JP2010221677A - Cap mechanism and method for using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To securely attach an abutment part by slanting it along the slant of a face to be capped. <P>SOLUTION: A cap mechanism to cap a nozzle face 21 includes: a cap upper body 18 on which the abutment part 1 to abut on the nozzle face 21 is provided; a cap stand 6 which supports the cap upper body 18 and is positioned at the opposite side to the abutment part 1; and compression springs 9 and 10 which connect the cap upper body 18 and the cap stand 6, and have elastic forces in a direction to extend or narrow a distance between the cap upper body 18 and the cap stand 6. In the cap mechanism, one of the face at the cap stand 6 side of the cap upper body 18 and the face at the cap upper body 18 side of the cap stand 6 is provided with a support 11, and the other is provided with a support hole 12 engaged with the support 11; and when the nozzle face 21 does not abut on the abutment part 1, a gap 13 is formed between the support 11 and the support hole 12 by the elastic force of the compression springs 9 and 10. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a cap mechanism for capping a capped surface and a method using the same.

  As a device having a capped surface, a liquid ejecting head in a liquid ejecting device that ejects liquid onto an ejected object is known. For example, a liquid ejecting apparatus that applies ink such as coloring to an ejected object includes a liquid ejecting head such as an ink jet head in order to perform processing on the printed object by ejecting a liquid such as ink. In recent years, it has been increasingly used as a production device, for example, in the production of color filters for liquid crystal televisions.

  In general, in an apparatus using a liquid ejecting head (hereinafter, also simply referred to as “head”), a cap is provided for covering and sealing the nozzle surface of the head when the head is not used or when maintenance of the head is performed. ing. As such a cap, in order to surely prevent the drying of the nozzle from being promoted, a cap that can reliably cover the nozzle surface and improve the sealing performance is required.

  Usually, the contact surface of the cap with the head is made of an elastic member such as a rubber material, which deforms by contacting with the nozzle surface of the head and exhibits high sealing performance. Accordingly, as the rubber material or the like on the contact surface of the cap, a material having a small elastic force is used.

  Here, when the head is inclined with respect to the cap and the nozzle surface of the head and the contact surface of the cap are not parallel, if the contact surface and the nozzle surface are brought into contact with each other, Since contact starts only with the surface, only a part of the contact surface of the cap bends. After that, even if the nozzle surface is further pushed into the contact surface of the cap to cover the entire surface of the nozzle surface, the amount of push-in differs by the amount of inclination at the location where it first begins to bend and at other locations, and the deflection is first caused. There is a problem in that it is difficult to obtain a good sealing property because the amount of bending at the beginning portion is larger than other portions. Furthermore, since an excessive offset load is applied to the contact surface of the cap, there arises a problem that the durability of the cap is impaired.

  In order to hermetically cap the nozzle surface even when the head is inclined as described above, Patent Document 1 has a structure including a cap and a cap holder that holds the cap as a cap device. Is disclosed. The cap includes a cap main body portion and an elastic portion provided integrally with the cap main body portion. The elastic portion is disposed between the cap main body portion and the cap holder, and the cap holder is interposed via the elastic portion. The cap main body is held so as to be relatively movable in all directions.

JP-A-8-300671 (published on November 19, 1996)

  However, in order to tilt the contact surface of the cap with the head, it is necessary to push down the entire cap. In the structure described in Patent Document 1, the force that pushes down the entire cap is not only in the elastic portion between the cap body portion and the cap holder but also in the cap since the cap is not inclined along the inclination of the head. This also applies to the contact surface with the head, and an uneven load is applied to the contact surface of the cap, so that the above-described problem that the durability of the cap is lowered still remains. Further, even if the cap and the head are brought into close contact with each other in such a state, good adhesion cannot be obtained, and as a result, there is a problem that the head is dried.

  Some recent heads have several hundred nozzles for the purpose of increasing the area that can be ejected at one time and shortening the processing time by ejection. Such a head has a long width in the nozzle row direction and is generally called a long head. However, the longer the head width, the greater the amount of tilt when attaching to the device.Therefore, even when using a head with a large nozzle area such as a long head, the entire nozzle surface is covered with a cap. There is a need for technology to ensure sealing.

  Accordingly, the present invention reliably tilts the abutting portion that comes into contact with the capped surface along the inclination of the capped surface, even with respect to the capped surface, particularly a capped surface with a large area to be capped. An object of the present invention is to provide a cap mechanism that can reliably adhere to a capped surface without applying an unbalanced load and has high durability.

  In order to solve the above problems, a cap mechanism according to the present invention is a cap mechanism that caps a capped surface, and a cap body provided with an abutting portion that abuts against the capped surface; The cap body is supported, the support body located on the opposite side of the contact portion is connected to the cap body and the support body, and the distance between the cap body and the support body is set. A first elastic body having an elastic force in a direction of spreading or narrowing, and a support portion is provided on one of the surface of the cap body on the support body side and the surface of the support body on the cap body side. On the other hand, a fitting portion that is fitted to the support portion is provided, and when the capped surface is not in contact with the contact portion, the support portion and the fitting portion are interposed. A gap is generated by the elastic force of the first elastic body. And said that you are.

  If it is said structure, when a to-be-capped surface is contact | abutted by the clearance gap between the support part produced by the elastic force of the 1st elastic body, and a fitting part, it will contact | abut. Even when the capped surface is inclined, the cap body can be flexibly inclined along the inclination of the capped surface by the elastic deformation of the first elastic body. Therefore, even when used on a capped surface having a large area to be capped, the cap body can be reliably tilted with respect to the tilt.

