JP2010143133A - Inkjet recording apparatus and mist recovering method in the apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To recover mist with a simple configuration, in such a configuration that the mist is recovered by using the movement of a carriage in an inkjet recording apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: The carriage 11 has a recovering unit 17 and a duct 18 having openings in the front and rear parts respectively in the moving direction of the carriage is provided in the mist recovering unit. The duct 18 basically has the shape of a hole passing through the recovering unit, so that the flow of mist produces a flow 310 entering the duct 18 in addition to a flow 39 sneaking around to the outside of the carriage 11. The flow 310 is taken in the duct as a natural flow, because the openings of the duct 18 are provided in a surface to which the flow of mist hits. Thus, the mist can be captured according to a normal recording operation, without applying any additional changes to the apparatus. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus and a mist collecting method in the apparatus, and more particularly to a configuration for collecting ink mist generated in association with a recording operation in the ink jet recording apparatus.

  An inkjet recording apparatus such as an inkjet printer is a recording apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium such as paper by ejecting ink. As the ejection principle, there are a type in which ink is heated by a heater and ink is ejected by utilizing expansion and contraction of bubbles, and a type in which ink is ejected by the pressure of a piezoelectric element. The ink ejected from the recording head by these methods lands on the position on the recording medium corresponding to the recording data, and then the water evaporates on the recording medium and the ink is fixed to form pixels of the image to be recorded. To do. However, in addition to the behavior of the ejected ink that is controlled as such, the behavior of the ink droplet is unexpected.

  That is, when ink is ejected from the recording head, a part of the ejected ink droplet is separated (hereinafter, this separated ink droplet is referred to as a satellite), and the separated satellite is landed at an unexpected position on the paper surface. Sometimes. In addition, the satellite may float as a mist in the apparatus without reaching the paper surface. In the former case, the recorded image is deteriorated, but in the latter case, the inside of the apparatus may be soiled, and further, it may cause troubles such as jumping out of the apparatus and soiling the peripheral portion of the printer.

  In addition, when the ejected ink droplets land on the paper surface, they rebound, and some of the rebounded ink droplets may float as mist or contaminate the inside of the apparatus.

  Further, the ink is scattered by the operation of wiping the face surface (surface on which the ejection port is provided) of the recording head, and in the same manner as described above, small droplets of ink may be scattered in the apparatus and float as mist. For the purpose of maintenance of the recording head, the face surface of the recording head is wiped with a blade, but the ink may be scattered around the periphery due to the flexibility of the member.

  Furthermore, liquid mist adhering to the recording medium conveyance mechanism such as a pinch roller and conveyance roller, and a carriage movement mechanism such as a shaft, code wheel, and code scale is repelled and flies to become a mist. Sometimes.

  In addition, the mist generated as described above may be charged. That is, it is known as the Leonard effect that, when droplets are rapidly atomized, the larger one of the separated small droplets is positively charged and the smaller one is negatively charged. Yes. The ink droplet separation, the collision with the paper surface, and the repelling by the member, which are the above-mentioned mist generation processes, correspond to mechanical droplet separation by impact, and it is considered that the same effect as the Leonard effect has occurred. It is done. Therefore, it can be said that there is a high possibility that the mist floating in the apparatus is negatively charged.

  The adverse effects caused by the mist generated as described above will be described in more detail as follows.

  When the mist reaches the recording medium and adheres to it, the quality of the recorded image is lowered. Usually, the mist is smaller than the ink droplets that form dots by landing, so the effect on the image is small. However, the size of the ejected ink droplets themselves has become smaller. There is a high possibility that the adhesion of the toner causes a reduction in image quality.

  Also, the paper may be soiled by adhering to a belt or a roller that conveys a recording medium such as paper. For example, if the back side is soiled in addition to the front side of the paper, the quality of the recorded image will be reduced in double-sided recording, and it will adhere to the white recording surface where nothing is recorded even in single-sided recording. The quality of the product will be lowered. In particular, in a recording medium with an ink receiving layer formed only on one side, such as photographic paper, the ink mist droplets adhering to the paper surface float on the back because there is no ink receiving layer on the back side. Sometimes it gets dirty when picked up.

  Furthermore, when mist adheres and adheres to the surface of the recording head, it may affect, for example, ink ejection from the nozzles and cause ejection failure. Further, when mist adheres to the recording head, they may cause ink color mixing, thereby degrading the quality of the recorded image. Furthermore, there is a possibility that the ejection performance of the recording head cannot be recovered even by processing for maintaining the recording head. For example, in an apparatus that uses reactive ink for ink fixing, the ink intended to quickly form pixels on paper by reacting with the original ink adheres to the face surface of the recording head, and the ejection of the recording head There is also a risk of failure.

