a wiping operation for wiping the ejection surface 3a by the wiper 72, and an ink removal termination operation and an ink removal assistance operation for removing ink scraped from the ejection surface 3a after wiping. FIG. 5A shows a state at the start of wiping, FIG. 5B shows a state at the end of wiping, and FIG. 5C shows a state at the time of ink removal termination operation. 6A is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the wiper 72 in FIG. 5B, FIG. 6B is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the wiper 72 in FIG. 5C, and FIG. 6C is an ink removal assisting operation. It is the enlarged view which showed the mode of time.

  First, in order to clean the ejection surface 3a by the wiper 72, the inkjet head 2 is moved to the second head position below (the direction opposite to the direction of arrow C in FIG. 3) by the lifting mechanism 51. The second head position is a position where the inkjet head 2 as shown in FIG. 5A is between the print position and the first head position. Thus, when the inkjet head 2 is located at the second head position and the maintenance unit 70 is located at the maintenance position, the tip of the wiper 72 is in contact with the non-ejection region R2 on the right side in FIG. 5 on the ejection surface 3a. Yes. Therefore, when the wiper 72 moves horizontally to the left, the wiper 72 can be wiped by contacting the discharge region R1 on the discharge surface 3a. The relative position of the wiper 72 with respect to the discharge surface 3a when the wiper 72 wipes the discharge surface 3a is referred to as a first contact position.

  In wiping, the wiper 72 moves from the position in contact with the right non-ejection region R2 in FIG. 5 to the left non-ejection region R2 as shown in FIG. 5B, as shown in FIG. The ejection surface 3a is wiped while moving horizontally to the contacted position. At this time, the tray 71 is moved to the left by the horizontal movement mechanism 91. During this time, since the upper end of the wiper 72 is in a position where it abuts against the ejection surface 3a, the wiper 72 comes into contact with the ejection surface 3a and wipes off ink adhering to the ejection surface 3a by purging. Therefore, at the end of wiping, as shown in FIGS. 5B and 6A, the ink scraped from the ejection surface 3a is collected on the front surface of the wiper 72 in the wiping operation progressing direction. It has become. When the wiper 72 comes into contact with the discharge surface 3a, the tip of the wiper 72 may be bent in a range where the groove 72a is separated from the discharge surface 3a.

  Next, an ink removal termination operation is performed to remove ink scraped from the ejection surface 3a by wiping. In the ink removal termination operation, the ink-jet head 2 is moved by the elevating mechanism 51 to the third head position slightly below the second head position (the direction opposite to the arrow C direction in FIG. 3). The third head position is a position where the inkjet head 2 is between the second head position and the printing position, as shown in FIGS. 5C and 6B. Further, when the ink jet head 2 is disposed at the second head position, that is, a position where the wiper 72 is closer to the ejection surface 3a than when the inkjet head 2 is disposed at the first contact position, and is in a more bent state. It is. When the relative position of the wiper 72 to the ejection surface 3a when the inkjet head 2 is arranged at the third head position is referred to as a second contact position, the ink removal termination operation is the wiper. 72 is displaced from the first contact position to the second contact position.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6B, when the discharge surface 3a moves from the first contact position to the second contact position, a part of the open end of the groove 72a has the same height as the discharge surface 3a. Become. Accordingly, the ink collected on the front surface of the wiper 72 in the wiping operation traveling direction is guided into the groove 72a by the capillary force. Further, at this time, the ink guided into the groove 72a is absorbed by the sponge 73 accommodated in the groove 72a.

  Thereafter, an ink removal assisting operation is performed. In the ink removal assisting operation, as shown in FIG. 6C, the horizontal moving mechanism 91 moves the tray 71 slightly to the left so that the wiper 72 moves slightly to the left in FIG. Move to. As a result, almost all remaining ink is guided into the groove 72a and removed.

  When such a series of cleaning operations is completed, the inkjet head 2 is again placed at the first head position by the lifting mechanism 51. As a result, the wiper 72 and the inkjet head 2 are separated from each other.