  Furthermore, with the above configuration, after the cap body is tilted along the inclination of the cap surface, the first elastic body is further elastically deformed by pressing the contact portion against the cap surface, and the cap. After the body moves in the direction of the support body, the support portion and the fitting portion are fitted and brought into contact with each other to fix the position of the cap body, and then the capped surface and the contact portion are relatively pressed against each other. Close contact. As described above, since the abutting portion can be reliably tilted along the inclination of the capped surface before the abutting portion and the capped surface are brought into close contact with each other, an uneven load may be applied to the abutting portion. And a force can be uniformly applied to the entire contact portion. Thereby, while being able to make a contact part contact | adhered reliably to a to-be-capped surface, durability of a cap mechanism can be maintained.

  In the cap mechanism according to the present invention, it is preferable that the abutting portion is constituted by a second elastic body having an elastic force larger than the elastic force of the first elastic body.

  With the above configuration, since the elastic force of the second elastic body is larger than the elastic force of the first elastic body, the contact portion is inclined to the capped surface by the elastic deformation of the first elastic body. And the second elastic body is not elastically deformed until the support portion and the fitting portion are fitted and the position of the cap body is fixed. Therefore, an offset load is not applied to the second elastic body. Further, after the position of the cap body is fixed, when the capped surface and the contact portion are further pressed relatively, the second elastic body is compressed and contacted by elastic deformation of the second elastic body. Since the part and the capped surface adhere more reliably, the capped surface can be sealed. In addition, since the abutment portion is surely inclined along the inclination of the capped surface, a force can be applied uniformly to the entire second elastic body, so that the durability of the second elastic body can be improved. .

  In the cap mechanism according to the present invention, it is preferable that the support portion is a protrusion and the fitting portion is a recess.

  If it is said structure, a support part and a fitting part can be reliably fitted and made to contact, and the position of a cap body can be fixed reliably.

  In the cap mechanism according to the present invention, it is preferable that the support portion has a hemispherical or pin-shaped tip of the protrusion.

  With the above configuration, even when the cap body is tilted, the support portion and the fitting portion can be fitted and brought into contact with each other while maintaining the tilted state. The position can be fixed.

  In the cap mechanism according to the present invention, it is preferable that the support portion is provided via a third elastic body having an elastic force larger than that of the first elastic body.

  If it is said structure, the elastic deformation of the 3rd elastic body in which a support part has an elastic force larger than the elastic force which a 1st elastic body has with respect to the support body or cap body in which this support part was provided. It expands and contracts by. Therefore, after the support portion and the fitting portion are fitted and brought into contact with each other, the cap is caused by the elastic deformation of the third elastic body even when the capped surface is pushed into the contact portion by an excessive force. The body can be brought closer to the support. Therefore, the force pushed into the contact portion can be released to the third elastic body, and damage to the cap mechanism and the capped surface can be prevented.

  Thereby, even when the force with which the capped surface comes into contact with the contact portion changes, the sensitivity to a change in load applied to the contact portion can be dulled. In particular, when used on a capped surface with a large abutting area, such as a capped surface with a long width, a large load is applied to the abutting portion even if the abutting force slightly changes. If so, the sensitivity to such load changes can be dulled. As a result, according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the variation in the force with which the cap mechanism and the capped surface abut, and also to reduce the variation in the performance of the cap mechanism due to the strength of the abutting force. . Therefore, since it is not necessary to strictly adjust the abutting force, it is possible to reduce the number of members necessary for adjusting the abutting force, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of an apparatus using the cap mechanism of the present invention. can do.

  In the cap mechanism according to the present invention, it is preferable that the cap mechanism further includes a regulation unit that regulates the distance between the support portion and the fitting portion to a predetermined length.

  With the above configuration, when the capped surface is not in contact with the contact portion, a force is applied to the cap body in a direction away from the support body by the elastic force of the first elastic body, and by the regulating means, Since the position of the cap body can be fixed in a state in which the distance between the support portion and the fitting portion is a predetermined length, the cap body can be accurately aligned, and therefore the abutting portion and the cap portion are covered. The surface can be brought into contact with the surface accurately.

  Further, in the cap mechanism according to the present invention, the restricting means is constituted by a penetrating material formed through the support, and the penetrating material has one end connected to the cap body and the other end. Is preferably provided with a support contact portion that contacts the surface of the support opposite to the cap body.

  With the above configuration, when the capped surface is not in contact with the contact portion, a force is applied to the cap body in a direction away from the support body by the elastic force of the first elastic body. And the penetrating material are integrally displaced and moved away from the support, and the support abutting portion of the penetrating material is fixed at a position where it abuts on the surface of the support opposite to the cap body. The distance between the support portion and the fitting portion can be restricted to a predetermined length. As a result, the position of the cap body can be fixed in a state where the distance between the support portion and the fitting portion is a predetermined length, so that the cap body can be more accurately aligned, and therefore contacted. The portion and the capped surface can be brought into contact with each other more accurately.

  The method according to the present invention includes a cap body provided with an abutting portion that abuts against a capped surface, and a support body that supports the cap body and is located on the opposite side of the abutting portion. And a first elastic body that connects the cap body and the support body, and has an elastic force in a direction to widen or narrow the distance between the cap body and the support body, and the cap body Of the surface on the support body side and the surface on the cap body side of the support body, one is provided with a support portion, and the other is provided with a fitting portion to be fitted with the support portion. A method of using a cap mechanism for capping a surface, wherein a gap is generated between the support portion and the fitting portion by an elastic force of a first elastic body, and the capped surface is formed on the contact portion. And abutting the capped surface with the abutting step Push To characterized by a step of fitting the said support portion and the fitting portion.