  In addition, mist may limit the life and performance of sensors used in the device. That is, the mist adheres to the recording medium while moving and floating around the moving area of the carriage. Since the mist particles are relatively fine, they may deteriorate the performance of the sensor by adhering to the sensor, the encoder scale, etc., and in the worst case, the mist may malfunction. In order to prevent this, there are countermeasures such as attaching a protective member such as a cover to the sensor or increasing the amount of emitted light, but these countermeasures cause an increase in cost.

  The adverse effects caused by the mist described above become more prominent when affected by the electric field generated in the apparatus. That is, some apparatuses apply an electric field in the vicinity of the print head scanning area. For example, in order to keep the distance between the recording paper and the recording head constant and to keep the ink landing accuracy constant, static electricity is generated in the transport belt for transporting the recording paper, and thereby on the surface of the recording paper. It induces electrostatic polarization. Then, the recording paper is stuck on the paper surface by the Coulomb force acting between the recording paper and the belt by the induced charge. In addition, in order to increase the recording speed, stabilize the image, and improve the quality, a fixing function is provided so that the ink solvent quickly evaporates after the ink droplets have landed on the recording paper and the coloring material is fixed. There is also a device. Specifically, a high-output heat source such as a halogen lamp used for fixing is provided.

  In a recording apparatus having the above-described mechanism for generating an electric field and heat, an electric field is generated in order to switch a high voltage in the vicinity of the scanning region of the recording head where ink is discharged. For this reason, ink ejected from the recording head or non-landing mist induces electrostatic separation due to an electric field, and becomes more easily ionized in accordance with the above-mentioned Leonard effect. As a result, for example, mist adheres to the surface of the recording head chip to which voltage is applied, the surface of the sensor, or a code wheel that is electrostatically charged due to friction of the sensor, etc., and the above-described adverse effects can occur remarkably. There is sex. On the other hand, countermeasures such as applying a water-repellent treatment to the surface of the recording head or applying a neutralization coating to the sensor scale or code wheel can be considered. However, there is a limit, and there are cases where the recording speed increases, the absolute amount per unit time of mist generation increases, the ink material changes, and it becomes easy to deposit and adhere. In this case, the pigment tends to deposit more easily than the dye. The reactive ink may contain a metal. Furthermore, the specification of the device may require a long use time, or may try to use a sensor with low performance for cost reduction. Furthermore, as the apparatus is miniaturized, the density of mist per unit deposition may increase. In such a case, a situation that cannot be dealt with by the above-mentioned coping therapy may occur.

  The countermeasures for the mist problem as described above are mainly divided into two types: suppression of the generation or amount of mist, and appropriate recovery of the mist once generated to prevent the above-described adverse effects. be able to.

  Conventionally, methods for suppressing the generation or amount of mist have been proposed from various viewpoints. However, although it is effective for reducing mist itself, it may be traded off with other demands such as higher recording speed, smaller apparatus, and improved durability in the recording apparatus.

  On the other hand, the method for recovering the mist once generated is less likely to obstruct other factors in the recording apparatus as described above. Conventionally, various methods for collecting such mist have been proposed. As one of the methods, a method for collecting mist by moving a carriage is known. In particular, this method can be said to be a method with few points that obstruct other factors in the recording apparatus as described above for the method of suppressing mist.

  As a method of collecting mist by moving the carriage, there is a method (patent document 1) in which a valve is opened and closed according to the movement direction of the carriage, and wind is generated by a fan to absorb and collect the mist. Also, there are ink absorbers on both sides of the carriage unit, which absorb and hold mist on the side (Patent Document 2), and those that have ink mist collection devices in the same row as the ink tank on both sides of the carriage unit ( Patent document 3) is also known. Furthermore, there is an opening on the bottom and one side of the carriage unit, exhausted to the top, and the mist is cut with a filter (Patent Document 4), or an ink with an opening on the side of the head on the bottom of the carriage unit. What absorbs mist (patent document 5) is also known. Furthermore, an apparatus that controls the internal airflow in an apparatus in which a carriage unit reciprocates in a closed box has been proposed (Patent Document 6).

JP 2002-361902 A JP 2003-63041 A JP 2007-160562 A JP 2004-330599 A JP 2000-263814 A JP 2005-170050 A

  However, in the conventional method of collecting mist by moving the carriage, when the absorbing power of the member that adsorbs mist provided on the side surface of the carriage unit is saturated, the ink falls on the recording medium from the side surface and stains it. There are things to do. In addition, when the mist is not sufficiently collected by the absorber, there is a problem that the ink by the mist dropped from the absorber scatters from the side surface of the carriage, contaminates the recording medium, and becomes mist again.