  Thereafter, if necessary, in order to perform capping to cover the discharge surface 3a with the cap 76, the horizontal moving mechanism 91 moves the tray 71 to the left side in FIG. Subsequently, the tray 71 and the tray 75 are connected by the engagement of the concave portion 74b and the convex portion 83a, and the maintenance unit 70 is moved again to a position where the cap 76 and the discharge surface 3a face each other (that is, the maintenance position). Then, the inkjet head 2 is moved downward (in the direction opposite to the direction of arrow C in FIG. 3) by the elevating mechanism 51 to a position (capping position) where the annular protrusion 76a and the peripheral edge of the ejection surface 3a come into contact. Thereby, the discharge surface 3a is covered with the cap 76, and capping is completed.

  Further, when the printing is resumed following the above-described cleaning operation, the maintenance unit 70 is returned to the retracted position by the horizontal movement mechanism 91, and the frame 4 is arranged at the printing position by the lifting mechanism 51. Further, the conveyance of the paper is resumed, and ink is ejected from the inkjet head 2 to form an image on the paper. By executing the series of maintenance operations described above, the ejection failure can be recovered to a normal state.

  According to the first embodiment of the present invention described above, the following effects can be obtained.

  The wiper 72 is located at the first contact position in the discharge region R1, and moves relative to the inkjet head 2 to wipe the discharge surface 3a. In the non-ejection region R2 following the ejection region R1, the ink moves to the second contact position (ink removal termination operation), so that the ink scraped from the ejection region R1 can be efficiently removed by the groove 72a. is there. Furthermore, since the ink scraped from the ejection region R1 is removed in the non-ejection region R2, it is possible to avoid a situation where foreign matter or the like scraped together with the ink enters the ejection port. Therefore, it is possible to maintain the ejection characteristics of the ejection ports and prevent performance deterioration of the inkjet printer 1.

  In addition, after the ink removal termination operation in which the groove 72a approaches the ejection surface 3a is performed, the wiper 72 moves in the wiping operation advance direction, so that the ink scraped from the ejection region R1 is more efficiently removed by the groove 72a. It is possible. For example, even if a large amount of ink scraped from the ejection region R1 exists in the non-ejection region R2, and all the ink cannot be removed by the ink removal termination operation, the wiper 72 further moves in the wiping operation progressing direction. Therefore, almost all remaining ink can be removed by the groove 72a. Therefore, it is possible to prevent ink from remaining or scattered in the non-ejection region R2 or other parts of the inkjet printer 1, and it is possible to prevent the performance of the inkjet printer 1 from being deteriorated.

  Further, when the groove 72a approaches the ejection surface 3a in the ink removal termination operation, a part of the open end of the groove 72a becomes the same height as the ejection surface 3a, so that the ink scraped from the ejection region R1 has a capillary force. Is guided into the groove 72a. Therefore, it is possible to prevent ink from remaining or scattered in the non-ejection region R2 or other parts of the inkjet printer 1, and it is possible to prevent the performance of the inkjet printer 1 from being deteriorated.

  Further, since the sponge 73 for sucking the ink in the groove 72a is further provided, the ink in the groove 72a can be efficiently sucked and removed. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the ink from remaining in the groove 72a and solidify, so that the performance of the groove 72a and the inkjet printer 1 can be prevented from being deteriorated.

  Next, with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, a second embodiment in which the first embodiment is modified will be described. However, about the thing which has the structure similar to 1st Embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and the description is abbreviate | omitted suitably.

  Instead of the wiper 72 and the sponge 73, a wiper 172 and a sponge 173 as shown in FIG. FIG. 7A is a front view of the wiper 172 and the attachment member 78, that is, a view of the wiper 172 and the attachment member 78 viewed from the front in the wiping operation progressing direction. FIG. 7B is a side view of the wiper 172 and the attachment member 78.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the wiper 172 is provided with eight holes 172a having the same shape so as to have an opening 172b on the front surface in the wiping operation traveling direction. In each hole 172a, a sponge 173 capable of absorbing ink is accommodated so as to fill the entire length of the hole 172a.