  If it is said structure, when a capped surface is made to contact | abut to a contact part by the clearance gap between the support part produced by the elastic force of the 1st elastic body, and a fitting part, it will contact | abut Even when is tilted, the cap body can be flexibly tilted along the tilt of the cap surface by the elastic deformation of the first elastic body. Therefore, even when used on a capped surface having a large area to be capped, the cap body can be reliably tilted with respect to the tilt.

  Furthermore, with the above configuration, after the cap body is tilted along the inclination of the capped surface and the abutting portion and the capped surface are brought into contact with each other, the capped surface is pushed into the abutting portion. The first elastic body can be further elastically deformed to move the cap body in the direction of the support body, the support portion and the fitting portion are fitted and brought into contact with each other, and the position of the cap body can be fixed. Thereby, a to-be-capped surface and a contact part can be stuck. In this way, since the contact portion can be tilted along the inclination of the capped surface before the contact portion and the capped surface are brought into close contact with each other, an uneven load is not applied to the contact portion. The contact portion can be securely adhered to the capped surface, and the durability of the cap mechanism can be maintained.

  In the method according to the present invention, the contact portion is constituted by a second elastic body having an elastic force larger than that of the first elastic body, and the support portion and the fitting portion are fitted. It is preferable to further include the step of compressing the second elastic body by further pressing the capped surface into the contact portion after the joining.

  If it is said structure, since the elastic force which a 2nd elastic body has is larger than the elastic force which a 1st elastic body has, in the process of contacting a to-be-capped surface to a contact part, a 1st elastic body Due to the elastic deformation of the contact portion, the contact portion is inclined along the inclination of the capped surface, and then the support portion and the fitting portion are fitted in the process of pushing the capped surface into the contact portion and fitting the support portion and the fitting portion. Since the second elastic body is not elastically deformed until the portion is fitted and abutted and the position of the cap body is fixed, the second elastic body is not subjected to an uneven load. Further, after the position of the cap body is fixed, the capped surface is further pushed into the abutting portion to compress the second elastic body, whereby the abutting portion and the capped portion are elastically deformed by the second elastic body. Since the surface can be brought into close contact with each other more reliably, the capped surface can be reliably sealed. Further, since the contact portion is reliably tilted along the inclination of the capped surface, a force can be applied uniformly to the entire second elastic body, so that the durability of the second elastic body can be improved. it can.

  In the method according to the present invention, the support portion is provided via a third elastic body having an elastic force larger than the elastic force of the first elastic body, and the support portion and the fitting portion are connected to each other. It is preferable that the method further includes a step of compressing the third elastic body by further pressing the capped surface into the contact portion after the fitting.

  If it is said structure, the elastic deformation of the 3rd elastic body in which a support part has an elastic force larger than the elastic force which a 1st elastic body has with respect to the support body or cap body in which this support part was provided. It expands and contracts by. Therefore, when the capped surface is pushed into the contact portion, first, the support portion and the fitting portion are fitted, and then, even if the capped surface is further pushed into the contact portion by excessive force, By compressing the elastic body 3, the cap body can be brought closer to the support body, and damage to the cap mechanism and the capped surface can be prevented.

  Thereby, even when the force for bringing the capped surface into contact with the contact portion changes, the sensitivity to the change in the load applied to the contact portion can be dulled. In particular, when a capped surface having a large abutting area, such as a capped surface with a large width, is capped, a large load is applied to the abutting portion even if the abutting force slightly changes. If so, the sensitivity to such a load change can be dulled. Thus, according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the variation in the force that makes the cap mechanism and the capped surface abut, and also to reduce the variation in the performance of the cap mechanism due to the strength of the abutting force. Therefore, since it is not necessary to strictly adjust the abutting force, it is possible to reduce the number of members necessary for adjusting the abutting force, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of an apparatus using the cap mechanism of the present invention. Can do.

  The present invention is a cap mechanism for capping a surface to be capped, wherein the cap body is provided with an abutting portion that abuts against the capped surface, and supports the cap body. A first support having an elastic force in a direction in which the distance between the cap body and the support body is increased or decreased by connecting the support body located on the opposite side of the portion to the cap body and the support body. Of the cap body and the cap body side surface of the support body, one of which is fitted with the support portion and the other is fitted with the support portion. When a capping portion is provided and the capped surface is not in contact with the contact portion, a gap is generated between the support portion and the fitting portion by the elastic force of the first elastic body. Because it is a capped surface, especially the capped surface Even with a large capped surface, the abutting portion that is in contact with the capped surface is securely tilted along the inclination of the capped surface, and is securely adhered to the capped surface without applying an offset load. In addition, a cap mechanism having high durability can be provided.

It is sectional drawing of the cap mechanism in 1st Embodiment. It is the figure which looked at the cap mechanism of 1st Embodiment from the side contact | abutted with an inkjet head. It is the figure which looked at the cap mechanism of 1st Embodiment from the side surface by the side of a coupling. It is the figure which looked at the cap mechanism of 1st Embodiment from the side different from FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the cap mechanism shown in FIG. In 1st Embodiment, it is sectional drawing which shows the relationship between a support hole and a support part when the load is not applied on the contact part. It is a figure which shows the state before making an inkjet head contact | abut to the cap mechanism in 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the state after making the inclined inkjet head contact | abut to the cap mechanism in 1st Embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the cap mechanism in 2nd Embodiment. It is the figure which looked at the cap mechanism in 2nd Embodiment from the side. In 2nd Embodiment, it is sectional drawing which shows the relationship between a support hole and a support member when the load is not applied on the contact part. It is a figure which shows the state before making an inkjet head contact | abut to the cap mechanism in 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the state pushed into the cap mechanism in 2nd Embodiment until the inclined inkjet head was contact | abutted, and the support hole and the support member were fitted and contact | abutted. It is a figure which shows the state which pushed in after the ink jet head was pushed into the cap mechanism in this embodiment until a support hole and a support member were fitted and contact | abutted.