  On the other hand, with respect to the method of providing an opening in the lower part of the carriage and drawing the mist into the carriage, there is a problem that the structure itself is relatively complicated, and it is also difficult to replace the member that has absorbed the mist. There is.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet recording apparatus capable of collecting a mist with a simple configuration when collecting the mist using the above-described movement of the carriage, and a mist collecting method in the apparatus. .

  Therefore, according to the present invention, in an inkjet recording apparatus that performs recording by moving a carriage on which a recording head that ejects ink is mounted, the carriage has an opening portion that extends in a direction in which the carriage moves, and extends from the opening portion. An existing hole is provided.

  Further, in a mist collecting method in an ink jet recording apparatus that performs recording by moving a carriage on which a recording head for ejecting ink is moved, the carriage includes an opening portion facing the moving direction of the carriage and the opening portion. A step of preparing the carriage provided with an extending hole and moving the carriage in the moving direction is provided.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the airflow generated when the carriage moves during the recording operation can be drawn, and a new function is added to the method in which the airflow is generated using the previous fan. Therefore, an air flow for collecting the mist can be generated, and an air flow that affects the recording is not generated, so that a special control for turning on and off the fan becomes unnecessary.

  In the present invention, the portion that absorbs and captures mist is provided in the central portion of the carriage or in the vicinity thereof. As a result, it is possible to avoid harmful effects such as dripping and shaking of the absorbed mist, as well as splashing, which can be seen in the method of capturing on the side of the carriage. In addition, by replacing the portion that captures and absorbs the ink, it is possible to easily replace the ink tank as in the conventional ink tank. Also, in the case where an ink circulation tube or the like is provided at the site where mist is captured, the acquired mist is recovered in a separately prepared large-capacity tank by turning the pump opposite to supplying the recording ink. By doing so, it is not necessary to replace the approximate site, and a form that continues to be used can be realized. Further, a form of exchanging the collected large-capacity tank is also conceivable.

  Further, in the present invention, the assumed mist collecting method is a duct that penetrates the openings provided on both sides of the carriage, and a member that can absorb and hold ink such as pulp on the side surface of the duct. Some have The mist drawn into the duct is the flow of gravity or airflow when drawn in, and even if it does not reach the opposite end of the duct, it collides with the absorber and is absorbed.

  Furthermore, a method is provided for actively controlling the mist trajectory to displace the mist trajectory to the side of the duct.

  Among them, the first method is to prepare a member that becomes a wall against which the mist drawn into the duct collides. This is preferably a member that prevents the air current from being blocked by a member having a coarse eye or does not stagnate due to clogging of joints. The need to replace such a mist recovery unit can be reduced by making the structure that does not clog this member. On the other hand, as a form that allows easy replacement of the mist collecting section, a member that can be captured when the mist collides can be employed.

  The second method is to change the trajectory using the fact that the mist is ionized. It is a method that uses the Lorentz force. As a configuration, a coil for generating a magnetic flux is provided above the openings at both ends of the carriage, and the magnetic flux is generated vertically downward. The Lorentz force is a magnetic force that acts only on the moving charge, and a small droplet of ionized mist generated by the movement of the carriage has a relative velocity with respect to the magnetic flux, and thus receives a force in the horizontal direction. As a result, the mist trajectory bends and collides with the absorber provided on the side surface of the duct to collect the mist. Since this magnetic flux exerts a force only on the electric charges moving in the direction perpendicular to the magnetic flux, no force is exerted even if the ink ejected from the recording head during the recording is ionized. Compared with the conventional method in which electrodes are provided on the outside and side surfaces of the carriage and are charged with static electricity and are collected by an electrostatic field, there is no adverse effect of causing electrostatic separation. Since this method does not affect the recording operation, the mist can be collected more efficiently by positively ionizing the mist by preparing an ion generator. Further, since the Lorentz force is proportional to the speed, the carriage moving speed is also increased at the time of high-speed recording in which a large amount of ink is generated. Therefore, there is an advantage that the collecting ability increases in proportion to the degree of mist generation.

  As the third method, the orbit is changed by utilizing the fact that the mist is ionized as in the second method. It is a method that uses Coulomb force. That is, electrodes are provided at the upper and lower ends of the opening, and a voltage is applied between both electrodes to form an electrostatic field. As a result, the mist displaces the track up and down according to the polarity of the electric charge, collides with the absorber provided outside the duct, and is absorbed. The electric field electrostatically separates the ink and may cause harmful effects, but here, the voltage may be smaller than the voltage required in the conventional method of absorbing mist with an electrode. This is because it is not necessary to first attract the mist to the electrode, and the mist trajectory may be bent and collide with the periphery of the duct. This is because, when the electrode is attracted outside the carriage, the distance from the mist is long, whereas the mist is always drawn in the vicinity of the electrode because the mist is drawn when the carriage is moved. That is, the Coulomb force acting on the charge is inversely proportional to the square of the distance.