  The hole 172 a extends from the vicinity of the tip of the wiper 172 to the other end fixed to the upper surface of the mounting member 78. That is, a slight gap is formed between the tip of the wiper 172 and the opening 172b of each hole 172a, while each hole 172a terminates on the upper surface of the mounting member 78 on the other end side of the wiper 172. It has a structure. In addition, when the wiper 172 is disposed at a position facing the ejection surface 3a of the inkjet head 2, two holes 172a are positioned below the ejection surface 3a of one inkjet head 2 respectively. It has become.

  Next, operations of the wiper 172 and the inkjet head 2 in the maintenance cleaning (wiping, ink removal termination operation, and ink removal auxiliary operation) will be described with reference to FIG. However, since the operations of the wiper 172 and the inkjet head 2 in wiping are the same as those in the first embodiment, the description thereof is omitted. 8A is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the wiper 172 at the end of wiping, FIG. 8B is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the wiper 172 at the time of the ink removal termination operation, and FIG. 8C is a state of the ink removal assisting operation. It is the enlarged view shown.

  In the ink removal termination operation for removing the ink scraped from the ejection surface 3a by wiping, the inkjet head 2 is moved from the second head position as shown in FIG. The third head position is moved. That is, the wiper 172 is displaced from the first contact position to the second contact position. Accordingly, the wiper 172 is closer to the ejection surface 3a than when the inkjet head 2 is disposed at the second head position, that is, when it is disposed at the first contact position, and is more bent. Become. As a result, the opening 172b of the hole 172a has the same height as the ejection surface 3a. Therefore, the ink collected on the front surface of the wiper 172 in the direction of wiping operation is guided into the hole 172a by capillary force. Further, at this time, the ink guided into the hole 172a is absorbed by the sponge 173 accommodated in the hole 172a.

  Thereafter, an ink removal assisting operation is performed. In the ink removal assisting operation, as shown in FIG. 8C, the horizontal movement mechanism 91 moves the tray 71 slightly to the left so that the wiper 172 moves slightly to the left in FIG. Move to. As a result, even if all of the ink scraped from the ejection surface 3a cannot be removed by the ink removal termination operation and remains, the wiper 172 is moved to the left, so that almost all the remaining ink is guided into the hole 172a. Remove.

  According to the second embodiment of the present invention described above, the following effects can be obtained.

  When the hole 172a approaches the discharge surface 3a in the ink removal termination operation, the opening 172b of the hole 172a becomes the same height as the discharge surface 3a, so that the ink scraped from the discharge region R1 enters the hole 172a by capillary force. Be guided. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent ink from remaining in the non-ejection region R2.

  Further, by further including a sponge 173 that sucks the ink in the hole 172a, the ink in the hole 172a can be efficiently sucked and removed. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the hole 172a from being clogged due to the ink remaining in the hole 172a and solidifying.

  A modification of the present embodiment will be briefly described. In the above-described embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the opening 172b of the hole 172a is arranged at the same height as the ejection surface 3a during the ink removal termination operation and the ink removal assisting operation. At this time, at least a part of the opening 172b may be disposed at the same height as the ejection surface 3a. The remaining portion of the opening 172b (the front portion in the wiping operation advance direction) is separated from the ejection surface 3a and comes into contact with the ink accumulated on the upper surface of the wiper 172. As a result, the ink is smoothly introduced into the holes 172a.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 9, a third embodiment in which changes are made to the first embodiment will be described. However, about the thing which has the structure similar to 1st Embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and the description is abbreviate | omitted suitably.

  Instead of the wiper 72 and the sponge 73, a wiper 272 and a sponge 273 as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 9, in the wiper 272, a sponge 273 capable of absorbing ink is fixed to the front surface in the wiping operation traveling direction. The upper end of the sponge 273 has a lower height than the upper end of the wiper 272 and has substantially the same width as the wiper 272. Further, the sponge 273 is provided on the surface so as to extend from a position lower than the tip of the wiper 272 to the other end fixed to the upper surface of the attachment member 78.