[First Embodiment]
An embodiment of a cap mechanism according to the present invention will be described below. In the present embodiment, a cap mechanism applied to an inkjet head having a nozzle surface as a capped surface will be described.

  The cap mechanism in the present embodiment is a device that caps the nozzle surface (cap surface) 21 of the inkjet head 14 when the inkjet head is not used or when maintenance of the inkjet head is performed, for example. The nozzle surface 21 is a surface on the inkjet head 14 where a large number of nozzles for ejecting ink are opened and ink is ejected.

(Cap mechanism structure)
First, the structure of the cap mechanism in the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a cap mechanism in the present embodiment. In FIG. 1, the side in contact with the inkjet head 14 shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, the side of the cap mechanism that comes into contact with the inkjet head 14 will be described as the upper side, and the side where the cap base (supporting body) 6 is provided will be described as the lower side.

  FIG. 2 is a view of the cap mechanism of the present embodiment as viewed from above, that is, from the side in contact with the inkjet head 14. 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 3 is a view of the cap mechanism of the present embodiment as viewed from the side surface on the suction joint 5 side, and FIG. 4 is a view of the cap mechanism of the present embodiment as viewed from a side surface different from FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the cap mechanism shown in FIG. 4 and 5 show a state in which the inkjet head 14 is rotated so that the side in contact with the inkjet head 14 is on the left.

  The cap mechanism in the present embodiment includes a cap upper body (cap body) 18 and a cap base 6 that supports the cap upper body 18.

  The cap upper body 18 includes the contact portion 1 and the cap holder 2.

  The abutting portion 1 is a portion that abuts on a nozzle surface 21 of the inkjet head 14 shown in FIG. 7 described later, and is formed of compressible rubber (second elastic body). The second elastic body forming the contact portion in the present invention is not limited to the above-described rubber, and for example, Teflon (registered trademark), polytetrafluoroethylene (PFA), urethane, polyether ether ketone (PEEK). A resin material such as a material may be used.

  The cap holder 2 holds the contact portion 1, and a recess serving as a support hole (fitting portion) 12 is provided on a lower surface thereof, that is, a surface on the side of the cap base 6 to be described later.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the cap holder 2 has a space under the contact portion 1, and a suction hole 3 for sucking waste liquid, and the suction hole 3 and the flow path are formed in the cap holder bottom portion 4. And a suction joint 5 connected to each other. Note that the number of suction holes and flow paths provided in one cap holder may be one as in the present embodiment, or may be plural.

  The cap base 6 is located on the lower side of the cap upper body 18, that is, on the opposite side of the cap upper body 18 from the side where the contact portion 1 is provided, and on the upper surface thereof, that is, the surface on the cap upper body 18 side. A support portion 11 is formed. The support part 11 is formed as a protrusion having a hemispherical tip as shown in FIG. The support part 11 fixes the position of the cap upper body 18 by contacting the support hole 12 in the cap holder 2.

  In addition, as long as the shape of a support part and a fitting part in this invention is a shape which mutually fits, what kind of combination may be sufficient, but it is a shape which can be fitted and contact | abutted even if the cap body inclines. Is preferred. For example, a combination in which the fitting portion has a concave shape and the support portion is a protrusion having a hemispherical tip, a pin shape, or the like is preferable. Thereby, even if a fitting part and a support part contact | abut in the state in which the cap body inclined, the position of a cap body can be fixed reliably, without making a biased contact.

  Moreover, in this invention, it is not limited to the form mentioned above, A support part should just be provided in one side among the lower surface of a cap body and the upper surface of a support body, and a fitting part should just be provided in the other. That is, for example, the fitting portion may be provided on the support body and the support portion may be provided on the cap body.

  The cap mechanism in this embodiment is further provided with penetrating materials (regulating means) 7 and 8 as shown in FIG. One end of each of the penetrating materials 7 and 8 is screwed to the lower side of the cap upper body 18, and the other end protrudes to the lower side of the cap base 6. It penetrates the base 6. The other ends of the penetrating materials 7 and 8 are provided with contact portions (supporting member contact portions) 22 and 23 that are formed to be thicker than the shaft and contact the lower surface of the cap base 6. Further, the penetrating members 7 and 8 are slidable in the vertical direction with respect to the cap base 6 at the shaft portion that penetrates the cap base 6.

  The penetrating members 7 and 8 are displaced in a direction in which the cap upper body 18 approaches or separates from the cap base 6 by sliding in the vertical direction with respect to the cap base 6. Thereby, the cap upper body 18 can approach the cap base 6 until the support part 11 and the support hole 12 come into contact with each other, and the contact parts 22 and 23 in the penetrating materials 7 and 8 are on the lower surface of the cap base 6. The cap table 6 can be separated until it comes into contact. In addition, a minute gap (not shown) is provided between the penetrating members 7 and 8 and the cap base 6 between the lower surfaces of the compression springs 9 and 10 described later and the contact portions 22 and 23. Thus, the cap upper body 18 can be inclined with respect to the cap base 6. Note that the minute gap may be small enough to allow the inclination of the cap upper body 18 (for example, the length of the inkjet head is 50 mm, and the maximum inclination is 0.5 mm at both ends). In some cases, the gap for allowing this inclination may have a width of about 0.05 mm if the length from the lower surface of the compression springs 9 and 10 to the lower surface of the cap base 6 is 5 mm. The width may be appropriately set from the ratio of the maximum inclination with respect to the length of the inkjet head.