  The above-described method according to the present invention is summarized as follows.

  The serial ink jet printer is characterized in that the carriage unit has a mist collecting unit having openings on both sides. The mist collecting unit has a mist collecting unit at the center thereof. Three recovery methods have been proposed for the ink recovery unit. The first is a method of collecting ink with a member that does not impede airflow and collides with mist and an ink absorbing member typified by pulp. The second is a method that utilizes the fact that the ink is ionized, and the trajectory is deflected by applying Lorentz force to the mist by the magnetic flux generated from the coil provided in the opening, and is represented by pulp. In this method, the ink is collected by colliding the mist with the ink absorbing member. The third is a method that utilizes the fact that the ink is ionized, and the orbit is deflected by applying a Coulomb force to the mist by the electric field generated from the electrode provided in the opening, and is represented by pulp. The mist is collected by colliding with the ink absorbing member.

  According to the present invention, when the mist is collected using the movement of the carriage, the mist can be collected with a simple configuration.

  Specifically, since the part to be collected is on the carriage, it is close to the part where the mist is generated, and further, recovery is performed by using the movement of the carriage during recording which promotes mist diffusion, thereby reducing the above-mentioned diffusion and further collecting. can do. In the recovery method using the Lorentz force, the Lorentz force is a force proportional to the speed, so that the mist recovery force is improved in the high-speed recording mode in which mist is likely to occur. For this purpose, it is not necessary to change the control of the absorption mechanism.

  Moreover, a large-scale apparatus and a complicated control mechanism are not required. For example, in a method of generating an air flow with a fan or a method of recovering by adsorbing to an electrode, it is necessary to provide a dedicated recovery site in the apparatus. Also, since there is a possibility of affecting normal recording, it is necessary to turn on and off the voltage application to the fan and the electrode at high speed, and control for that is necessary. In addition, the switching itself is limited due to the limit of the on / off speed, the behavior of the mechanical operation stop of the fan, and the limit of the charge diffusion speed of the electrode, which is difficult to realize. On the other hand, the present invention absorbs ink with an absorber provided in a duct penetrating the carriage, and does not require a large-scale device or a new place. Hard to become. Also, since the electrodes and coils for changing the orbit are always in the vicinity of the mist, the output can be smaller than that provided outside the carriage, and they are not intended for adsorption and are intended for correcting the orbit. Therefore, the output can be small. If the method is composed only of members that do not use these, these devices are not necessary. It can be realized in a simple form.

  Another feature is that the mist absorbing mechanism has little adverse effect on the recording operation. For example, in the method of blocking mist, an electric field is not particularly generated, and absorption is performed by using the operation speed of the carriage, and a capture unit is provided in the center of the carriage, so that rebound and slack are absorbed. There is no harmful effect of later dirtying media. Also in the method using Lorentz force, this is a force that works only on the electric charges moving perpendicular to the magnetic flux, so it works only on the mist that passes through the duct. Lorentz force is not applied even if ionized. Even in a method using Coulomb force, a large electric field is not necessary because mist enters the duct and flows in the vicinity of the electrode. Further, by providing it inside the carriage, the electrostatic field hardly leaks outside the carriage, and the influence on recording or the like can be reduced.

  Moreover, the unit holding the recovered mist can be easily replaced. Although the absorption amount of mist affects the life of the apparatus, the collection unit can be replaced by a method such as replacement of a conventional ink tank since the absorption unit is provided at the center of the carriage unit. If a circulation device can be connected to the capture tank, the recovery unit can be replaced by circulating and collecting the collected mist in a separately provided large-capacity tank using a pump that supplies ink to the head. An unnecessary configuration is also possible. In addition, if the large-capacity ink can be replaced, it can be used for a longer time.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the ink mist is efficient, does not require a large-scale apparatus and control, has little adverse effect on the recording operation, can easily replace the recovery unit, and can be used for a long time. Can be provided.

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

(Embodiment 1)
The first embodiment of the present invention relates to a carriage provided with an opening for collecting mist.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view for explaining the movement of mist around the carriage unit of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the flow (movement) of mist around the carriage unit in a conventional printer. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the movement of the mist around the carriage unit of the present embodiment. 4A to 4C are views showing a mist collecting unit in the carriage unit of the present embodiment. FIG. 5 is a perspective view schematically showing the ink jet printer according to the present embodiment. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of the present embodiment.