  Next, operations of the wiper 272 and the inkjet head 2 in the maintenance cleaning (wiping, ink removal termination operation, and ink removal auxiliary operation) will be described with reference to FIG. However, since the operations of the wiper 272 and the inkjet head 2 in wiping are the same as those in the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted. 9A is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the wiper 272 at the end of wiping, FIG. 9B is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the wiper 272 at the time of the ink removal termination operation, and FIG. 9C is a state at the time of the ink removal assisting operation. It is the enlarged view shown.

  In the ink removal termination operation for removing the ink scraped from the ejection surface 3a by wiping, the inkjet head 2 is moved from the second head position as shown in FIG. The third head position is moved. That is, the wiper 272 is displaced from the first contact position to the second contact position. Thereby, the wiper 272 is closer to the ejection surface 3a than when the inkjet head 2 is disposed at the second head position, that is, when it is disposed at the first contact position, and is more bent. Become. This also causes the tip of the sponge 273 to approach the ejection surface 3a. Accordingly, the tip of the sponge 273 comes into contact with the ink collected on the front surface of the wiper 272 in the direction of wiping operation, and absorbs the ink.

  Thereafter, an ink removal assisting operation is performed. In the ink removal assisting operation, as shown in FIG. 9C, the horizontal movement mechanism 91 moves the tray 71 slightly to the left so that the wiper 272 moves slightly to the left in FIG. Move to. As a result, even if all the ink scraped from the ejection surface 3a cannot be removed by the ink removal termination operation and remains, the sponge 273 absorbs and removes almost all remaining ink by moving the wiper 272 to the left. To do.

  According to the third embodiment of the present invention described above, the following effects can be obtained.

  When the sponge 273 approaches the ejection surface 3a in the ink removal termination operation, the tip of the sponge 273 approaches the ejection surface 3a, so that the sponge 273 comes into contact with the ink scraped from the ejection region R1, and the ink is efficiently used. Can be absorbed and removed. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent ink from remaining in the non-ejection region R2.

  A modification of the present embodiment will be briefly described. In the above-described embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the upper end of the sponge 273 comes closer to the ejection surface 3a during the ink removal termination operation and the ink removal assisting operation. At this time, at least a part of the upper end of the sponge 273 may be disposed at the same height as the ejection surface 3a. Alternatively, the entire upper end of the sponge 273 may be in contact with the discharge surface 3a. This ensures that the ink is absorbed by the sponge 273.

  The embodiment described above and its modified form are examples of the embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to such a configuration.

  For example, in the first embodiment, the ink guided into the groove 72a is absorbed by the sponge 73, and in the second embodiment, the ink guided into the hole 172a is absorbed by the sponge 173. Instead of these sponges, a suction pump connected in the groove 72a or the hole 172a may be used.

  In the above embodiment, the ink removal assisting operation is performed after the ink removal termination operation, but the ink removal assisting operation may not be performed. That is, the capping operation or the printing operation may be performed after the ink removal termination operation.

  In the above embodiment, cleaning is performed after the purge operation, but the purge operation may not be performed before the cleaning operation.

  In the first embodiment, the eight grooves 72a are independently formed on the wiper 72, but the upper ends of the two grooves 72a in one set are connected by another groove. Also good. This separate groove is formed for each group and is disposed at the same height as the ink ejection surface 3a during the ink removal termination operation. Alternatively, a part thereof may be arranged at the same height as the ink ejection surface 3a. As a result, uniform capillary force can be obtained over almost the entire area of the inkjet head 2 in the width direction (sub-scanning direction), and wiping without wiping can be performed. Of course, this other groove may be formed so as to connect the upper ends of all the grooves 72a.

  Similarly, in the second embodiment, the openings 172b of the two holes 172a in one set may be connected by a groove formed on the surface. Grooves are formed on the surface for each set, and are arranged at the same height as the ink ejection surface 3a during the ink removal termination operation. Alternatively, a part thereof may be arranged at the same height as the ink ejection surface 3a. As a result, uniform capillary force can be obtained over almost the entire area of the inkjet head 2 in the width direction (sub-scanning direction), and wiping without wiping can be performed. Of course, this other groove may also be formed so as to connect the upper ends of all the grooves 72a.