  In the penetrating materials 7 and 8, the length from the lower surface of the cap upper body 18 to the contact portions 22 and 23 is such that the support portion 11 and the support hole 12 are fitted and contacted without the cap upper body 18 tilting. Is longer by a predetermined length than the length from the lower surface of the cap upper body 18 to the lower surface of the cap base 6. Thereby, when the contact portions 22 and 23 are in contact with the lower surface of the cap base 6, the distance between the support portion 11 and the support hole 12 becomes a predetermined length, and the gap 13 is generated.

  With such a configuration, the cap upper body 18 is restricted from moving upward when the lower surface of the cap base 6 and the contact portions 22 and 23 of the penetrating materials 7 and 8 come into contact with each other. The cap upper body 18 is also restricted from moving in the left-right direction by the penetrating members 7 and 8 except for the movement due to the minute gap described above.

  Compression springs (first elastic bodies) 9 and 10 are provided on the shafts of the penetrating materials 7 and 8 between the cap upper body 18 and the cap base 6. As shown in FIG. 1, the compression springs 9 and 10 are provided between the lower surface of the cap upper body 18 and a groove formed along the axes of the penetrating materials 7 and 8 from the upper surface of the cap base 6. The upper body 18 and the cap base 6 are connected to each other, and has an elastic force in a direction (vertical direction) in which the distance between the cap upper body 18 and the cap base 6 is widened or narrowed.

  Note that the first elastic body in the present invention is not limited to the above-described form, and connects the cap body and the support body, and exerts an elastic force in a direction to widen or narrow the distance between the cap body and the support body. As long as it has, it may be provided in any way. Further, the first elastic body is not limited to the compression spring described above, and may be, for example, a rubber material having elasticity or a leaf spring.

  The compression springs 9 and 10 preferably have a smaller spring constant than the rubber forming the contact portion 1. That is, it is preferable that the compression springs 9 and 10 have an elastic force smaller than the elastic force of the rubber forming the contact portion 1. The compression springs 9 and 10 contact the cap upper body 18 when the load is not applied on the contact portion 1, and the contact portions 22 and 23 of the penetrating materials 7 and 8 contact the lower surface of the cap base 6. It is preferable to have an elastic force that can be lifted until it is pressed.

  FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the support portion 11 and the support hole 12 when no load is applied on the contact portion 1 in this embodiment. With the above-described configuration, the cap mechanism in this embodiment is configured such that the cap upper body 18 is moved to the cap base 6 by the elastic force of the compression springs 9 and 10 when the load such as the inkjet head 14 is not applied on the contact portion 1. The abutting portions 22 and 23 of the penetrating materials 7 and 8 are brought into contact with the lower surface of the cap base 6, the distance between the supporting portion 11 and the supporting hole 12 becomes a predetermined length, and a gap 13 is generated. ing.

  The predetermined length in the distance between the support portion 11 and the support hole 12 is when the contact portions 22 and 23 of the penetrating materials 7 and 8 are in contact with the lower surface of the cap base 6 as described above. This is the distance between the support part 11 and the support hole 12, and is the maximum possible distance between the support part 11 and the support hole 12. This maximum length, that is, a predetermined length in the distance between the support portion 11 and the support hole 12, which is regulated by the penetrating materials 7 and 8, is ½ of the maximum inclination amount at both ends of the contact portion 1. The above is preferable. The distance between the support portion 11 and the support hole 12 is such that the cap holder 2 and the cap base 6 support when the cap upper body 18 whose both ends of the contact portion 1 are inclined at the maximum inclination amount is pushed in. It is preferable that the length be in contact with only the portion 11 and the support hole 12 and not in other places. The amount of inclination is the difference in distance from the cap base 6 at each end of the contact portion 1. Further, the maximum inclination amount at both ends of the abutting portion 1 means that the nozzle surface 21 abutted on the abutting portion 1 is abutted with an expected maximum inclination and tilted along the nozzle surface 21. The amount of inclination at both ends of the contact portion 1 may be sufficient. As a result, even when the maximum inclination expected on the nozzle surface 21 occurs, the contact portion 1 can be reliably inclined along the inclination of the nozzle surface 21.

  Further, by providing the penetrating members 7 and 8 and the compression springs 9 and 10, when no load is applied on the contact portion 1, the distance between the support portion 11 and the support hole 12 is a predetermined distance. Since the position of the cap upper body 18 can be fixed in the lengthwise state, the cap upper body 18 can be accurately aligned, so that the contact portion 1 and the nozzle surface 21 can be accurately contacted. it can.

  The penetrating members 7 and 8 and the compression springs 9 and 10 are provided two by two in this embodiment, but are not particularly limited in the present invention, and may be one by one or many. May be. The more the penetrating material and the compression spring are provided, the more accurately the cap body can be aligned, so the contact portion 1 and the nozzle surface 21 can be contacted more accurately. preferable.

  With the above-described configuration, in the cap mechanism according to the present embodiment, the compression springs 9 and 10 are responsible for tilt correction, and a gap 13 is generated between the support portion 11 and the support hole 12. The contact part 1 can be tilted flexibly. Therefore, even when the nozzle surface 21 in contact with the contact portion 1 is inclined, the contact portion 1 can be reliably inclined along the inclination of the nozzle surface 21.

  In addition, after the contact portion 1 is brought into contact with the inclination of the nozzle surface 21 and then brought into contact with the nozzle surface 21, the support portion 11 and the support hole 12 are fitted and contacted. As a result, the cap upper body 18 is held in a posture while maintaining an inclination. Thereby, the contact part 1 can be made to contact | abut to the nozzle surface 21 reliably.