  First, an outline of the present embodiment will be described. Mist, which is a small droplet of floating ink that separates when ink is ejected from the recording head or bounces when landing on paper as a recording medium, is an air flow that occurs when the carriage moves during recording Diffused according to changes in On the other hand, in the conventional mist collecting mechanism, as shown in FIG. 2, the mist flow 26 moves to the rear of the carriage while going around the side surface of the carriage unit. In this way, the mist that is stopped as it is has a flow that bends in the horizontal and vertical directions as the carriage moves.

  On the other hand, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the carriage unit 11 includes a mist collection unit 17 having openings in the front and rear (left and right in the drawing) in the moving direction. As will be described later, the unit 17 is configured so that the airflow does not stop in the unit.

  FIG. 3 shows the flow of mist accompanying the movement of the carriage unit equipped with this recovery unit. The mist collecting unit is provided with ducts 18 each having an opening in the front and rear (in the left-right direction in FIG. 3) along the moving direction of the carriage. Since this duct 18 is basically in the form of a hole extending from the opening to the inside of the carriage, the air flow of the mist is the flow 39 of the flow 39 that circulates outside the carriage unit 11 as in the prior art shown in FIG. In addition, a flow 310 that enters the duct 18 also occurs. The rate at which mist is taken into the opening varies depending on the speed of the carriage, the shape of the opening, etc., but in any case, the opening of the duct 18 is provided on the surface where the flow of mist hits. Captured as a natural flow. This is advantageous in that the mist is captured while performing a normal recording operation in that the airflow is generated by a fan or the like, which is different from the collection method.

  FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C are a top view, a front view, and a side view, respectively, showing the detailed structure of the mist collection unit according to the present embodiment. Of these drawings, the drawings (a) and (b) are mainly shown as cross sections.

  As shown in these drawings, the mist collection unit of the present embodiment is provided with openings 41 on the left and right in FIG. This opening is provided with a taper from the opening at the end to the center of the duct 18 in order to provide the largest possible opening on the side surface of the carriage unit (FIG. 4B). An absorbing member 44 for receiving dripping when ink mist collides is provided below the opening 41. Further, this absorbing member is also provided around the inside of the hole extending from the opening. That is, the central mist collecting unit 42 includes the same absorbing member 44 on the side and bottom. The absorbent member 44 is formed of a member having excellent absorbability and retention such as pulp. Further, a mist collision member 36 is provided at the center of the hole forming the duct 18 of the mist collection section 42. The member 36 is preferably a member that is subjected to water repellent treatment on metal, plastic or the like in order to prevent the mist from adhering to the mist flow. The member 36 is provided with holes with a rough density so as not to disturb the flow of mist as much as possible. The mist collecting part 42 is a place where the absorbing member is provided, and the absorbing member is provided so as to be replaceable with respect to the carriage. However, the mist collecting part itself may be replaceable. Absent.

  Conventionally, an absorptive member disposed on the side surface of the carriage unit collides with the mist and absorbs it. In this case, since the same member is present on the side surface of the carriage unit, the splashed ink may fall on the paper and contaminate the recorded matter, or the collided mist may be decomposed and further reduced into smaller droplets to be mist again. is there. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, since the collision of the mist is made at the central portion inside the duct provided in the carriage unit, the bounced mist does not contaminate the paper. Moreover, even if it floats temporarily on the spot, it will be retained by the absorber on the side surface in the duct due to natural sedimentation due to gravity.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a printer as an ink jet recording apparatus according to the present embodiment. In this embodiment, ink is supplied from the main tank 77 provided outside the carriage movement range to the sub tank 14 on the carriage 11 via the tube 75. Then, ink is supplied from the sub tank to the recording head, and ink is discharged. That is, ink is supplied from the main tank 77 to the sub tank 14 of the carriage unit 11 through the ink circulation tube 75 by the ink circulation unit 76. The ink circulation unit 76 controls the flow of ink by, for example, squeezing the tube with an actuator such as a motor, and determines the supply of ink according to the remaining amount of ink in the sub tank 14 and the recording mode. To circulate the ink. The carriage unit 11 is provided with the mist collection unit described above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 4, that is, the opening 41 and the mist collection unit 42 of the mist collection unit.

  According to this embodiment, since the sub-tank is mounted on the carriage unit, the mounting space can be made relatively small, and the mounting space for the mist collecting unit can be increased accordingly. Needless to say, the application of the present invention is not limited to the form using such a sub-tank. The present invention can also be applied to the most widely known ink jet printer in which an ink tank is mounted on a carriage without using a main tank. In this case, the size of the carriage unit becomes large, but it is obvious that the size does not become a problem depending on the specifications of the printer.