  In the above embodiment, a plurality of sets of grooves 72a and holes 172a are formed on one wiper. However, a wiper may be provided for each set of grooves 72a and holes 172a. In this case, the wipers may be provided separately for each set, or a slit may be provided for separating the tip of one wiper for each set. As a result, at least the tip of the wiper comes into contact with each discharge surface 3a individually, so that color mixing during wiping can be avoided.

1 is a side view of an inkjet printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a partial plan view of the ink jet printer depicted in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III depicted in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a front view and a side view of the wiper depicted in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a side view for explaining a cleaning operation using the wiper depicted in FIG. 4. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view for explaining a cleaning operation using the wiper depicted in FIG. 4. It is the front view and side view of a wiper of an ink jet printer concerning another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is an enlarged view for explaining a cleaning operation using the wiper depicted in FIG. 7. It is an enlarged view for demonstrating the cleaning operation | movement using the wiper of the inkjet printer which concerns on another embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Inkjet printer 2 Inkjet head 3 Head book 3a Discharge surface 70 Maintenance unit 72 Wiper 72a Groove 73 Sponge 172 Wiper 172a Hole 172b Opening 173 Sponge 272 Wiper 273 Sponge

Claims (8)

An inkjet head having an ejection surface on which a plurality of ejection ports for ejecting ink are formed;
An elastic wiper blade that moves in one direction to wipe the discharge surface;
An ink removing means that is arranged so as to be movable integrally with the wiper blade, and removes ink collected on the one-direction downstream surface of the wiper blade by approaching the ejection surface;
With respect to a direction perpendicular to the ejection surface, at least a first contact position where the wiper blade wipes the ejection surface, and a second position where the ink removing means is closer to the ejection surface than the first contact position. A first moving mechanism for moving the wiper blade relative to the inkjet head between
A second moving mechanism for moving the wiper blade relative to the inkjet head along the ejection surface;
The ink jet recording apparatus, wherein the first moving mechanism moves the wiper blade from the first contact position to the second contact position at an end portion of the wiping. The discharge surface includes a discharge region in which a plurality of discharge ports for discharging ink are formed, and a non-discharge region in which the discharge port is not formed,
The wiper blade is
In the ejection region, the first abutting position is located, and the second movement mechanism moves relative to the inkjet head. In the non-ejection region following the ejection region, the first movement mechanism The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inkjet recording apparatus is moved to a second contact position. The first moving mechanism is configured such that the wiper blade moves from the discharge area to the non-discharge area while being in contact with the discharge surface at the first contact position, and the wiping operation of the discharge surface is performed. And wiping control means for controlling the second moving mechanism,
The wiping control means includes
In the non-ejection area, the wiper blade is displaced from the first abutting position to the second abutting position so that the ink removing terminal operation is performed so that the ink removing means approaches the ejection surface. 2. The second movement mechanism is controlled so that the wiper blade moves relative to the inkjet head in the one direction after the first movement mechanism is controlled. 3. Inkjet recording device. The ink removing means is a groove provided on a downstream surface of the wiper blade moving in the one direction;
The wiping control means may be configured such that when the ink removal means approaches the ejection surface in the ink removal termination operation, at least a part of the open end of the groove is at the same height as the ejection surface. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the moving mechanism is controlled.   The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a suction member that sucks ink in the groove. The ink removing means is a hole provided so as to have an opening on a downstream surface of the wiper blade that moves in the one direction;
The wiping control means may be configured such that when the ink removal means approaches the ejection surface in the ink removal termination operation, at least a part of the opening of the hole is at the same height as the ejection surface. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the moving mechanism is controlled.   The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a suction member that sucks ink in the hole. The ink removing means is a porous body fixed to the downstream surface of the wiper blade moving in the one direction;
The wiping control means sets the first moving mechanism so that at least the tip of the porous body is close to the ejection surface when the ink removal means approaches the ejection surface in the ink removal termination operation. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inkjet recording apparatus is controlled.

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