  Further, when the contact portion 1 is pushed in by the nozzle surface 21, the contact portion 1 and the nozzle surface 21 are further brought into close contact with each other by elastic deformation of the rubber forming the contact portion 1. Thereby, the favorable adhesiveness of the contact part 1 and the nozzle surface 21 is securable. Therefore, since the moisture retention effect of the inkjet head 14 can be maintained, it is possible to prevent the performance of the inkjet head 14 from being impaired.

  In addition, in terms of the performance of the cap mechanism, the magnitude of the spring constant of the elastic body for tilting the abutting portion has a great influence on the deformation of the abutting portion, the uneven load on the abutting portion, and consequently the protection of the inkjet head. Therefore, it is preferable to design carefully. For example, as in the present embodiment, it is preferable to design the elastic force of the first elastic body to be smaller than the elastic force of the second elastic body.

  Further, as in Patent Document 1 described above, when the cap is integrally formed of the cap main body portion and the elastic portion, if there is a problem in the spring constant of the elastic portion for tilting the cap, again. It must be remade from molding. However, with the cap mechanism according to the present embodiment, the cap upper body 18 and the compression springs 9 and 10 for tilting the cap upper body 18 can be prepared separately. Even when there is a problem such as being too weak, it is only necessary to replace the compression springs 9 and 10 and it can be manufactured easily.

(How to use the cap mechanism)
Next, the usage method of the cap mechanism mentioned above is demonstrated using FIG.7 and FIG.8.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a state before the ink jet head 14 is brought into contact with the cap mechanism in the present embodiment, and FIG. 8 is a view in which the inclined ink jet head 14 is brought into contact with the cap mechanism in the present embodiment. It is a figure which shows a back state.

  Here, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the inkjet head 14 to be abutted is inclined to the lower right side.

  In the method according to the present embodiment, the contact portion 1 of the cap mechanism and the nozzle surface 21 of the inkjet head 14 are brought into contact with each other by performing the following steps.

  First, a step of bringing the nozzle surface 21 of the inkjet head 14 into contact with the contact portion 1 in the cap mechanism is performed.

  Prior to this step, a gap 13 is generated between the support portion 11 and the support hole 12 in the cap mechanism. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the cap upper body 18 is lifted from the cap base 6 by the elastic force of the compression springs 9 and 10, and the contact portions 22 and 23 in the penetrating materials 7 and 8 are the cap base. 6 is brought into contact with the lower surface, and a gap 13 is formed between the support portion 11 and the support hole 12.

  When the nozzle surface 21 of the inkjet head 14 whose right side is inclined downward is brought into contact with the contact portion 1 in the cap mechanism in such a state, the compression springs 9 and 10 having a smaller elastic force than the contact portion 1 are elastic. As a result, the cap upper body 18 is inclined along the inclination of the nozzle surface 21 of the inkjet head 14. At this time, the rubber forming the contact portion 1 is hardly deformed. As a result, the contact portion 1 is uniformly contacted with the nozzle surface 21 of the inkjet head 14.

  Next, a process of fitting the support portion 11 and the support hole 12 by pushing the nozzle surface 21 into the contact portion 1 is performed.

  In this process, when the nozzle surface 21 is pushed into the contact portion 1, the cap upper body 18 is inclined along the nozzle surface 21 and the compression springs 9 and 10 are compressed and supported as shown in FIG. The portion 11 and the support hole 12 are fitted and brought into contact with each other, and the position of the cap upper body 18 is fixed.

  Next, a process of compressing the rubber forming the contact portion 1 by further pressing the nozzle surface 21 into the contact portion 1 is performed.

  In this step, the cap upper body 18 is fixed after being tilted along the nozzle surface 21 by the support portion 11 and the support hole 12 being in contact with each other. When the nozzle surface 21 is further pushed into the contact portion 1 in this state, the positions of the cap upper body 18 and the cap base 6 do not move any further. Accordingly, the rubber forming the contact portion 1 is compressed. Thereby, the nozzle surface 21 is brought into close contact with the contact portion 1.

  According to the method in the present embodiment, after the cap upper body 18 is tilted along the nozzle surface 21 to bring the contact portion 1 and the nozzle surface 21 into contact, the support portion 11 and the support hole 12 are fitted. Since the position of the cap upper body 18 is fixed by bringing them into contact with each other, the contact portion 1 and the nozzle surface 21 can be brought into close contact with each other without applying an offset load to the contact portion 1. Therefore, the nozzle surface 21 can be reliably sealed and the durability of the cap device can be enhanced.

[Second Embodiment]
Another embodiment of the cap mechanism according to the present invention will be described below. The cap mechanism in the present embodiment is that a support member (support portion) 15 is provided on the cap base 6 via a compression spring (third elastic body) 17 instead of the support portion 11 in the first embodiment. However, only the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment, and the others are configured in the same manner as the first embodiment. Therefore, for convenience of explanation, the same number is attached | subjected to the member comprised similarly to the member in 1st Embodiment, and the description is abbreviate | omitted. In the present embodiment, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

(Cap mechanism structure)
First, the structure of the cap mechanism in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the cap mechanism in the present embodiment. In FIG. 9, the side in contact with the inkjet head 14 is shown facing up. FIG. 10 is a view of the cap mechanism in the present embodiment as viewed from the side, and shows a state in which the cap mechanism is rotated so that the side in contact with the inkjet head 14 is left. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the support hole 12 and the support member 15 when no load is applied on the contact portion 1 in this embodiment.

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, a hole is formed in the upper surface of the cap base 6, a spring receiver 16 is provided in this hole, and a compression spring 17 is interposed on the spring receiver 16. A support member 15 is provided.