  A recording sheet as a recording medium is placed on an ASF 710) and conveyed by a PF motor 714 and an LF motor 712. Further, the carriage unit 11 can be reciprocated along the carriage shaft 78 by the driving force of the CR motor 711. The recording head mounted on the carriage is scanned by the movement of the carriage 11, and ink can be ejected onto the recording paper for recording. The AP motor 713 performs recording paper feeding from the ASF 710 and recording head maintenance operation.

  FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of the ink jet printer according to the present embodiment. The printer of this embodiment is controlled by a microcomputer computer system. That is, the CPU and the ASIC 816 control processing and operations in a device such as a motor using a nonvolatile memory 817 for storing a program, a volatile memory 818 as a work area memory, and a small-capacity nonvolatile memory 819 for storing control information. To do. As described above, the carriage substrate 15 and the recording head 16 are attached to the carriage unit, and these are connected via the FFC 84. Further, the above-described sub tank 14 is connected to the recording head 16 via a supply path, and ink is supplied to the recording head from the sub tank 14. The carriage substrate 15 is connected to the main substrate 815 on which the ASIC 816 is mounted via the FFC 86. A motor driver IC 812 that drives a motor is mounted on the main board 815. The driver is a motor-driven dedicated IC loaded with an H-bridge circuit, and controls the motor while communicating with the ASIC. These motors include an ink circulation motor 87 that circulates ink, a CR motor 711, an LF motor 712, a PF motor 714, and an AP motor 811 for picking up recording paper and performing head maintenance operations. The ASIC takes in the detection signals of the sensor 813 and the encoder 814 and performs control. It also has an IF interface that connects to a PC, digital camera, etc., and accepts it in the ASIC for control. The power source 823 is AC-DC converted from a commercial power source and connected to the main board. The voltage is converted into a voltage of a logic power source used for the ASIC 816 or the like or a high-accuracy analog power source for sensors as needed by DC-DC conversion realized as one function of the motor driver IC 812. Further, it has a clock IC 820 and a backup battery 821, and stores time information of various events in the small-capacity nonvolatile memory 819. In addition, the user can perform various operations via the panel substrate 825. In other words, the panel substrate includes a switch 826, an LED 828, and an LCD 827, thereby notifying the user of the printer status and allowing the user to perform operations related to the printer.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, mist can be efficiently recovered with a simple configuration. That is, since the carriage absorbs mist, it is close to the mist generation site and can be recovered by using the carriage movement during recording to further promote mist diffusion. Recovery can be performed efficiently. In other words, the mist is collected by preparing the carriage provided with an opening facing the carriage movement direction and a hole extending from the opening, and moving the carriage in the movement direction. Can do.

(Embodiment 2)
In the second embodiment of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the mist recovery of the above-described embodiment, a mist trajectory is changed by applying a magnetic force (Lorentz force) to the mist, so that the mist is more efficiently applied to the carriage recovery unit. Is to collect. The structure concerning the mist collection | recovery of this embodiment presupposes the airflow fundamentally the same as the airflow of the mist shown in FIG. 1, FIG.3 mentioned above. The configuration of the recording apparatus is the same as that of the first embodiment described above except for the following parts.

  FIGS. 7A to 7C are diagrams illustrating the configuration of the mist collection unit of the carriage unit according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 4A to 4C according to the first embodiment are illustrated in FIGS. It is the same figure. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of the recording apparatus according to the second embodiment, and is the same diagram as FIG. 6 according to the first embodiment. 7 and 8, the description of the same elements as those described in the first embodiment will be omitted. Furthermore, FIG. 9 is a circuit diagram showing a constant current circuit for driving the coil according to the present embodiment.

  In the present embodiment, as described in the first embodiment, the carriage unit includes a mist collecting unit having openings disposed forward and backward in the moving direction. The mist airflow generated by the movement of the carriage is basically as shown in FIG. That is, part of the airflow is taken into the duct through the opening of the mist collecting unit and flows through the hole.

  And in this embodiment, as shown to Fig.7 (a)-(c), the coil 54 is provided in the upper part of the opening part 41 which is the opening part vicinity. Thereby, the magnetic flux (B) 56 can be generated vertically below the coil 54, that is, in a direction crossing the direction of the mist airflow. It is effective to place a ferromagnetic material at the center of the coil in order to make the magnetic flux strong. A current is supplied to the coil by a circuit mounted on the carriage substrate. Moreover, the mist collection | recovery unit 17 of this embodiment is not provided with the member 36 (FIG. 3) for mist collision like 1st Embodiment.