  The support member 15 is hemispherical on the upper side, and enters the support hole 12 provided on the lower surface of the cap holder 2 to come into contact therewith, thereby fixing the position of the cap upper body 18. As the support member 15, the thing similar to the preferable shape of the support part 11 described in 1st Embodiment can be used.

  The compression spring 17 is a spring that expands and contracts in the vertical direction, whereby the height of the support member 15 relative to the cap base 6 can be changed. The compression spring 17 preferably has an elastic force larger than that of the compression springs 9 and 10, and more preferably has an elastic force comparable to the elastic force of the rubber forming the contact portion 1. preferable. In addition, the 3rd elastic body in this invention is not limited to the compression spring mentioned above, For example, the rubber material which has elasticity, a leaf | plate spring, etc. may be sufficient.

  Preferred configuration for a predetermined length in the distance between the support hole 12 and the support member 15, which is the maximum value of the distance between the support hole 12 and the support member 15, that is, the distance between the support hole 12 and the support member 15, which is regulated by the penetrating materials 7 and 8 These are the same as the preferable structure about the predetermined length in the distance between the support part 11 and the support hole 12 described in 1st Embodiment. In the present embodiment, the maximum possible distance between the support hole 12 and the support member 15 can be adjusted by the height of the spring receiver 16. Therefore, when adjustment is not necessary, the spring receiver 16 need not be provided. In this way, by adjusting the height of the spring receiver 16, it is possible to easily adjust the maximum value that the distance between the support hole 12 and the support member 15 can take.

  With the above-described configuration, the support member 15 can be compressed with respect to the cap base 6, so that when the cap mechanism in the present embodiment is brought into contact with the inkjet head 14, the cap is moved along the inclination of the inkjet head 14. When the ink jet head 14 is further pushed after the upper body 18 is inclined and the support hole 12 and the support member 15 are fitted and contacted, not only the contact portion 1 but also the compression spring 17 is compressed. Therefore, the sensitivity of the force applied to the contact portion 1 can be blunted, and even when the amount of pushing of the inkjet head 14 becomes excessive, the force can be released to the compression spring 17, and the cap mechanism or the inkjet Damage to the head 14 can be prevented.

  Also, with the cap mechanism according to the present embodiment, good adhesion can be obtained even when used for an inkjet head having a large area to be capped, such as a long head. When an inkjet head with a large area to be capped is used, the area of the contact portion 1 that is in contact with the inkjet head 14 increases, so that the amount of deformation of the contact portion 1 is reduced even with a small amount of pressing. In addition, the force applied to the cap mechanism is expected to increase. In addition, it is expected that a large load is applied to the abutting portion 1 even if the push-in amount is changed minutely. Even in such a case, if the cap mechanism according to the present embodiment is used, the sensitivity to the force applied to the contact portion 1 can be dulled as described above. Therefore, the setting of the push amount by the inkjet head 14 is strictly adjusted. There is no need, and the cost required for the member for adjusting the push-in amount necessary for pushing the ink-jet head 14 into the cap mechanism can be reduced.

(How to use the cap mechanism)
Next, the usage method of the cap mechanism mentioned above is demonstrated using FIGS. As in the first embodiment, a case where the contact portion 1 of the cap mechanism and the nozzle surface 21 of the inkjet head 14 are contacted will be described.

  FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a state before the ink jet head 14 is brought into contact with the cap mechanism according to the present embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the state where the inclined ink jet head 14 is brought into contact with the cap mechanism according to the present embodiment. It is a figure which shows the state pushed until the support hole 12 and the support member 15 were fitted and contact | abutted. FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a state where the ink jet head 14 is pushed into the cap mechanism according to the present embodiment until the support hole 12 and the support member 15 are fitted and brought into contact with each other, and then further pushed.

  Here, as shown in FIGS. 12 to 14, the inkjet head 14 to be abutted is inclined to the lower right side.

  In the method according to the present embodiment, the contact portion 1 of the cap mechanism and the nozzle surface 21 of the inkjet head 14 are brought into contact with each other by performing the following steps.

  First, a step of bringing the nozzle surface 21 of the inkjet head 14 into contact with the contact portion 1 in the cap mechanism is performed.

  A gap 13 is formed between the support hole 12 and the support member 15 in the cap mechanism before the nozzle surface 21 is brought into contact with the contact portion 1 by this process. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, the cap upper body 18 is lifted from the cap base 6 by the elastic force of the compression springs 9 and 10, and the contact portions 22 and 23 in the penetrating materials 7 and 8 are the cap base. 6 is brought into contact with the lower surface of the member 6, thereby forming a gap 13 between the support hole 12 and the support member 15.

  When the nozzle surface 21 of the inkjet head 14 whose right side is inclined downward is brought into contact with the contact portion 1 in the cap mechanism in such a state, the compression springs 9 and 10 having a smaller elastic force than the contact portion 1 are elastic. As a result, the cap upper body 18 is inclined along the inclination of the nozzle surface 21 of the inkjet head 14. At this time, the rubber forming the contact portion 1 is hardly deformed. As a result, the contact portion 1 is uniformly contacted with the nozzle surface 21 of the inkjet head 14.

  Next, the process of fitting the support member 15 and the support hole 12 by pressing the nozzle surface 21 into the contact portion 1 is performed.

  In this step, when the nozzle surface 21 is pushed into the contact portion 1, the compression springs 9 and 10 are compressed and the support member 15 and the support hole 12 are fitted and contacted as shown in FIG. The position of the cap upper body 18 is fixed.

  Next, a step of further pressing the nozzle surface 21 into the contact portion 1 to compress the rubber forming the contact portion 1 and the compression spring 17 is performed.

  In this step, when the nozzle surface 21 is further pushed into the contact portion 1 in a state where the support member 15 and the support hole 12 are in contact, the rubber forming the contact portion 1 and the compression spring 17 are compressed, The nozzle surface 21 is brought into close contact with the contact portion 1.

  Since the rubber forming the contact portion 1 is compressed, the contact portion 1 and the nozzle surface 21 can be reliably brought into close contact with each other, so that the nozzle surface 21 can be sealed.

  Further, since the compression spring 17 is compressed, the cap upper body 18 can be brought closer to the cap base 6 side even when the nozzle surface 21 is pushed into the contact portion 1 by an excessive force. In addition, breakage of the inkjet head 14 can be prevented.

  Furthermore, by compressing the compression spring 17 together with the contact portion 1, the sensitivity to the force applied to the contact portion 1 can be reduced as compared with the case where only the contact portion 1 is compressed. Further, if the compression spring 17 and the rubber forming the contact portion 1 have the same level of elasticity, the compression spring 17 can damp the sensitivity to the force applied to the contact portion 1 more efficiently. it can.

  Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the effects described in the first embodiment can be obtained, and furthermore, the adhesion between the nozzle surface 21 and the contact portion 1 even when the accuracy of the push-in amount of the inkjet head 14 cannot be adjusted. Can be kept good. Further, even when the pushing amount of the ink jet head 14 becomes excessive, the compression spring 17 is compressed and deformed, so that the ink jet head 14 and the cap mechanism can be prevented from being damaged.

  The apparatus to which the cap mechanism according to the present invention is applied is not limited to the above-described ink jet head, and any apparatus having a capped surface to be capped may be used. In particular, if the cap mechanism according to the present invention is applied to a liquid ejecting head of a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects liquid, the liquid ejecting surface of the liquid ejecting head can be sealed, so that the moisture retention effect of the liquid ejecting head is maintained. be able to.

  Further, if the cap mechanism and the method using the same according to the present invention are used, even if the capped surface and the abutting portion have a relative inclination, they can be abutted accurately without damaging them. Can do. Therefore, the present invention can also be suitably applied to applications in which two relatively inclined surfaces are brought into contact with each other, in which two members are brought into close contact with each other.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope shown in the claims, and embodiments obtained by appropriately combining technical means disclosed in different embodiments. Is also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

  According to the present invention, the abutting portion that comes into contact with the capped surface is reliably tilted along the inclination of the capped surface even with respect to the capped surface, particularly a capped surface with a large area to be capped. The cap mechanism can be securely adhered to the cap surface without applying an unbalanced load, and a highly durable cap mechanism can be provided. The present invention can be suitably used for the production of products.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Contact part 2 Cap holder 3 Suction hole 4 Cap holder bottom part 5 Suction joint 6 Cap stand (support body)
7 Penetration material (regulation means)
8 Penetration material (regulation means)
9 Compression spring (first elastic body)
10 Compression spring (first elastic body)
11 Supporting part 12 Supporting hole (fitting part)
13 Gap 14 Inkjet head 15 Support member (support part)
16 Spring receiver 17 Compression spring (third elastic body)
18 Cap upper body (cap body)
21 Nozzle surface (cap surface)
22 Contact part (support contact part)
23 Contact part (support contact part)

Claims (10)

A cap mechanism for capping the capped surface,
A cap body provided with an abutting portion that abuts against the capped surface;
Supporting the cap body, and a support body located on the opposite side of the contact portion;
A first elastic body that connects between the cap body and the support body and has an elastic force in a direction to widen or narrow the distance between the cap body and the support body;
One of the surface of the cap body on the support body side and the surface of the support body on the cap body side is provided with a support portion, and the other is provided with a fitting portion to be fitted with the support portion. ,
The cap is characterized in that a gap is generated between the support portion and the fitting portion by the elastic force of the first elastic body when the capped surface is not in contact with the contact portion. mechanism.   2. The cap mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the contact portion is configured by a second elastic body having an elastic force larger than an elastic force of the first elastic body.   The cap mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the support portion is a protrusion, and the fitting portion is a recess.   The cap mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the support portion has a hemispherical or pin-shaped tip.   The said support part is provided through the 3rd elastic body which has an elastic force larger than the elastic force which a 1st elastic body has, The any one of Claims 1-4 characterized by the above-mentioned. Cap mechanism.   The cap mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising restriction means for restricting a distance between the support portion and the fitting portion to a predetermined length. The restricting means is constituted by a penetrating material formed through the support,
One end of the penetrating material is connected to the cap body, and the other end is provided with a support abutting portion that abuts against a surface of the support opposite to the cap body. The cap mechanism according to claim 6. A cap body provided with an abutting portion to be abutted against the capped surface;
Supporting the cap body, and a support body located on the opposite side of the contact portion;
A first elastic body that connects between the cap body and the support body and has an elastic force in a direction to widen or narrow the distance between the cap body and the support body;
Of the surface of the cap body on the support body side and the surface of the support body on the cap body side, one is provided with a support portion, and the other is provided with a fitting portion to be fitted with the support portion. A method of using a cap mechanism for capping the capped surface,
A step of generating a gap by the elastic force of the first elastic body between the support portion and the fitting portion, and bringing the capped surface into contact with the contact portion;
And a step of pressing the capped surface into the contact portion to fit the support portion and the fitting portion. The contact portion is configured by a second elastic body having an elastic force larger than that of the first elastic body,
9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising a step of compressing the second elastic body by further pressing the cap surface into the contact portion after the support portion and the fitting portion are fitted. The method described in 1. The support portion is provided via a third elastic body having an elastic force larger than that of the first elastic body,
9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising a step of compressing the third elastic body by further pressing the capped surface into the contact portion after fitting the support portion and the fitting portion. Or the method according to 9;

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