  The mist flowing in the mist collecting unit has a relative speed (V) 57 with respect to the carriage unit as the carriage moves. When the mist is ionized, the mist receives a Lorentz force (F) 58 by the magnetic flux 56 generated by the coil, and its trajectory is bent as shown by an arrow in FIG. The bent mist collides with and is absorbed by the member 44 provided on the side surface of the central mist collecting section. Of the mist that has received the Lorentz force, the mist that has not been collided with the member 44 and has been drawn into the interior of the mist collecting section falls to the absorber member 44 due to natural sedimentation by gravity (mG) 59 and is collected. The

  The configuration for collecting mist of this embodiment does not have a member that obstructs the airflow of mist, such as the member 36 for mist collision (FIG. 3). As a result, such a member does not cause ink sticking and clogging, so that there is an advantage that the mist collecting unit is excellent in durability.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the carriage unit 17 is provided with a circuit 929 that generates a current for driving the coil 54 that generates the magnetic flux. This current value may be variable or fixed. For example, when the effect of mist collection is confirmed in advance, the current value can be fixedly set according to the effect. FIG. 9 shows a constant current circuit when the drive current is a constant current. The illustrated example allows a relatively large current to flow, and is a circuit composed of a Darlington connection between a transistor and an FET and an operational amplifier, and can control the current with high accuracy. On the other hand, when the current is made variable, the current can be made variable by making the reference voltage of the operational amplifier variable by PWM control and a filter circuit.

  Furthermore, the current value for driving the coil can be determined according to the effect of the mist recovery, the recovery unit, the device specifications, and the like. That is, when the duct of the mist collecting unit is small, the mist charge is large, the mist speed, that is, the carriage speed is high, the Lorentz force required is small and the magnetic flux is small. It's small. On the other hand, when the duct of the mist collecting unit is large, the mist charge is small, and the mist speed, that is, the carriage speed is slow, the required Lorentz force is large and the magnetic flux is large, so the value of the current flowing through the coil is increased. To do.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, in the recovery configuration using the Lorentz force according to the present embodiment, the Lorentz force is a force proportional to the speed, and therefore, a high-speed recording mode in which mist is likely to occur, that is, the carriage In the mode where the moving speed is fast, the mist collecting power is improved.

(Embodiment 3)
In the third embodiment of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the mist recovery of the above-described embodiment, an electrostatic field is generated to exert a Coulomb force on the mist to change the mist trajectory, thereby further improving the efficiency of the carriage recovery unit. Collect mist. The structure concerning the mist collection | recovery of this embodiment presupposes the airflow fundamentally the same as the airflow of the mist shown in FIG. 1, FIG.3 mentioned above. The configuration of the recording apparatus is the same as that of the first embodiment described above except for the following parts.

  10 (a) to 10 (c) are diagrams illustrating the configuration of the mist collection unit of the carriage unit according to the third embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 4 (a) to (c) according to the first embodiment. It is the same figure. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of the recording apparatus according to the third embodiment, and is the same diagram as FIG. 6 according to the first embodiment. 10 and 11, the description of the same elements as those described in the first embodiment will be omitted.

  In the present embodiment, as described in the first embodiment, the carriage unit includes a mist collecting unit having openings disposed forward and backward in the moving direction. The mist airflow generated by the movement of the carriage is basically as shown in FIG. That is, a part of the airflow is taken into the duct through the opening of the mist collecting unit.

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 10A to 10C, electrodes 64 are provided above and below the opening 41, respectively. The electrode 64 is connected to a circuit provided on the carriage substrate so as to generate an electrostatic field between the electrodes. Moreover, the mist collection | recovery unit 17 of this embodiment is not provided with the member 36 (FIG. 3) for mist collision like 1st Embodiment.

  The ionized mist receives the Coulomb force (mG + qE) 66 due to the electrostatic field generated by the electrode described above, and changes its trajectory as shown in FIG. The mist whose trajectory has been changed collides with the absorbing member 44 provided on the side surface of the mist collecting unit 17 and is absorbed. The electrostatic field applied here is not necessary until the mist is attracted as in the conventional structure of attracting the mist, and the trajectory may be displaced so as to hit the side surface. For this reason, the electric field strength can be reduced as necessary for the generation of the electrostatic field of the present embodiment. Further, the electrostatic field is applied at a limited distance such as in the opening of the mist collecting unit. For this reason, there are few adverse effects of mist collection, such as affecting ink ejection by conventional electrodes. Also, no special on / off control is required. Further, as in the second embodiment, the configuration for collecting mist of the present embodiment has no member that obstructs the airflow of mist, such as the mist collision member 36 (FIG. 3). As a result, such a member does not cause ink sticking and clogging, so that there is an advantage that the mist collecting unit is excellent in durability.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the two electrodes 64 for applying an electrostatic field for changing the mist trajectory are driven by a circuit 1029 on the carriage substrate. As a power source for the voltage applied to the electrodes, a power source for driving the recording head can be used. If the voltage is insufficient, a voltage obtained by boosting the voltage distributed to the carriage unit can be supplied. For example, when the duct of the mist recovery unit is small and the mist charge is large, the required Coulomb force is small, so the voltage applied to the electrode can be reduced. On the other hand, when the duct of the mist recovery unit is large and the charge of the mist is small, the required Coulomb force is large, so the voltage applied to the electrode is increased.

  12 and 13 are circuit diagrams showing two examples of the booster circuit, respectively. In these figures, Vin represents a voltage supplied for driving the head, Vout represents a voltage applied to the electrodes, and each represents a DC output.

  FIG. 12 shows a booster circuit realized by a charge pump circuit. A signal is applied to the bases of Tr1 and Tr2 in reverse phase to turn them on alternately to control the current flowing through T1. The voltage is boosted at a voltage proportional to the winding ratio at T1. The current flowing to the secondary side is controlled by D1 and D2 as Tr1 and Tr2 are turned on and off, and energy is charged and discharged in L1, and smoothed by C1. FIG. 13 shows a high voltage generation circuit realized by the Jensen circuit 131 and the Cockcroft-Walton circuit 132. The base currents of Tr1 and Tr2 are switched alternately by the transformer T1. The voltage is boosted by the transformer T2 at a voltage proportional to the winding ratio. The voltage boosted on the secondary side is rectified by the Cockcroft-Walton circuit and multiplied. The multiplication number is determined by the number of circuit stages. By using this circuit, the conversion voltage of the transformer can be kept low, the number of windings of the transformer can be reduced, and the size can be reduced. If further constant voltage control is required for both the circuits shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, it can be realized by inserting a series regulator in each preceding stage.

  Since the direction of the voltage of the electrode to be applied is expected to be negatively charged in the mist, in this embodiment, the voltage output is connected to the lower electrode and the GND is connected to the upper electrode. As a result, the electric field is generated upward from the bottom, and the mist is bent downward. However, this is reversed if the mist is positively charged. In other words, the Coulomb force is set to work in the direction of gravity. Otherwise, gravity and Coulomb force are balanced, and the mist trajectory may not be deflected.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, particularly when using Coulomb force, a large electric field is not necessary because mist enters the duct of the mist recovery unit and flows in the vicinity of the electrode. Further, by providing the electrodes in the duct, the electrostatic field is less likely to leak out of the carriage, and the influence on recording or the like can be reduced.

It is a typical perspective view explaining the movement of the mist around the carriage unit which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the flow (movement) of the mist around the carriage unit in the conventional printer. It is a figure which shows the movement of the mist around the carriage unit which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. (A)-(c) is a figure which shows the mist collection | recovery unit in the carriage unit of 1st Embodiment. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an outline of an inkjet printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the control structure of 1st Embodiment. (A)-(c) is a figure explaining the structure of the mist collection | recovery unit of the carriage unit which concerns on 2nd embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the control structure in the recording device which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a circuit diagram which shows the constant current circuit for driving the coil which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. (A)-(c) is a figure explaining the structure of the mist collection | recovery unit of the carriage unit which concerns on 3rd embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the control structure in the recording device which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a circuit diagram which shows an example of the step-up circuit used with the recording device of 3rd Embodiment. FIG. 10 is a circuit diagram illustrating another example of the booster circuit used in the recording apparatus of the third embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

11 Carriage unit 14 Ink subtank 15 Carriage substrate 16 Recording head 17 Mist absorption unit 18 Mist collection unit duct 36 Mist collision member 41 Opening 42 Mist collection unit 44 Mist absorption and holding member:
54 Coil 64 Electrode 929 Current supply circuit for driving coil 1029 Circuit for applying voltage to electrode

Claims (7)

In an inkjet recording apparatus that performs recording by moving a carriage mounted with a recording head that ejects ink,
2. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the carriage is provided with an opening facing the carriage moving direction and a hole extending from the opening.   2. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a member for absorbing and holding ink mist is provided around the inside of the hole.   The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hole is provided with a member that collides with ink mist flowing through the hole.   The coil for generating the magnetic flux of the direction crossing with respect to the direction of the flow of the ink mist which flows in the said hole in the vicinity of the said opening part was provided. The ink jet recording apparatus described.   The electrode for generating the electric field of the direction crossing with respect to the direction of the flow of the ink mist which flows through the said inside of the said opening part was provided in the said opening part. The ink jet recording apparatus described.   6. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of a portion of the carriage where the absorbing and holding member is provided is replaceable with respect to the carriage. In a mist collecting method in an ink jet recording apparatus that performs recording by moving a carriage mounted with a recording head that ejects ink,
Preparing the carriage provided with an opening that extends in a direction in which the carriage moves and a hole extending from the opening;
Moving the carriage in the moving direction;
A method for collecting mist, comprising a step.

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